How To Create A Brand Repositioning Strategy.

Is your brand failing to connect with its target audience? Have changing market conditions made your current positioning outdated? Do your products or services need rejuvenation to stay competitive? If you answered yes to any of these questions, consider a brand repositioning strategy; strategic process that helps companies redefine their brand’s identity and associations in the consumer’s mind. 

Repositioning a brand requires reshaping how the current brand is perceived to adapt to your business’s evolving preferences, new competitors, or transformations. A well-planned brand repositioning strategy boosts relevance, captures market share, and spurs growth. But, the margin for error is so small that a slight mistake can risk alienating existing customers or failing to resonate with new targets. 

This article provides a complete walkthrough of the best practices when considering a tangible repositioning for your brand. You will learn the difference between rebranding vs repositioning and understand when it’s required. This article explains how to preserve brand equity while giving your company the refresh needed to thrive in new conditions. To start, let’s provide a clear definition as to what brand repositioning is.

What is Brand Repositioning?

Brand repositioning refers to purposefully changing a brand’s status and perception in the consumer’s mind. It involves shifting the identity and associations people have with a brand to adapt to new market conditions, competitive threats, or changes in business strategy.

Unlike rebranding, which replaces logos, names, and other visual elements, repositioning may or may not preserve the core identity while altering what the brand represents. The fundamental visual cues stay intact, but the brand takes on a new meaning and significance to customers.

There are several strategic reasons a company may choose to reposition its brand:

• To appeal to a new target demographic or expand into different markets
• To shed negative perceptions and associations that have built up over time
• To regain relevance and visibility in the face of new competitors
• To align with shifts in consumer values, attitudes, or priorities
• To support a new product line, business model, or corporate strategy

The main objective for repositioning is establishing a unique and attractive image in the customer’s perception. Recognizing unexplored opportunities and coordinating branding, messaging, and customer experiences is essential to capture that potential. If executed properly, repositioning can revitalize a brand by heightening its distinctiveness and relevance. It offers a way forward when the existing brand positioning fails to connect with the audience.

Brand Repositioning Strategies

Once a company decides to reposition its brand, the real work begins determining how to shift perceptions. Companies may leverage several core strategies to rewrite their story in the consumers mind. One approach is reshaping the brand’s personality and tone. Businesses have distinctive personalities similar to people. Adjusting characteristics like warmth, wit, sophistication, or ruggedness allows brands to appeal to new audiences.

Brands can also reposition by highlighting different product attributes and benefits. Emphasizing new features, quality associations, or value propositions reorients the brand’s meaning. Redefining the target audience and use occasions also opens new opportunities. Brands can reshape messaging to focus on demographics, lifestyles, or usage needs.

Brands may reposition around causes or values. Aligning with social missions and cultural movements provides meaning beyond products. The key is identifying whitespace opportunities and then leveraging strategies like these to occupy that space in a credible, consistent way. Matching the repositioning approach to the brand’s equity and target market.

Product Repositioning

Product repositioning refers to modifying features or launching new variants to shift the brand’s position and perception. One way is improving or altering product attributes to increase appeal to new or existing customers. For example, a snack brand could be repositioned as better-for-you by reducing net carbs. It reframes the meaning from indulgent to wholesome and enhances the current product positioning.

Brands can also introduce new products or sub-brands to reach different audiences. A clothing company may launch a new line for teenagers to become relevant to younger consumers. Or a car company could add an SUV to compete in new segments. Sometimes, companies reposition by modifying packaging, pricing, or distribution. Adjusting these product elements signals fundamental changes in branding. Value brands may be repositioned as premium by raising prices and selling through exclusive channels.

The key to product repositioning is aligning tangible product changes with brand messaging and identity. Consistency across all elements is crucial for credibility. When products transform, brands must communicate the added value to customers compellingly.

Brand Message Repositioning

Brand message repositioning means changing verbal and visual communication to reshape brand perception. It involves altering taglines, ad campaigns, social media, and other touchpoints to reframe the brand’s position. Brands can utilize platforms like YouTube shorts and TikTok where they can immediately communicate their new positioning and showcase new personalities and associations. 

Adjusting messaging allows for shaping nuanced identities, like an outdoor brand highlighting sustainability. Tweaking tone, imagery, and channels influence how audiences perceive the brand. When done credibly over time, evolved messaging can rewrite a brand’s strategy and carve out new spaces in the market.

The brand messaging must align with product changes and visual identity. Dramatic shifts in tone or personality without broader alignment will ring hollow. Consistent, coordinated messaging across touchpoints is crucial. Brands should phase in new campaigns while phasing out old ones to bridge the transition. With thoughtful planning, brands can successfully reframe perceptions and occupy new territory by fine-tuning verbal and visual communication.

Market Repositioning

Market repositioning involves identifying new target demographics and use cases to expand the brand’s relevance. As customer needs and competitors evolve, brands must continually re-evaluate their positioning. It requires understanding emerging preferences and pain points through market research. Brands can then reorient messaging and products to resonate with new targets. 

For example, an outdoor brand could shift to appeal to urban explorers rather than hardcore campers. Or a snack brand could be reframed as a healthy afternoon pick-me-up rather than an indulgent treat. The key is responding to market dynamics by highlighting new benefits that credibly match the brand’s equity. Market repositioning allows brands to stay fresh, meet changing needs, and outmaneuver competitors.

Brand Repositioning Examples

The following are some recent and prominent repositioning examples to learn from:

Gucci

Gucci established a new brand positioning from an exclusive luxury heritage brand to a more youthful, avant-garde label aligned with streetwear culture. It allowed Gucci to shake off its stale, old-fashioned image and appeal to younger, more progressive luxury consumers. Gucci made the brand feel current and relevant again by partnering with influencers and highlighting edgy new designs.

Spotify 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Spotify repositioned itself from a commuting and social listening app to an anytime, anywhere platform for entertainment and connection. With more people stuck at home, Spotify adapted by promoting podcasts, guided wellness content, and remote social listening features. This shift aligned with changing consumer needs and reinforced Spotify’s role as an essential streaming service.

General Motors

General Motors has repositioned itself several times over the decades as market dynamics evolve. Recently, GM aimed to transform its brand positioning from a traditional automaker to a future-focused mobility provider. Initiatives like electric vehicles, autonomous driving technology, and car-sharing services help progress GM’s brand strategy as innovative and environmentally conscious.

Executing a Repositioning Strategy

Transforming the current brand positioning can be risky if not properly planned. Therefore, companies must follow a proven template to build a successful repositioning strategy. A successful brand repositioning allows companies to alter the target customer perception without risking their current brand identity. It helps to develop a compelling value proposition that attracts new customers. 

Understand the Market

Before repositioning, brands must deeply understand their target audience and market landscape. This crucial first step involves researching customer demographics, needs, values, and pain points. Analyzing competitors is also vital to identifying whitespace opportunities. Ongoing market analysis reveals segments to expand into and new trends to capitalize on. Without this foundation, repositioning risks missing the mark. 

Once armed with market insights, companies may step forward and evaluate the current brand positioning. It helps develop an effective strategy and make informed decisions about tangible repositioning, like product changes. An outside-in approach ensures repositioning aligns with consumer needs and outmaneuvers competitors. The market sets the stage for a successful branding strategy.

Evaluate the Current Brand Position

Before repositioning, brands must evaluate their current position. It involves assessing brand awareness through metrics like recall and recognition rates. It also requires measuring brand equity via surveys and valuations to quantify loyalty and price premiums. Additionally, reviewing brand meaning in terms of identity, personality, and values in the target audience’s minds is crucial. 

What distinct thoughts and feelings does the brand elicit? Diagnosing the complete brand picture—awareness, equity, and meaning—provides direction for repositioning. It reveals current strengths to build upon and gaps to fill. With a data-driven understanding of their position, brands can strategically chart a course to shift perceptions and competitively evolve. The starting point informs how to reach a new destination effectively.

Develop Repositioning Strategy

With current equity and market objectives mapped, brands can start crafting an effective repositioning strategy. It involves setting specific positioning goals to achieve based on gaps and opportunities. Determining the optimal brand values and personality to connect with target consumers comes next. For example, a luxury brand may aim to become more casual and approachable. Key messaging should then reinforce the desired identity. 

Taglines, campaigns, and brand voice all help communicate the new positioning. For instance, the outdoors brand REI’s #OptOutside campaign pivoted its image from hardcore gear retailer to promoting experiences and work/life balance. The messaging aligned with redefining REI as a lifestyle brand. 

With a clear strategy and core brand narrative, all elements can work together to advance the repositioning. From product design to partnerships, everything ladders up to conveying the new aspirational, distinctive place the brand aims to own in consumers’ minds.

Align Brand Elements

With a new positioning strategy defined, all brand elements must align to convey consistency. It includes refreshing visual identity like logo, packaging, and graphics to match the repositioning. Images and branding should reflect the aspirational tone and values set in the strategy. 

Modifying the brand name to resonate with target consumers may also strengthen associations. For example, Weight Watchers rebranded as WW to shift perceptions toward wellness rather than just weight loss. 

The slogan can communicate the new positioning directly while PR and partnerships reinforce it. Most importantly, the product itself must deliver on the brand promise. If a company wants to be seen as innovative, new features and experiences must support that. 

When all touchpoints work together seamlessly, the repositioning has a solid foundation. As core strategy guides the direction, coherent branding ultimately executes the journey to change customer brand perceptions.

Communicate the Repositioning

Once the foundation is laid, brands must spread the word to boost brand awareness. A 360 marketing plan leverages all channels to broadcast the new positioning. Paid media like TV, out-of-home, and digital/social ads ensure high reach and frequency. Owned platforms like the website, emails, and blogs consistently reinforce messaging.

Social media spotlights the repositioned brand personality through engaging content. Public relations strategically seeds stories to shape the public narrative. For example, when LEGO wanted to reframe its image as creative vs. childish, it partnered with MIT on custom-branded bricks. The initiative generated buzz among adult fans. 

No matter the channel, the communication must feel cohesive, not disjointed. With consistent messaging blanketing touchpoints, target consumers soon start experiencing the brand in a new light. Repositioning is a shift in perception that strategic communication can achieve.

Measure Results

The proof is in the pudding – repositioning must deliver measurable impact. Tracking brand perception through surveys reveals if awareness, consideration, and associations are shifting among target consumers. 

Sales and revenue metrics quantify business growth, while market share indicates competitiveness. But beyond the numbers, monitoring social listening and online reviews provides qualitative feedback on how customers respond. 

It identifies what’s resonating and what’s falling flat. With these insights, brands can refine their strategy and realign touchpoints that aren’t hitting the mark. Repositioning is an ongoing process, not a one-and-done tactic. 

Results analysis gives direction for the next phase of evolution. Ultimately, positioning success is achieved when brand perception aligns with the new positioning in the consumer’s mind. The metrics along the journey help strengthen strategy and storytelling. As the starting point guided the initial plan, measuring results steers the road ahead.

Common Challenges and Risks

A significant risk of brand repositioning is that loyal customers who connect with the current brand positioning may feel abandoned by dramatic changes. Repositioning should build on existing equity, not discard it. Sudden, drastic shifts can confuse and alienate previously satisfied customers. Brands must find the right balance between evolving and staying true to their roots.

Failing to Resonate with New Target Market

There’s no guarantee that a repositioning will achieve the desired results. The strategy will flop if the new messaging and branding don’t strongly appeal to the target audience. Extensive market research and testing help minimize this risk. Brands must intimately understand consumer motivations and perceptions.

High Costs Associated with Rebranding

Repositioning requires significant upfront investment. The costs add up from market analysis to updating visual identity and touchpoints. And marketing budgets must be allocated to communicate the change intensively. With no certainty the investment will pay off, repositioning is financially risky.

Losing Brand Equity and Awareness

Companies may lose hard-won equity and awareness by changing a familiar brand identity. Years of marketing build recognition and loyalty. Repositioning could dilute or deplete these valuable intangible assets. Brands must leverage existing equity into the new positioning.

Difficulty Communicating Brand Evolution

It’s challenging to communicate a brand makeover to consumers seamlessly. Inconsistent and confusing messaging undermines repositioning goals. Integrated, omnichannel marketing is essential to convey the change as an evolution, not a revolution.

Data-Driven Brand Repositioning Strategy

Rediscover your brand’s purpose and ignite category growth. Let SmashBrand’s data-driven approach unlock hidden opportunities to evolve your brand story. Our repositioning strategies connect with consumers and drive predictable results. Discuss a project with us to learn more about our capabilities and integrated approach to brand development.