SUCCESSES
McDonalds - Some years back, McDonalds was using its adverts and pitches to sell its products The products themselves took centre stage. Not anymore. New generations have new interests, tastes and habits. McDonald’s has slowly, through a series of subtle initiatives, changed itself to reflect the new generation’s needs. The re-positioning was a way to tell its customers that ‘we’ve been listening’. They are focusing on improving the business, and the lives it effects. The other dominant factors, such as price and variety remain, however they've taken a back seat. The focus is now values. The target segment’s values and perceptions have evolved and so has McDonald’s identity.
As Business Insider reported – Once McDonald’s was making America fat. Now it looks like Starbucks and serves salads. The customer base is no longer driven to the established qualities of McDonald’s – it has became more aware.
The brand meanings that McDonalds conveyed to its target consumers namely, pricing, availability, variety, ingredients etc. are not relevant enough to keep them loyal and identify themselves with the brand. The conumers have evloved and so have their tastes, preferences, lifestlyes and meanings. The below adverts will show how the subtle re-positioning of McDonald's took place.
2009 - Product centered
WALMART - The tagline for Walmart once used to be “Always lower prices”. 2007 was the when it took its last breath. With all the benefits that Walmart offered, it came across as cheap. The retail juggernaut underwent a significant makeover with its essence best captured in its tagline - “Save money. Live better”. This re-positioning to increase their customer base changed the dynamics for Walmart. It no longer remained the ‘cheap option’. It became the first option for many Americans. It started to reach to a much wider base of consumers by relating low prices as a smart choice to “improve living”.
Walmart needed to extend its appeal to a broader audience without losing sight of its core customer base. As a well-established and highly visible brand, Walmart wanted to refresh its identity while retaining brand equity, and bring the brand to life with over two million associates in 7,000 stores. As mentioned earlier, the strategy was best summarized in their new tagline – “Save money. Live better”, whch emphasized how shopping at Walmart allows you to “Live better”. The brand continues to carry on tall with the same identity over the years. Worth every penny we say!
BEFORE - PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL PRESENCE
WALMART BRANDING - NOW
OLD SPICE - We still remember the highly fragrant aftershave, ivory bottle from our grandfather’s time gathering dust in the shelves. Well, not anymore. The brand that was once associated with classics (and which worked then) slowly lost its sheen in the new generation. Their customer base aged out. And an association with Old Spice was no longer a cool thing.
However, since the time P&G took over the brand (from American Cynamid) in 1990, it has completely changed the identity of the brand. Its target is now the younger people. And it has done a great job at this, making Old Spice one of the best-selling deodorants and slowly extending their success to other range of Old Spice products. Old Spice launched a global repositioning campaign with viral adverts. It ditched the sailor adverts and moved on to refresh the image of Old Spice as a relic in the Dad’s cupboard. It centered on manliness, bringing it back into its competitive set. But it this did in a refreshing way!
Thanks to former NFL player Isaiah Mustafa who told women to "Look at your man, now back at me," Old Spice is suddenly a new Old Spice. Since the first commercial launched a year ago, the 70-year-old brand's ad campaign generated tens of millions of online views and a new catch-phrase: "I'm on a horse." Old Spice followed up with 186 related videos in which Mustafa directly responded to digital queries from bloggers and celebrities including Perez Hilton, Ellen DeGeneres, and Alyssa Milano. The pitch had to change as the customer base had changed. It created its niche and gained dominance by being the cool thing. It did that with flair, no pretentions and a solid marketing plan, achieved by flawless execution.
Result? I use Old Spice shower gel – Swagger and the deodorant – White water. And boy, it feels good to be ‘in the league’. Among other insignificant results - it became the second highest selling deodorant rising from a dismal 10th position few years back.
Old Spice 2008 advert (A good advert that didn't do the job)
FARAN -Israel:
Faran is a brand of natural cosmetic products in Israel. After an introduction of what was thought to appeal to its target consumers, FARAN realized that the branding was too flat for its target segment to understand the qualities that the product had to offer. Consequently, its sales started to be recorded in segments where FARAN did not want to pitch in the first place. Its product was unique but was not able to penetrate its target segment.
Consequently, FARAN underwent a brand repositioning activity. The audience that the company targeted were people who were more complex and multi-layered. People who want to treat themselves naturally, while minding the earth and the environment. They appreciate truth and authenticity, but do not compromise on quality.
In order to achieve appreciation in the global market, you need to be your unique self. The main asset we brought forward is the Ramon Crater, a one-of-a-kind natural phenomenon in the Faran desert, characterized by some of the deepest soil layers on earth. That's where the ingredients and the people behind the brand come from. The distinctive natural wonders inspired the new language and tone of voice. The new name came from the breathtaking place: Faran.
The new brand idea calls people to identify with a deep statement: "Respect the Path." It's about authenticity, a journey, deep layers and a pinch of mystery. It aims to ignite imagination, yet be very peaceful and relaxed. [1]
Before
After
