Product positioning is an essential concept in marketing in which the seller focuses on winning the interests of different consumers. It helps marketers to determine the best way of communicating the benefits and relevance of their products to customers based on their needs, competition, and existing advertising channels (Koch & Gyrd-Jones, 2019). Product positioning uses carefully crafted messages to influence the target consumers to use a particular service or product. Occasionally, changes in the market compel sellers to change the current position of a brand to make it more meaningful to the target segment (Koch & Gyrd-Jones, 2019). This strategy is known as product repositioning, and it is used to establish a competitive spot, creating an ongoing market advantage over existing brands. Product repositioning is also meant for generating additional sales through a more appropriate offering and effective communication.
Johnsonâs Baby, an American brand for baby cosmetics and skin care products owned by Johnson and Johnson Company, provides an excellent example of this concept. The firm has a reputation for manufacturing body cosmetics that are deemed pure and safe for little children (Mirzaee & George, 2016). As the product gained popularity in a vast market, the company discovered that not only babies enjoyed soft skin but also some adults used Johnsonâs baby creams. As a result, the company reviewed its target market in a bid to redefine the brand for adult use.
The company realized that the product was used by both babies and adults, a situation that created an opportunity for widening their market share. Johnsonâs Baby brilliantly repositioned its products by diversifying its cosmetics for adult use while maintaining its association with babies and leveraging the brandâs longstanding reputation (Mirzaee & George, 2016). Rather than coming up with new products for the new market, the company persuaded adults to realize that the cosmetic product also met the needs of their skin.
References
Koch, C. H., & Gyrd-Jones, R. I. (2019). Corporate brand positioning in complex industrial firms: Introducing a dynamic, process approach to positioning. Industrial Marketing Management, 81, 40-53.
Mirzaee, S., & George, B. (2016). Brand archetypes: an experiment with the âdemeterâ. Journal of Applied Economics and Business Research, 6(2), 93-105.