Topics
repositioning, target markets, competitive behavior, learning theory, integrated marketing communications
Review the activity below or download the PDF student worksheet
- Student Worksheet: Successful Repositioning Video Case Study
- Instructor Solutions (Members Only): Successful Repositioning Video Case Study = Solutions
Student Discussion Activity
Introduction
In this video-based case study you will examine the repositioning of an established brand. The branding question is Dare Iced Coffee, which is a brand of coffee flavored milk products that are consumed cold.
While the brand was well-established, it found itself behind the market leader (which was Ice Break) in milk coffee products, as well as having its sales challenged by the leading energy drinks brands, as well as Coca-Cola to some extent.
Ice Break was a direct competitor, and Reds Bull and V Energy and Coca-Cola were indirect competitors because they met the same underlying need for consumers = a caffeine-based pick-me-up product that would give the consumer additional energy.
Your Task
As this is a video-based case study exercise, you first need to review the video below, which outlines the brands initial competitive position, its rationale for selecting a new target market and a new positioning, as well as how it was executed.
As you will see, it was a very successful repositioning and the overall campaign eventually won prestigious advertising/marketing awards for its substantial improvement in the brands profitability and market share.
In marketing textbooks, we often see repositioning as a “last resort”, but in this case the brand was reasonably well-placed and profitable, but the brand management took a longer term view of the brand and were willing to rethink their strategy.
Case Study Video to Review
Student Discussion Questions
- Why do you think the brand needed to reposition?
- What risks are inherent for any brand when it is repositioned?
- Could the brand, in this case, have successively repositioned without selecting a new target market?
- Other than pursuing repositioning, what other possible marketing actions could they have implemented to improve the brand competitive position and profitability?
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