Marketing Strategy and Competitive Positioning pdf ebook

Brands can transform markets – the British financial services sector has long been 
associated with weak branding and low brand awareness. More recently, however, this 
sector has seen an influx of new (to this sector) brand names such as Mondo, Virgin, 
Metro Bank, Tesco Bank and Atom Bank. To a greater or lesser extent, all have taken 
market share away from incumbents through leveraging their brands and substantial 
databases.
● 
Brands perform financially – research study after research study highlights the impor-
tance of investment in brands. Those companies that invest in building and maintaining 
their brands, especially in an economic downturn, outperform those that do not.
● 
Brands can cross national borders – global brands are becoming increasingly common, 
and many firms are attempting to standardise branding across international markets 
as customers become more global. The scale economies of such are very attractive to 
organisations seeking cost reduction in competitive markets. The key here is not to 
assume homogenous customer groups across national boundaries and to ensure that 
local nuances are well catered for (via advertising and positioning of brands). For exam-
ple, Coca-Cola recently implemented the largest change in its history when it moved 
to a ‘one brand’ approach in all operating regions across the globe. Previously to this, 
Coca-Cola brands had been marketed separately, with each brand having its own distinct 
personality in all markets. For example, Diet Coke featured a stereotypical male model 
in most advertising, designed to target its predominantly female market – something that 
seems a really out-of-date idea through a modern lens.
Company and brand are not the only influences on customer perceptions of offerings. 
The origin of the product may also have a significant impact.
Country of origin (COO)
For companies operating in international markets, the identity of the home country can 
contribute either as an asset or a liability. Japanese firms, for example, collectively enjoy 
a good reputation for quality and value for money. British-made goods, such as Barbour, 
Burberry and Church’s shoes, have enjoyed a revival in the USA due to the favourable image 
of Britain in this market. Other examples of COO effects include:
● 
French wine enjoys a strong international reputation, allowing premium pricing. The use 
of French words (such as château and appellation d’origine contrôlée) on labels serves to 
reinforce the origin. Indeed, wine from specific regions within France can also command 
a premium even before the wine is sampled. It is noteworthy that wines from Australia 
depend more on promoting the grape variety (Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Chardonnay), while 
French wines promote the region of origin.
● 
New Zealand successfully promoted itself as a tourist destination following the success 
of the Lord of the Rings movies, which were filmed there. The emphasis has now shifted 
to marketing the country’s foods and wines. In 2006, Bacardi paid around $90 million for 
the luxury vodka brand ‘42 Below’. Originally it was marketed based on New Zealand’s 
reputation for purity, and had gained significant market share on this basis.
Increasingly, consumers in developed markets are concerned about the ‘carbon footprint’ 
of their purchases and are starting to question some of their purchasing habits (for example, 
buying items that have travelled long distances at the expense of the environment).
The value of image of home country, company or brand should not be underestimated. 
Image often takes a long time to build up, but can be destroyed very quickly by mistakes 
or mishaps. For example, French wine suffered significantly in the US market when France 

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