Brand extensions should only be implemented if they don't confuse consumers. The main consideration that needs to be taken into account and that is the source of an appropriate extension is to identify if there is some basis of similarity between the proposed extension and parent brand.
Now, I would like to share with you two bad examples of brand extensions that attracted my attention.
The first example is the Bic underwear. In case you're wondering, yes, I am talking about the brand that usually sells disposable pens...
Under this brand name, women's disposable underwear and panties were sold.
Is true that no one can say that they didn't try to reach a point-of-parity: They are disposable! But still, consistency needs to be taken into account and Bic completely failed in this point.
As Al Ries said "Names have power, but only in the camp in which they have credentials, and when they lose focus, they also lose their power".
The second example that it is listed as one of the biggest failures in brand extensions is Zippo's women's fruity perfume.
Zippo has been known for years as the iconic cigarette lighter brand, and now tried to enter the perfume category.
The problem this brand faced was the association with the smell of lighter fluid and most women do not want to be associated with this smell. The perfume could be a decent-smelling perfume, but perception is everything!
No comments:
Post a Comment