Several top brands have found ingenious ways to survive this rough market times of pandemic through effective positioning by diversifying their portfolio, and promotion through advertising campaigns.
Let us know how these brands have positioned in the minds of people by synchronizing their marketing according to the changing times. Firstly, what is brand positioning? According to American marketing consultant Philip Kotler, it is
“the act of designing the company’s offering and image to occupy a distinctive place in the mind of the target market”
We may have seen various health care brands resort to fear marketing with ‘anti-viral’ or ‘corona resistant’ ingredients in their products, but we will take a look at some of the pandemic positioning of brands which aren’t primarily known for healthcare.
Amul
The famous Amul girl was seen featuring in a series of messages conveyed by the Indian dairy brand Amul, encouraging people to wash their hands, greet others using the no-contact namaste method, and to work from home. The term ‘flatten it in bread’ was also used creatively concerning ‘flatten the curve’ catchphrase.
BMW
The German automotive giant launched a new ad campaign #JustCan’tWait. They have showcased BMW 3 series and other sedans cruising on open roads. It talks about the things we love while driving, yearning for open roads, listening to city drive playlists, and what we can’t wait for. It tries to tap the public sentiment of waiting to come out of the lockdown and get back on the road.
Nike
Another good example is Nike, which kickstarted a campaign encouraging people to ‘play inside, play for the world’ as governments have enforced social-distancing measures. As per Nike’s usual standards, the copy by Weiden+Kennedy was bold:
“If you ever dreamed of playing for millions around the world, now is your chance”.
Using celebrity marketing, Nike’s brand ambassadors including Cristiano Ronaldo, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James reposted the campaign.
Whereas delivery brands have taken safety positioning quite seriously as it may affect their business drastically. Zomato has launched a campaign, ‘Safety levels: Mom Approved’. The ad depicts a boy who is bored with another dal-day at home, decides to enjoy by ordering food online from Zomato.
He says that it is their neighbour Rohan’s home-cooked food to escape from his mom’s suspicion until she finally finds out. Then he convinces her by showcasing Zomato’s quarantine meal delivery features like kitchen sanitization, rider safety checks, and contactless delivery.
Swiggy
Swiggy also followed suit with ‘Best Safety Standards’ of selected restaurants ensuring high levels of hygiene within the restaurant premises and promising other features like contactless delivery.
They’ve gone one step ahead accommodating deep learning technology wherein the delivery employees take a selfie with a mask on and post it through a portal to start getting orders. Indeed! a great way of incorporating artificial intelligence into positioning.
CavinKare
FMCG conglomerate CavinKare has launched ‘Saafoo Veggies and fruit washes’ to kill germs which may be present even after washing our foods with plain water. It has also developed a meat wash called Saafoo – Meat Wash which comes in sachets.
It claims that its ingredients are 100% food-grade which are fortified with microbial properties removing soil dust, dirt, and germs ensuring we get a natural flavour of the meat. Seems like CavinKare is taking pandemic positioning to another level of fear marketing.
Marico
This Indian consumer brand launched a ‘Veggie Clean’ wash for perishable products like vegetables and fruits. It claims the solution is alcohol-free, soap-free, and chlorine-free, devoid of any harmful preservatives.
This is first of its kind vegetable and fruit cleaner to hit the markets as per their CMO Koshy George who believes in making a real difference by offering disruptive solutions. It should be noted that Marico had already used this kind of positioning during the early stages of the pandemic.
Dabur
Meanwhile, Dabur who takes pride in being one of the best ayurvedic brands in India ensured that tea stalls in Kolkata had honey in the refreshment beverage. Moreover, it expanded its portfolio by launching Immunity Kit which promises to support your immune system containing a range of ayurvedic formulations.
Priced from ₹245 onwards, this kit is available across both retail stores and e-commerce platforms. Dabur continues to stay true in its organic positioning.
Hinge
Even dating apps have raised their pandemic positioning game. One of the popular brands, Hinge, has added additional features including a video chat, specialized for ‘dating from home’. They recently added a pop-up message to the app, advising its users to date at home which can tell whether their matches are ready for a virtual date or not.
They also claim that 70% of the users are up for a “digital date” over a streaming platform like FaceTime or Zoom.
Kinetic
This Indian automobile brand has introduced a variety of fogging and spraying electric vehicles for disinfecting factories, malls, and office premises. What is noteworthy here is Kinetic has used eco-friendly positioning.
The first one is a water-based fogging solution, Kinetic e-Fogger which uses water as a carrier instead of polluting fuel like diesel used in Thermal Fogging. It works on the concept of a green technology called Cold fogging which is as effective as thermal fogging.
Next is Kinetic Safar, the indigenous battery-operated electric three-wheeler is used for the spraying and fogging operation. This small vehicle can conveniently move through small and congested areas like slums and old city sectors, where it is hard to cover in a large vehicle or extremely time-consuming on foot.
The third product, a UV Sanitizer has been developed for sanitization of indoor areas such as rooms of hospitals, ambulance, buses, and offices.
What are the other well-known brands that have marketed with pandemic positioning and have caught your attention? Do let us know in the comments section.
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