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Do the right market research to avoid re-branding “fails”

Intelligence

Do the right market research to avoid re-branding “fails”

Aug 20, 2014By mStoner Staff

I’ve been reading about “re-branding” fails this week. There have been some major ones — Radio Shack’s 2009 re-branding to “The Shack”. Tropicana’s 2008 failed packaging redesign. New Coke.

These companies all employ really smart marketing people who (presumably) know a thing or two about marketing. So why did their re-branding efforts fail? And why do we read about new re-branding failures every few weeks?

I believe that most of them come down to one thing — flawed market research. I’m sure they all did a lot of market research. But I suspect they didn’t do the right kind of market research.

What are the most common market research mistakes?

1. Having the wrong research objective.

It’s not enough to find out if consumers will like the changes. The question is whether they’ll buy it when faced with the actual purchase decision. In the case of Tropicana, the objective of the research was to determine if people liked the new packaging. And like it they did. But the problem was that the new logo and package design were so different that loyal users couldn’t find it on the shelf anymore.

In higher ed, it’s not enough to know whether people with high affinity (alumni, prospects) like your brand repositioning. You need to understand the perspective of people who are less engaged and/or less aware of your institution.

[Tweet “To avoid re-branding “fails”, you need to understand the perspective of people who are less engaged and/or less aware of your institution.”]

2. Talking to the wrong people.

Who matters more — your current users, or non-users? It depends on what you’re trying to learn. But if you’re considering a re-brand, the answer is probably both. Yes, it’s important to understand whether a re-branding will help you expand your user base. But you can’t assume that your loyal users will just come along for the ride as you change elements of the brand they like.

In the case of higher ed, it’s simpler to research loyal fans – you already have them in your database. But depending on the project, it’s important to understand the perspective of people who may not be considering your school.

3. Missing important questions.

Sci-Fi Channel thought they were on to something big when they changed their name to SyFy Channel. Until they realized that “Syfy” is slang for syphillis. It’s important to understand the positive associations that people have with your proposed re-branding. But it’s also important to make sure there are no negative associations.

Higher ed has its own examples. There have been several recent kerfuffles in which negative associations with the campaign or logo were not realized until after launch. That’s not to say that everyone has to like it. But it’s best to know what you’re getting yourself into.

4. Believing everything you hear.

As a general rule, Americans are very polite. They don’t like to offend. So they try really hard to be positive in focus groups, to minimize the chances of offending the moderator. And as a result, they can appear more positive about ideas than they actually feel. Dig below the surface.

So when you show them that new view book concept and ask them what they think, they’re likely to be appear more positive about it than they actually feel inside. Make sure you probe on the things they don’t like. And keep probing until you are confident that you understand how they really feel.

5. Not understanding the role of brand equity.

Coke got into trouble with New Coke because they thought people chose a soft drink because of the taste. And they discounted the power of the brand equity in the purchase decision.

Recognize that every new program or service that your institution offers is connected to your brand. So if you’re doing research on a new program offering, it’s not enough to understand whether they like the new program. You have to understand how they feel about it being offered from YOUR institution. “Would it make sense for Acme University to offer (fill in the blank)?” is always an important question to ask when you’re exploring a new offering.

 

Market research is vital to any brand re-launch. Make sure your research answers the questions you need to answer before your brand re-launch.. no one wants to end up like “The Shack.”

 


Higher education branding doesn’t have to be difficult. By understanding the unique dynamics — and the potential pitfalls that can arise – you can create a process that ensures that you get buy-in for a compelling brand positioning that will capture the unique story of your institution.

Want to learn more? We recently published a white paper that explores the specific challenges of higher education branding and gives you strategies for clearing the most common hurdles.