Marketing Case Study: Burberry's Brand Repositioning Strategies

This case study examines Burberry's brand repositioning strategy, focusing on its efforts to change its market position. The report begins with an introduction to brand repositioning, followed by an analysis of the importance of positioning and repositioning in the context of the luxury market. It then presents a positioning map to visually represent Burberry's current and desired market position relative to competitors like Gucci and Primark. The main body explores various methods of brand repositioning, including brand rejuvenation and changes to distribution channels, to achieve the desired shift in customer perception. The study concludes by summarizing the role of repositioning in marketing strategy and its impact on brand perception and market success. References to books and journals provide further context to the analysis.

BURBERRY BRAND
REPOSITIONING

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..............................................................................................................................................3
Importance of positioning and repositioning...........................................................................................3
Positioning map.......................................................................................................................................4
Methods of brand repositioning...............................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES............................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Brand Repositioning is basically the process through which an organization changes its
brand status within the marketplace. The main aim of this report is to study the brand
repositioning of Burberry and analyze its effectiveness. Burberry is primarily the British luxury
organization being established in 1856 by Thomas Burberry and headquartered in London, U.K.
This report gives an overview of importance of positioning and repositioning, positioning
map and methods of brand repositioning.
MAIN BODY
Importance of positioning and repositioning
Positioning is basically the place which brand occupies within the minds of customers
and the way in which it is mainly distinguished from other products of competitors. The major
importance of positioning is that it enables the marketers to determine that how to communicate
their product attributes to customers. Repositioning on the other hand, is altering and changing
the position of brand as well as product within minds of customers relative to offering of
competitive product. The main importance of repositioning is that it helps the marketers as well
as organization to change the perception of customers about their brand and thus create a new
image or the target market in order to increase the sales (Ceil, 2018).
As Burberry intends to move up and grow in the market, if this repositioning within the
luxury market become successful then it will help Burberry to high extent. Firstly, this
repositioning will help the company to gain competitive advantage. As various luxury brands
like Michael Kors, Prada have reduced their number of handbag designs thus in this view, if
Burberry comes up with the innovative and new leather goods like handbag then it will at the end
will help the company to gain an edge over the competitors.
Secondly, this reposition will also help the company to enter new market segment and
enlarge the customer base. The new move of the company to leverage the digital reach and
making easier for customer to purchase online thus if this becomes successful then this will help
company to enter the new market segment and attract the new and different customers. Along

with this, it will also help the company to create a new perception about their brand and create a
different as well as innovative image (Gaustad and et.al.,2019).
Positioning map
Positioning map also known by the name perceptual map is basically the diagrammatic
representation and tool used by marketers for visually displaying perception of customers.
Within this positioning map, the current position of Burberry is between high price and moderate
quality. Burberry is known for its luxury products having moderate quality as although it brings
innovation in its product but in long period of time while company keeps its price of most of the
products high. As company intends to move up-scale through repositioning thus this overall
process will eventually change the perception of people towards the brand. The repositioning
will increase the score of Burberry between the quadrant of high quality and high price. This will
eventually help the company to attain competitive advantage (FERNIE and PERRY, 2018).
Gucci is the another luxury brand which in the positioning map currently falls between
high price and high quality. In terms of the quality, Gucci provides modern and edgy style of the
products which have high price. Gucci frequently comes with the new and modern style to suit
the modern and luxury personality of customers and thus charges high price due to high quality.
Primark, on the other hand mainly targets customers of middle class group and thus their product
are of low quality as well as of low price. Thus, the products of this company fall in the quadrant
low price and low quality. Most of the products of Primark targets the customers having
moderate income and thus due to this, Primark faces a tough competition from the other luxury
brands (Nervino, 2018).
Positioning map
High quality/Low price High Quality/high price
Burberry
Gucci
Low price/low quality High price/low quality
Primark

Methods of brand repositioning
There are various strategies which Burberry can use in order to achieve the repositioning
and change perception of customers.
Brand rejuvenation
This is one of the most effective strategy as well as tactic which can be used by Burberry.
This is often by the name brand rejuvenation. It is basically the concept for adding new values as
well as attributes within existing products for enhancing the overall appeal. Burberry can use this
method for launching its brand in a totally different way. This brand rejuvenation will primarily
help the company to refocus attention of the customers on existing brand. Besides this, along
with the improvement Burberry can also add new prefix in its existing products like super,
premium, new, strong etc. This will eventually help the company to establish a new position of
itself within minds of customers (Mróz-Gorgoń, 2016).
Changing distribution channel
This is the another method as well as strategy which can be used by Burberry for
achieving repositioning. This is considered as the most effective method of changing channel as
well as distribution strategy. Burberry can change its distribution channel and shift its focus to
more innovative one in order to grab the attraction of customers to high extent. Along with this,
Burberry can improve the quality of its existing distribution channel as well as explore various
suppliers for delivering its products to the new market segment. In addition to this, company can
also rely on various advertising channels, like offline channels instead of just depending on the
online channels like seminars, charitable events, direct marketing etc (Gaustad and et.al.,2019).
CONCLUSION
It has been summarized that reposition plays a great role within the marketing strategy.
Repositioning enables the organizations to change the perception of customers towards the
definite brand and product. The positioning map basically shows the position of a specific brand
within the market.

REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Ceil, C., 2018. Burberry Case Study about Consumer Behavior. Available at SSRN 3520418.
FERNIE, J. and PERRY, P., 2018. Luxury supply management chain. Logistics and Retail
Management: Emerging Issues and New Challenges in the Retail Supply Chain.p.149.
Gaustad, T and et.al.,2019. Too much of a good thing? Consumer response to strategic changes
in brand image. International Journal of Research in Marketing.36(2). pp.264-280.
Mróz-Gorgoń, B., 2016. CO-BRANDING AS A STRATEGY-FASHION MARKET
PERSPECTIVE: PRESTIGE OR MASSTIGE?. International Journal of Sales, Retailing
& Marketing.5(4).
Nervino, E., 2018. Social media is the new black: a social semiotic analysis of luxury branding
discourse.