One way, or another!

“If the brand itself isn’t strong, the brand extension is likely to be weak”. Agreed, but it’s impossible that this is the only factor on which the success of a brand extension depends. The fact whether a brand extension is going to be a success or not, also has a lot to do with the type of brand extension that you choose.

First, there are these products that have a different form, but are similar to an original parent product. (You can, for example, buy Kellogg’s cornflakes. But now you can also buy Kellogg’s candy bars.) Next, there is this strategy which anticipates on the image or status of people. Sometimes, people buy a certain product of a certain designer just because it seems to be a good thing for their image or status. Designer clothing labels have been extended to furniture, jewellery, perfume, cosmetics and a host of other items. (I’d like to refer to the blog about Armani I wrote earlier.) Further we have the brands that ‘own’ a particular flavour. Customers might want that property in other categories of food. And last but not least there are also the so-called ‘companion products’. These products are a natural companion to the products the company already makes.

Of course there still exist other different types of brand extension. But for now, I’ll leave it at that. We wouldn’t want the choice to be too difficult, right?

Virginie Bohez