Page 341 - Foundations of Marketing

308 Part 4 | Product and Price Decisions

Courtesy of IAMS Courtesy of IAMS

Positioning Products Iams positions its cat and dog food as being of higher quality than its competitors. Its advertising implies that its pet
food is healthier for dogs and cats because these animals are natural meat-eaters.

features will give it the distinct appeal needed. Style, shape, construction, and color help to
create the image and the appeal. If buyers can easily identify the benefits, they are, of course,
more likely to purchase the product. When the new product does not offer certain preferred
attributes, there is room for another new product.
Other bases for product positioning include price, quality level, and benefits provided by
the product. For example, Iams advertisements position its cat and dog food as having 50 per-
cent more animal protein than its three leading competitors. Iams also claims that it does not
add gluten to its pet food. The advertisements imply that animal protein is natural for cats and
dogs, which further indicates that food with more protein is healthier for pets. Also, the target
market can be a positioning basis caused by marketing. This type of positioning relies heavily
on promoting to the types of people who use the product.
Repositioning

Positioning decisions are not just for new products. Evaluating the positions of existing prod-
ucts is important because a brand’s market share and profitability may be strengthened by
product repositioning. The 2013 Ford Fusion was repositioned as a sporty-looking, sporty-
handling, mid-sized car with gas savings, EcoBoost standard power, and plug-in hybrid capa-
bilities. Ford claimed the car was not an evolution of the Fusion but something different. 24
When introducing a new product into a product line, one or more existing brands may have to
be repositioned to minimize cannibalization of established brands and thus ensure a favorable
position for the new brand.

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