- Create a 2-dimensional perceptual map to show how Le Pliage Cuir and Heritage products
compare to the rest of the Le Pliage product mix. Choose the dimensions that YOU think are the
most relevant. Attached is examples of perceptual maps to use. - Why has Le Pliage been so successful? To what do you attribute its popularity and longevity?
What is the role of the Longchamp brand in its success? - How should Longchamp best manage its Le Pliage product line to endure that it maintains its
mythical status? - How strong is Longchamp’s current value proposition in the marketplace? What do you think of
the aspiration to move the brand up market? - How should Longchamp manage its product portfolio and distribution strategy to best achieve
its goals?
Crafting the Brand Positioning | chapter 10 305
| Fig. 10.1a |
(a) Hypothetical Beverage Perceptual
Map: Current Perceptions
D
C
B
Strong
Flavor
Light
Flavor
Traditional
Image
Contemporary
Image
Brands: A, B, C, & D
Customer Segments
Ideal Points: 1, 2, & 3
A
1
2
3
| Fig. 10.1b |
(b) Hypothetical Beverage Perceptual
Map: Possible Repositioning for Brand A
D
C
B
A’
A''
Strong
Flavor
Light
Flavor
Traditional
Image
Contemporary
Image
Brands: A, B, C, & D
Customer Segments
Ideal Points: 1, 2, & 3
A
1
2
3
Means of Differentiation Any product or service benefit that is sufficiently desirable, deliverable,
and differentiating can serve as a point-of-difference for a brand. The obvious, and often the most compelling,
means of differentiation for consumers are benefits related to performance (Chapters 13 and 14). Swatch offers
colorful, fashionable watches; GEICO offers reliable insurance at discount prices.
Sometimes changes in the marketing environment can open up new opportunities to create a means of differentiation. Eight years after it launched Sierra Mist and with sales stagnating, Pepsico tapped into rising consumer
interest in natural and organic products to reposition the lemon-lime soft drink as all-natural with only five ingredients: carbonated water, sugar, citric acid, natural flavor, and potassium citrate.24
Often a brand’s positioning transcends its performance considerations. Companies can fashion compelling images that appeal to consumers’ social and psychological needs. The primary explanation for Marlboro’s extraordinary worldwide market share (about 30 percent) is that its “macho cowboy†image has struck a responsive chord
with much of the cigarette-smoking public. Wine and liquor companies also work hard to develop distinctive
images for their brands. Even a seller’s physical space can be a powerful image generator. Hyatt Regency Hotels
developed a distinctive image with its atrium lobbies.
To identify possible means of differentiation, marketers have to match consumers’ desire for a benefit with their
company’s ability to deliver it. For example, they can design their distribution channels to make buying the product
easier and more rewarding. Back in 1946, pet food was cheap, not too nutritious, and available exclusively in supermarkets and the occasional feed store. Dayton, Ohio–based Iams found success selling premium pet food through
regional veterinarians, breeders, and pet stores.
Perceptual Maps For choosing specific benefits as POPs and PODs to position a brand, perceptual maps
may be useful. Perceptual maps are visual representations of consumer perceptions and preferences. They provide
quantitative pictures of market situations and the way consumers view different products, services, and brands
along various dimensions. By overlaying consumer preferences with brand perceptions, marketers can reveal
“holes†or “openings†that suggest unmet consumer needs and marketing opportunities.25
For example, Figure 10.1(a) shows a hypothetical perceptual map for a beverage category. The four brands—A,
B, C, and D—vary in terms of how consumers view their taste profile (light versus strong) and personality and
imagery (contemporary versus modern).