When brands try too hard to be relevant

Brands chase relevance through repositioning and purpose messaging. Both strategies promise to connect with consumers in new ways. This week, Professor Tyler Milfeld of the Villanova School of Business explains why these efforts often backfire and what brands should consider before making major moves. 

Brands with established pro-social reputations don't see an immediate lift from purpose advertising.

Research shows that when brands like Patagonia or Ben & Jerry's launch pro-social messages, consumers don't like them more in the short term. These messages reinforce existing perceptions but don't create new affinity. Purpose messaging works differently depending on your brand's history. 

The Four Rs Killing Your Rebrand           

Professor Milfeld's research identifies four core reasons repositioning efforts fail: 

1. Resistance. Consumers don't want change unless they're motivated to change. Brands push repositioning to stay relevant. Loyal customers see no need for it. This creates immediate friction.
   
   
2. Replacement. Brand positioning replaces the old with the new. Two personalities can't exist simultaneously. Consumers naturally compare what they previously liked to where you're heading. This comparison rarely works in the brand's favor. 
    
3. Relativity. Marketers spend months or years developing a rebrand behind closed doors. Consumers spend virtually no time thinking about your brand. When you reveal the change, there's a massive imbalance. You've lived with it forever. They're seeing it for the first time. 
    
4. Rigidity. Leadership teams develop a vision and stick to it, sometimes ignoring consumer feedback. This stubbornness leads to spectacular failures when brands launch despite clear warning signs from research. 

Before repositioning, brands should look at their history. Find anchors that give you credibility in new spaces. Show, don't just tell. Then build thoughtfully. 

Listen in on our discussion.

“What Drives Brand Repositioning and Why Do Those Efforts Fail?” 

Professor Milfeld's article for MediaPost examines the underlying forces that push brands to reposition and why those forces are often misunderstood. 

Read the article.

Think before you pivot.        

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.” 

— Warren Buffett, Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway