The Trap Of Brand Extension

Many brands have been successful in their success and many brands have failed.

Brand extension can not only see beautiful garlands but can not see traps, nor can we shrink from seeing traps.

There must be risks in advancing, but without progress, it will not succeed and it will be more risky.

The road of brand extension is full of traps. These traps are mainly in the following ways.

    （一）陷阱之一：损害原品牌的高品质形象 

Brand image is the foundation of brand extension, and the extended product can not damage this foundation.

The vertical extension of brands, such as the extension from high grade to low grade, was once considered the most approximate extension.

But practice has proved that this extension may be the most devastating.

The failure of Packard extension is a famous example in this area.

    （二）陷阱之二：模糊品牌定位 

Brand is not only a name, it is also a promise. It is a contract signed by credit between the enterprise and the consumer.

Brand positioning is a clear concept. Brand is meaningful to consumers.

Brand extension should not obscure brand positioning, otherwise consumers will be confused about brand positioning and concept and lose their buying confidence.

Xerox was once synonymous with copiers, but when it entered the office automation equipment market, it invested $2 billion, and the effort that lasted for 25 years failed. It affected the location of "duplicator specialist", resulting in ambiguous positioning and Xerox's declining status in the strong brand.

    （三） 陷阱之三：淡化品牌个性

Brand personality is relative to the difference of other brands, and is the characteristic and value of the brand.

Brand extension is the best way to avoid dilution or dilution of brand personality, which makes consumers feel puzzled and undermine consumers' favor and trust for other products under brand and brand.

The Scott (Scott) paper group of the United States has Kleenex on its different paper products, such as toilet paper, tissue, sticky tape and baby diapers.

The name Kleenex not only does not bring any effect and significance to the company, but also weakens and downplays brand personality. Compared with competitive brands such as Sha min, bounty and palm, Kleenex brand is meaningless.

    （四） 陷阱之四：产生心理冲突 

Brand extension should make consumers feel natural and comfortable, and should not generate psychological conflicts or psychological conflicts.

If there is a psychological conflict, consumers may only trust one or both.

As mentioned earlier, the Scott paper group of the United States, its product Kleenex toilet paper is the number one brand in the toilet paper market, but with the emergence of napkins in Kleenex (global brand network), the consumer psychology has undergone subtle changes.

In this regard, American advertising scientist AI Rees commented humorously: "which brand of Kleenex napkins and Kleenex toilet paper is designed for the nose?"

The 39 group of our country started its brand with 999 stomach Tai, and 999 became the synonym for "Wei Tai".

However, the 39 group carried out the brand extension and extended the 999 to the beer industry. "999 ice beer, the four seasons with the king enjoy it", so that consumers are at a loss.

Because consumers do not know whether the 999 beer has the taste of medicine.

In addition, Wei Tai is to protect the stomach, and excessive drinking will hurt the stomach.

999 Wei Tai reminds people to drink less or not to sprinkle to protect the stomach. The 999 ice beer is encouraging people to drink more to stimulate the stomach.

Is it selling drugs to save people, or selling wine to hurt people?

As a result, they are self contradictory.

    （五） 陷阱之五：翘翘板效应 

The seesaw effect is proposed by AI Rees, a brand positioning guru. It means that a name can not represent two completely different products, otherwise, when one comes up, the other will go down.

Hein is an American pickle brand with the largest market share.

The company extended the Hein brand to ketchup.

Tomato paste was very successful and became the first place, and its pickle Market was replaced by Viasic.

The industry often compares brand extension to a "double-edged sword". It also says that it is a "rubber band", which outlines the two-sided effect of brand extension vividly.