Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Harp Lime Extension: Partying on Slippery Dance Floor?

When Al and Laure Ries declared in their book “22 Immutable Laws Of Branding”, that marketing techniques like brand extension, mega branding, variable pricing and a host of others, employed by contemporary brand owners are being used basically to milk consumers rather than build brands, many brand analysts found it somewhat difficult to agree with the duo. The two, while elucidating the first law in the book, ‘Law of Expansion’ declared that, many brand owners who utilize most of the above marketing techniques do so for short term gains. This, Al and Laure Ries believe will, in the long run, wear down the brand as the brand would, subsequently lose her distinct personality before finally going into extinction. Even if some brand experts disagree with AI and Laure Ries, carcasses of brands that ventured on this slippery ground called brand extension litter the entire Nigerian market space. This list of extended brands that met their doom cuts across all sectors. They include brands like Guinness Extra Smooth, Fanta Orange and Pineapple, Diet Coke, Indomie Pepper Soup, Maggi Crayfish and many others. The usual trend is that these extended brands are introduced with great pump and fanfare, and then they gradually fizzle out of the market totally or only exist as “living- dead” brands. If records have shown that brand extension as a marketing technique does not always add long term value, why do manufacturers engaged in it incessantly? With this anticipation, what is the future of Guinness Nigeria’s newest extension from the harp family, Harp lime? Is Harp Lime rushing on a path other brands tread but failed to make positive impact? http://perfectbrandsng.com/harp-lime-extension-partying-on-slippery-dance-floor/