Shujaa Rugby Wear Brand Positioning - Case Study Example

Brand Plan: Shujaa Rugby Wear Executive Summary This report presents a brand plan for marketing a new sporting apparel brand produced by Last Chance Corporation in the Australian market. Shujaa Rugby Wear is one of the latest sporting apparel brands that the Corporation has launched in the market. This report provides an evidence-based proposal on how to effectively manage and promote the Shujaa Rugby Wear brand so as to realise positive outcomes. The findings of this report depict that the main consumer target for Shujaa rugby wear are the male young generation aged between 14 years and 35 years who actively play rugby or are ardent fans. Through a competitor analysis, it is established that, some of the key competitors of the brand include; Adidas, Samurai, Nike, Canterbury of New Zealand (CCC), Kooga and Puma. Nonetheless, the brand’s point of difference (POD) is that, it is manufactured exclusively for Rugby enthusiasts. Its point of parity lies in the provisions of customized designs that meet the needs of consumers in the market. This report proposes that in order to build Shujaa’s brand equity, Last Chance Corporation should focus on building brand awareness through sponsorship, developing distinctive brand elements and implementing an effective communication strategy that involves the use of advertisements, public relations and product labeling among many other strategies. Introduction The key aim of this report is to present a 12 month brand plan for Last Chance Corporation as it intends to launch a new sporting apparel brand in the Australian market. Shujaa Rugby Wear is one of the latest sporting apparel brands that the Corporation is set to launch. The brand name of this sporting wear “Shujaa” is a Swahili word which means “warrior”. This brand exclusively incorporates rugby sportswear items such as t-shirts, caps, shorts, socks, jackets, scrum caps, track suits, head bands and wrist bands among many other items. This report seeks to provide an evidence-based proposal on how to effectively manage and promote the Shujaa Rugby Wear brand so as to realise positive outcomes. Some of the key aspects that this report will touch on include; the positioning strategy of the brand, its target market, potential competitors, strategies of building and evaluating brand equity and the brand’s communication strategy. Assumptions 1. The prime consumer target for Shujaa rugby wear are the male young generation aged between 14 years and 35 years who actively participate in or watch rugby. 2. Trends in the sports apparel industry indicate a demand for more fitting and comfortable apparel by both professional and amateur rugby players as well as the fans of their teams. 3. The inclusion of rugby sevens in the 2016 Olympics is expected to increase the popularity of the sport globally and create profitable opportunities for new sports apparel manufacturers. 4. Rugby fans are loyal to the brands worn by their teams. Positioning Strategy Positioning is a marketing process that entails creating a lasting impression of a product’s image or quality in the minds of consumers (Lamb, Fair & McDaniel 2011). The positioning strategy for Shujaa rugby wear is positioning by product user. This strategy will be built around the meaning of the word “Shujaa”. As earlier indicated “Shujaa” is a Swahili word which means “warrior”. Shujaa rugby wear will therefore use well known rugby personalities to influence the product’s image by reflecting the characteristics and the image of the person communicated as a product user. Rugby players who have been renowned for their physical abilities and other attributes such as speed, flair, skill and courage will be used to communicate to the target market the embodiment of a modern day warrior. The expectation is that the target market associates the attributes of a warrior to the quality of Shujaa rugby wear by depicting the brand as unique, premium quality, durable and “macho”. Target Market Dunne, Lusch & Carver (2010) observe that, identifying a target market is one of the crucial steps that must be undertaken before a company decides how best to promote its brand. The target market for Shujaa rugby wear are rugby teams across all age grades, (junior, senior and veteran) and codes of the sport (rugby union, rugby league and rugby sevens), professional and amateur rugby players and rugby fans. The target market has been selected through behavioral segmentation of the market by using product use as a variable. The primary target segment are rugby teams who typically purchase sports specific clothing such as training and match shirts, shorts, socks, jackets, scrum caps and track suits. Rugby players also frequently purchase casual rugby apparel for both intense day to day and occasional use. Rugby fans are likely to make less frequent and smaller purchases than the other two segments as they purchase replica shirts for their teams, t-shirts, hooded jackets and caps for occasional use (Wann, & Branscombe, 1993; Fowler, 1999). Competitor Analysis Shujaa rugby wear faces competition from several sports apparel manufacturers. Key among them include; Adidas, Samurai, Nike, Canterbury of New Zealand (CCC), Kooga and Puma. Adidas Adidas is a German multinational manufacturer of sports equipment and apparel. It currently supplies rugby’s most successful national side-the New Zealand All Blacks- as well as a number of other top teams in Europe (France, Munster). Its apparel is boosted by the endorsement of top rugby players and performing teams (Slack 2004). Canterbury of New Zealand (CCC) CCC is a sports apparel company that focuses primarily on rugby unlike Nike, Puma and Adidas. It currently supplies the South African and England national teams with rugby apparel as well as a number of top European and Oceanic rugby teams such as the New South Wales Waratahs in Australia and Leinster Rugby in Ireland (Canterbury 2012). Nike Nike is the world’s leading supplier of sports equipment and apparel. Nike supplies rugby apparel and equipment to a large number of national rugby unions and local teams and has strong brand equity due to the quality of its apparel designed for other sports such as football. However, it currently lacks a true global superstar to market the brand as it has recently lost a number of lucrative contracts such as supplying the English Rugby Football Union and the French Rugby Union to Canterbury (CCC) and Adidas (Slack 2004; Wallop, 2012). KooGa KooGa is an Australian based rugby apparel company. It mainly supplies apparel to the Australian, Fijian and Samoan national teams, Australian provincial sides such as the ACT Brumbies and Queensland Reds and a number of rugby league teams in the National Rugby League (NRL) (Kooga, 2012). Puma Puma is German sports apparel and Footwear Company that supplies rugby apparel to the Irish national team and South African super rugby teams the Cheetahs and the Blue Bulls (Puma, 2012). Samurai Samurai is an English apparel company that specializes in manufacturing bespoke rugby apparel (Samurai 2012) Point of Difference As compared to other competitors in the industry who manufacture sportswear and apparel for a variety of sports such as Adidas, Nike and Puma, Shujaa rugby wear is manufactured exclusively for rugby using the latest technology and is available to consumers at a reasonable price which does not differ significantly from its main competitors. Another point of difference is that unlike large sportswear manufacturers, Shujaa rugby wear also offers both ready to wear and bespoke apparel by customizing its products to customers at minimal extra cost, ensuring that the products meet the specifications of diverse customers at an affordable price unlike competitors such as Samurai and CCC. In addition, the choice of the brand name “Shujaa” and the positioning strategy is expected to give the brand an edge over its competitors as it is unique, appeals to wider market (Africa) and is associated with certain attributes that would endear it to rugby fans as compared to competitors such as CCC and KooGa whose brand names do not have a symbolic meaning (Aaker, 1991). Point of Parity Shujaa rugby wear is manufactured using the latest textile manufacturing technology to produce quality, comfortable (fitting), and stylish, durable and affordable rugby apparel. Shujaa rugby wear apparel products meet the highest manufacturing standards in the apparel industry set by large multinational corporations such as Nike and Adidas or bespoke specialty apparel manufacturers such as Samurai and guarantee the same performance standards. The product range of Shujaa rugby wear can also be customized to respond to the various needs of customers at minimal extra cost. Building Brand Equity Brand Awareness According to Shimp (2008), brand awareness basically involves consumer’s knowledge of the existence of a brand. Shimp further notes that, brand awareness is a fundamental aspect of brand equity. In essence, a brand has no equity unless consumers are aware of its existence.Brand awareness plays a critical role in building brand equity. Brand awareness can be used to predict the product’s market performance in terms of sales, market share and overall brand equity or the value attached to the brand (Keller, 2001). Before consumers can attach value to the Shujaa rugby wear brand, it is important that they first recognize and recall the brand set (rugby fans and amateur players) recognize the brands that the teams they play for or support play in better and are more likely to purchase the brand’s merchandise such as t-shirts, caps and replica match shirts as an extension of their loyalty to their sports team. To facilitate recognition and recall for Shujaa rugby wear or to make consumers become acquainted and familiar with Shujaa rugby wear, several strategies and channels of promotion will be used to popularize the brand. The primary channel of promotion which will be used to achieve brand equity will be through sponsorship where the company will provide rugby kit sponsorship to a number of strategically selected provincial and national rugby teams whose matches are regularly broadcast on live television aimed at ensuring maximum coverage for the “Shujaa” brand. The exposure of the Shujaa rugby wear brand to consumers- other rugby players and fans- will contribute positively towards the establishment of brand awareness. Shujaa rugby wear will also use the endorsement of rugby personalities to aid consumer memory. By signing several well-known rugby players from the various codes of the sport as brand ambassadors, Shujaa rugby wear will increase its popularity as the target market’s memory of the brand will be aided and facilitated by their recognition of the rugby stars. Selection and justification of brand elements Kotler & Pfoertsch (2006) point out that brand elements such as brand name, logo, associations, slogan and image play a critical role in building a brand’s equity. Similarly, Pride & Ferrel (2011) assert that brand elements such as brand name, logo and image are key assets to a business’ realisation of brand equity. Some of the key brand elements that Shujaa will capitalise on in order to realise brand equity include; brand name, brand slogan , brand image, brand associations and brand logo. Brand name The brand name “Shujaa” is drawn from Swahili language and is a word meaning “warrior”. Rugby is an intense, physical and fast paced game which requires high levels of physical and mental fitness. For the target market, a rugby player should ideally be physically strong, fast, skillful and courageous. Therefore, the choice of the word Shujaa as the brand name associates the image of a rugby player with that of modern day warrior possessing attributes such as speed, strength, courage, skill and survival instincts. Brand Slogan The brand slogan for Shujaa rugby wear is “The Warrior Within”. The brand slogan is drawn from the literal meaning or translation of the brand name and is meant to evoke an image of the brand as a representation of all the attributes consumers associate with rugby players. Brand Logo The brand logo for Shujaa rugby wear will consist of the words Shujaa rugby written in strong bold lettering and encircled in an oval outline representing a rugby ball. The logo will vary according to the team being sponsored or the region the apparel will be marketed to. For example, the logo for South African teams sponsored by Shujaa rugby will use a green background with gold lettering while for English teams it will include the design of the Brand Image The brand image that Shujaa rugby intends to cultivate will be drawn from the image of the rugby personalities who endorse the product and from the warrior metaphor drawn from the meaning or translation of the word Shujaa. Shujaa rugby aims to position itself as the sports apparel of choice for rugby teams or players who consider themselves as the embodiment of modern day warriors possessing strength, skill, speed and courage. The brand image would also extend to their fans who would consider the teams they support as warriors in battle due to the intensity of rugby matches. Brand Associations A brand’s association refers to any brand knowledge relating to the brand in the consumer’s mind (Shimp 2008). Shujaa rugby wear intends the customer to associate the brand with the teams that they play for or support. The advertisements promoting the brand will contain powerful images of well known rugby personalities or players of an entire rugby team in a variety of “warrior-like” poses or executing rugby skills such as running, tackling, rucking, passing or scrimmaging. The core association will be that of the individuals who endorse Shujaa rugby wear. The brand ambassadors for Shujaa rugby wear will be referred to as modern day warriors and will have personalized advertisement campaigns urging customers to unleash the “warrior within”. Customers will thus form the impression of Shujaa rugby wear as the sports apparel for “warriors”. The secondary association will be with the specific teams sponsored by Shujaa rugby wear as the fans will easily identify with the brand used by their favorite teams. Communication Strategy In order to effectively propel Shujaa rugby wear brand in the market, an effective brand communication strategy is fundamental. As an important aspect of branding, brand communications influences the success and profitability of a brand. An integrated brand communication strategy will be used to communicate key features of the Shujaa rugby wear. Basically, an integrated brand communication strategy incorporates a wide range of communication activities such as advertising, public relations, internal or interactive communications and product labeling among many other strategies. In the case of Shujaa rugby wear, product labeling and logo use will be used as the key brand communication strategy. Using this communication strategy will involve labeling all rugby wear under the shujaa brand with the brand’s name and logo. The use of this strategy will enable the company to effectively communicate its brand message to the target market. The use of labeling and logo in all rugby wear under the shujaa brand will enable the company to not only communicate its brand message to it target market but it will also help the company to promote its merchandise. Lamb, Fair & McDaniel (2011) observe that, the use labeling and logo, does more than just giving identification to a brand. The use labeling and logo helps to differentiate a product from other competing products. In addition to this, it can influence consumer perceptions and buying behaviour. Moreover, advertising will be used as a communication strategy for building Shujaa’s brand equity. In this case, different advertising avenues will be used to deliver the company’s brand message. Some of the avenues that may be used include; billboards, internet websites and print media such as newspapers, magazines. These avenues will be used mainly because they are the most frequently used avenues of communication hence they will enable the company to reach out to a wide market base of consumers (Rogers 2001). In addition to this, celebrity endorsements will be used to develop consumer’s awareness on the Shujaa brand. Basically, celebrity endorsement is a form of communicate strategy that involves using celebrities to act as brand ambassadors or advocates. In this case, famous rugby players will be used to communicate or advocate for the Shujaa rugby wear. When advocating for the brand, the players will wear rugby apparel Shujaa rugby apparels. In a study conducted by Taleja (2010), it was established that eight out of ten commercials that involve celebrities receive high viewing and responses. Therefore, the use of celebrity endorsement as a communication strategy is likely to enhance Shujaa’s brand awareness and equity. Measuring brand equity Kapferer (2005) and Keller (2003) define brand equity as the value attached to a brand in relation to its ability to sustainably influence consumer behaviour. Measuring brand equity is important mainly because it aids firms to evaluate the effectiveness of their brand building strategies and make strategic decisions that will support the enhancement of their brand equity. Some of the key sources of brand equity include; brand awareness and customer-brand relationship. Therefore, when measuring Shujaa’s brand equity, some of the key dimensions that will be evaluated include; brand awareness, customer attitudes towards the brand and the market share of the brand. Recommendations In order for Shujaa rugby wear to realise success in the Australian market, Last Chance Corporation should; Focus on developing Shujaa’s brand awareness in the market through strategies such as sport sponsorships, celebrity endorsement, advertisements and public relations. Focus on developing customer relationships with the Shujaa brand by developing distinctive brand elements through the use of catchy slogans, eye-catching brand image and appealing brand associations. Differentiate the Shujaa rugby wear brand from the existing competition in the market by providing consumers with superior quality products that meet their specific needs. Conclusion This report has presented a 12 month brand plan for Last Chance Corporation as it intends to launch its latest sporting apparel, Shujaa Rugby Wear in the Australian market. The findings of this report depict that the main consumer target for Shujaa rugby wear are the male young generation aged between 14 years and 35 years who actively play rugby or are ardent fans of the sport. Through a competitor analysis, this report established that some of the key competitors of the brand include; Adidas, Samurai, Nike, Canterbury of New Zealand (CCC), Kooga and Puma. This report further recommends that, in order for Shujaa Rugby Wear to realise success in the Australian market, Last Chance Corporation should focus on building brand awareness, developing distinctive brand elements and implementing an effective communication strategy. References Canterbury (2012). About Canterbury. Retrieved on November 17 2012 from Dunne, P. Lusch, R. & Carver, J. (2010). Retailing. London: Cengage Learning. Fowler, D. (1999). “The attributes sought in sports apparel: A Ranking”. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice 7 (4): 81-88. Kapferer, N. (2005). The new strategic brand management. London: Kogan-Page. Keller, L. (2001). “Building customer-based brand equity”. Marketing Management 10(2):14 Keller, L. (2003). Strategic brand management: Building, measuring, and managing brand Equity. 2d Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Kooga (2012). About Us. Retrieved on November 17 2012 from Kotler, P. & Pfoertsch, W. (2006). BSB Brand Management. New York: Springer Lamb, C., Fair, J. & McDaniel, C. (2011) Essentials of Marketing, London: Cengage Learning. Pride, W. & Ferrel, O. (2011). Marketing 2012. London: Cengage Learning. Puma (2012). About Puma. Retrieved on November 17 2012 from Rogers, S. (2001). Marketing Strategies, Tactics and Techniques: A Handbook of Practitioners. New York: Greenwood Publishing. Samurai (2012). What we do. Retrieved on November 17 2012 from Shimp, T. (2008). Advertising, promotion and other aspects of integrated marketing. New York: Cengage Learning. Slack, T. (2004). Commercialisation of Sport. New York: Routledge Taleja, N. (2010).Impact of Celebrity Endorsements on Overall Brand. Retrieved on November 15, from 2012 from< http://www.coolavenues.com/mba-journal/marketing/impact- celebrity-endorsements-overall-brand-0?page=0,1> Wallop, H. (2012). Nike loses England Rugby Shirt Deal to Canterbury. The Telegraph March 2, 2012 Wann, D.L. & Branscombe, N.R. (1993), “Sports fans: measuring degree of identification with their team.”International Journal of Sport Psychology, 24 :1-17 Read More