Brand Relevance: Making Competitors Irrelevant - always yours

DEFINING AND MANAGING THE CATEGORY OR SUBCATEGORY 255
Pampers has repositioned its brand ’ s category to be associated
with baby care in addition to being a disposable diaper
brand. Their Web site is the centerpiece of the brand ’ s focus.
Its sections, which include pregnancy, new baby, baby development,
baby toddler, preschool, me and family, all have a menu
of topics. For example, under baby development there are 57
articles, 230 forums, and 23 play - and - learn activities. This tactic
raises Pampers above the product feature shouting noise. The
fact that Pampers is so knowledgeable and involved in the larger
context of baby care means that it is more interesting than a
product - preoccupied fi rm, and it also means that whatever products
it supplies are going to be right for the baby.
Hobart is a manufacturer of appliances for the food - service
sector, including restaurants and institutions. A quality and reliability
leader, Hobart decided to stop communicating the latest
product features of their mixers, ovens, and other appliances
and, instead, to become a thought leader in regard to such customer
problems as fi nding, training, and retaining good workers;
keeping food safe; providing enticing dining experiences;
eliminating costs; and employee pilferage. One element was a
customer magazine called Sage: Seasoned Advice for the Food
Industry Professional . At industry trade shows, the Hobart booth
had an “ idea center ” at which people could approach industry
experts for sound advice. Hobart also offered over one hundred
technical papers on its Web site and shared insights through
speeches at key industry shows. Even its advertising was redirected
from products to issues. This program changed the way
customers looked at the appliance category and propelled
Hobart into a leadership role that lasted well over a decade until
they were bought and integrated into a larger fi rm.
Kaiser, an integrated medical insurance and medical delivery
system with some thirty - two hospitals and fourteen thousand
physicians, completely repositioned their brand and the
subcategory in which they reside from a focus on health care
to health. Research found that health care was associated with