Tonight, as my family and I ate dinner on the deck, I noticed our bottle of OFF! on the table. Aside from the usual “special formula” and “family-safe” marketing copy, one thing that really stood out were the words “WEST NILE VIRUS” in all caps. We actually bought the patented anti-West Nile Virus version?!?
The smaller (not quite fine) print above reads “Repels mosquitoes that may carry”. So, basically any mosquito spray that can claim to repel mosquitoes, can make a similar claim. It’s not untruthful, it’s just slightly misleading if consumers don’t read the packaging carefully.
Putting the potentially ethical issues aside for a moment, I wanted to highlight something that SC Johnson’s marketers did well. They repositioned their product without changing their brand. As consumer needs adapted (i.e. a recent focus on West Nile Virus in the mainstream media), they updated their messaging without departing from the core brand values for the product line. In fact, they didn’t even have to change the product! I don’t have any prior knowledge of the OFF! products’ actual brand platform, but I would imagine it includes things like “increasing safe outdoor time and mobility for families.”
While marketing for products and services often differs, putting this in terms of an AEC brand isn’t that large of a leap. The industry changes regularly based on technological developments, environmental pressures, governmental regulations, building codes, etc. Successful firms follow those changes by building the appropriate capabilities internally, but ALSO adjusting their positioning in the marketplace.
Your firm’s brand is made up of a mixture of things, one of which is a dedication to your target audience. Depending upon how well that audience is defined, you should be able to adjust your service offerings and your messaging without losing the essence of what has always made your firm successful.