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Creating a strong brand position is essential for any business that wants to compete in today’s marketplace. By taking the time to develop a well-thought-out brand position, businesses can set themselves up for success and create a lasting impression on consumers.

When done correctly, an effective brand positioning strategy can:

• Build awareness for a new brand or product
• Reinforce an existing brand identity
• Increase sales and market share
• Attract new customers
• Retain existing customers
• Improve customer loyalty
• Generate word-of-mouth buzz

One of the best ways to understand the effectiveness of successful brand positioning is to look at a modern-day example. A great case study is the recent comeback of Crocs.

In 2008, “Crocs lost over $185 million and cut 2,000 jobs. The stock plunged to just over $1 a share from a high of about $69 a year earlier.” Now, Crocs forecasts $5 billion in sales by 2026.

Looking at how the company approached and managed its massive comeback can serve as a masterclass in successful brand positioning.

The Comeback of Crocs

Before 2017, Crocs were positioned as a practical, utilitarian shoe, an American version of the Danish Clog. In the 2000s, Crocs were associated with middle schoolers and gardening, not high fashion. Since CEO Andrew Rees has taken charge, Crocs has pivoted to position itself as joyful, fashionable, and a pinnacle of individual style.

The 2017-onward success of Crocs can be attributed to several causes – one of which is how strong, successful, and on-target their brand positioning is. By focusing on joy and style rather than functionality in their brand positioning, Crocs offers their consumers something unique both emotionally and physically. Wearing Crocs became seen as not just a practical choice, but fun and allowed the wearer to reflect their unique style.

A major factor that has helped Crocs make a comeback in recent years is the popularity of the athleisure trend. This trend has led to increased demand for comfortable, casual shoes like those offered by Crocs.

As Americans begin to embrace a more comfortable Work-From-Home (WFH) lifestyle, more people are beginning to embrace the kookiness and individuality Crocs offers. Offerings such as Crocs Jibbitz™ Charms have made it easier than ever for Croc wearers to customize their footwear  and reflect their sense of individuality and personal interests.

Commitment to doing good has also contributed to building up an audience. Crocs made a strong impression on Americans with their “Free Pair for Healthcare” initiative, where they donated almost a million shoes to essential workers early in the pandemic. More recently, Crocs have committed to becoming a net zero company by 2030.

Another way that Crocs has kept itself ultra relevant and drawn in consumers is by strategically leveraging partnerships. The brand has been pumping out collabs for the last few years, working with both classic brands and some of the most famous celebrities.

Celebrities such as Justin Bieber have been spotted wearing Crocs on numerous occasions, lending their influence to help popularize this once-maligned brand among style-conscious consumers who may not have otherwise considered buying them.

In addition, some of their notable partnerships include the likes Saweetie, SZA, Post Malone, Balenciaga, Salehe Bembury, MCM, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Lucky Charms, Hidden Valley Ranch, Margaritaville, and so on. All of these collaborations emphasize fun, strong sense of individuality/brand identity/personal style.

5 Tips for Successful Brand Positioning

Crocs is a solid case study that can teach us a lot about how to approach brand positioning with success. While no two companies are the same, there are some key tips that you can take away and apply to your own brand.

1. Understand your brand identity and personality

For branding to be successful, it needs to be authentic. The more you understand your brand identity, personality, and culture, the easier it will be to position yourself in meaningful and effective ways.

It’s also important to establish your brand’s core values and clearly communicate them to consumers. This could involve conducting in-depth market research, as well as speaking directly to your target customers to understand what resonates with them and how you can best connect with them on an emotional level.

2. Invest in innovation and stay updated on trends

Staying up-to-date with emerging trends and styles can help your brand innovate and evolve. Whether this means incorporating new features or materials into your products or simply being aware of what is popular among consumers, it’s important to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to brand positioning.

3. Focus on customer experience and satisfaction

One of the ways Crocs was able to make such a successful comeback is by using multiple strategies and methods of helping consumers express themselves. For instance, their crocsLight lets consumers both easily customize their products and express themselves in a fun way.

Focusing on the customer experience and ways to increase satisfaction, whether that means providing excellent service through online channels like chatbots or offering unique rewards programs to keep customers coming back, can go a long way.

By delivering a high-quality experience, you can win the loyalty of your customers and build strong relationships that will last long into the future.

4. Build relationships with influencers and partners

Build out your network and create strategic partnerships with celebrities, influencers, or other parties in your industry who can help promote your brand to a wider audience. This could include featuring your products on other websites or at events, collaborating with well-known bloggers or social media influencers, or paying for advertising spots on mainstream publications.

5. Conduct market research and leverage segmentation

A final tip for successful brand positioning is to conduct market research and leverage segmentation. This could mean surveying your target customer base to understand their preferences or using data analytics tools to gain insights into the overall market landscape. By doing so, you can get a clear picture of where your brand stands in relation to competing products and services, as well as identify key areas for improvement that will help you reach new customers and stay competitive over time.

At RedSky Strategy, we offer branding and strategy services that help place brands in front of their target audience in meaningful ways. RSS Branding projects journey deep into the target’s heart and mind to uncover areas of value or distrust and expose insights. This approach makes it easy to uncover HumanSight to identify opportunities that touch the human core, strategically differentiate brands, and build trust and long-term consumer/customer relationships.

Are you interested in working with RedSky Strategy? We look forward to hearing from you to learn how we can help you leverage brand positioning and strategy to make a lasting impression on consumers.