Top Dog Versus Underdog
To build a brand you have to have a good product to build the brand around, and that product has to be able to keep that brand going till the next product is developed and selling. When looking at brand strategies that brands use a top dog brand for example would use either a proactive or reactive strategy. A proactive strategy is when the brand I developing a new product to try first on the market and a reactive strategy is when the brand is developing a product that is like a copycat to another product on the market. Most top dog brands are more proactive and they keep pushing the envelope in the types of products they introduce to market. Underdog brands are more reactive and want to put an alternative product in the marketplace so they can be seen.
Top dog brands are pretty much on top for several reasons, but when it comes to underdog brands what can they do to improve their strategy? One thing they can do is develop products that are not just copycats but the copycat product be better than the original. When looking at the Adidas versus Puma rivalry Puma found that making a better football (or soccer) shoe was their best bet to win over Adidas fans and having big name footballers endorse the brand was also how they were able to stay competitive with Adidas. A second thing an underdog brand can do it develop a product that the world did not know that it needed and a top dog brand did not come up with. Developing a new product is something an underdog brand can do that will help get them out of underdog status very quickly. Thirdly an underdog brand can look alternative ways to marketing their brand like using the internet and word of mouth to get people talking about their brand and products.
When consumers look for products they look for brands they trust and have been around for a long time, that is why they prefer top dog brands over underdog brands. When looking at the Coke versus Pepsi rivalry. Consumers know and look at Coke more than they look at Pepsi because Coke has been around since the 1800’s and it was first used to cure ailments then later became a well known soft drink that almost everyone consumes. Most consumers are brand loyal and go with a name they trust. I know for me I am an Apple loyalist and I would not purchase any other product from anyone other than Apple.