David versus Goliath is a popular story in the Bible (1 Samuel 17) where the underdog David won in the Valley of Elah, in spite of the odds against him. The giant Goliath challenged the Israelites to single combat mornings and evenings for forty days disturbing them while they were in their prayers. The Israelites ran away in terror each time […]
Defense Marketing
Solmux is the leading brand of cough syrup in the Philippines with its bacteria expel action feature that expels bacteria with phlegm. In 2010, Solmux was attacked by an herbal brand which highlighted its non-chemical, no allergy, no side-effects benefit promising cough of children can be gone in three days using formulation from natural lagundi leaves. The sales of Solmux […]
One of the questions often asked in my marketing seminars is about defending against attacks from competition and even substitutes. When brands become successful, they are bound to attract the attention of others who may want to share a piece of the pie. My advice to clients is to understand the pattern of competitive attacks and to never underestimate competition. Be sensitive to the obvious signs of a potential attacker – new […]
Q1: Your competitors have attacked your makeup and skincare categories. How are these products doing now and what did you do then to defend your turf? A: Being the world’s number one beauty company gives us two huge competitive advantages in “defending our turf.” The first one involves product innovation. Given our huge investment in our Research & Innovation division […]
Q1: One of your competitors was first to launch a sugarfree bread variant in 2012, which captured a significant 15% market share in the wheat & health bread category. How did Gardenia protect itself from this competitive attack? A: Gardenia responded by studying further the consumers to understand their behavior and to know what they truly desire. We found out […]
Q1: When you were still with P&G Philippines and Singapore, you helped Pampers defend against EQ diapers, regaining leadership in 2003. You also found yourself doing the same for Whisper when you turned it around to win against Modess. What were your strategies then? When does a brand decide to defend or not to defend? A brand’s decision to defend […]
Q1: You have been with Gardenia since its launch. What was your launch strategy and if you were to change something in the launch, what would that be and why? When Gardenia started in the Philippines in 1998, it marketed Cowhead milk and Gardenia loaves with its sales force selling more milk than bread. The company refocused its strategy in […]
I thank the Association of Young Filipino-Chinese Entrepreneurs (formerly Anvil Club) as well as the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce for inviting me to give a talk about “Defending Your Turf” recently. The topic on defensive marketing has attracted a bit of attention as of late, especially among those with successful businesses. This type of marketing is different from […]