Assignment 1

Subject: Consumer Behavior

Submitted to: Dr, Muhammad Zeeshan
Submitted by:
Duaa Zahra L1F15BBAM0064
Section: “A”
Submission Date:
27th April, 2020
Part: 1
Introduction (nature of product)

Lifebuoy is a product of soap containing phenol advertised originally by Lever Brothers in

England beginning in 1895. It’s one of the most popular brands in the FMCG segments. Since
2004, Lifebuoy was improved from a hard carbolic soap to a bathing bar, repositioned for the
whole family. The variety includes variants such as Active, Herbal, Gold White and Gold Pink.
In addition to its soap offering, Lifebuoy is now available in Shampoo (Lifebuoy Protein Health
Shampoo, Lifebuoy Herbal Health Shampoo and Lifebuoy Anti-Dandruff shampoo), Liquid
Hand Wash and body wash.

Positioning

Lifebuoy is always positioned as hygiene soap product in the consumer minds,

Foremost changes have been made to the Lifebuoy soap bar since 2000 to ensure that it offers
improved hygiene protection as well as more pleasant healthy washing experience for its
consumers. The major changes are:

 Lifebuoy soap's classic hard red brick shape has been substituted with a new advanced
Lifebuoy shape. This new shape makes the bar easier to grip and use.
 The Lifebuoy Brand team has developed a new design providing even better germ protection.
 Lifebuoy soap's distinguishing medicated, carbolic smell has been swapped with a more
enjoyable and fashionable 'health' scent.

Lifebuoy has always played a role in periods of crisis, serving to stop the spread of germs and
disease that also surfaced on the consumer heads that it has control to eliminate germs, there are
some incidents that the lifebuoy brand itself helped to the community so that the image
positioned in the minds of consumer. Like, in 2005 over 200 000 bars of Lifebuoy soap were
donated to UNICEF and the International Committee of the Red Cross to support their
earthquake relief actions Pakistan.

Repositioning strategy of lifebuoy

Brand repositioning

“Developing a new strategy to move a brand to a new market position by influencing new
consumers to consider, prefer and ultimately purchase the brand offering, or by influencing
existing consumers to assign greater value to the brand.”
Need for repositioning

Since 1894, Lifebuoy was the hygiene brand for the world; it was the consumers trusted germ
killing brand guarantees the 100% defense for everybody. But it was a huge struggle against the
brand “Dettol”.

Dettol, a worldwide leader in the health and hygiene category celebrates 52 years of trusted
protection in Sri Lanka. Under the ‘Dettol Protects’ initiative, Dettol is launching a series of
school and public awareness programs across the country. The brand will continue its efforts to
educate new mothers on germ protection.

Repositioning

Unilever chooses to reposition the lifebuoy to get the reasonable benefit, so they’ve repositioned
this brand two times,

(1) Repositioned as Enhanced offering for the family

Lifebuoy was enhanced from a hard carbolic soap to a bathing bar repositioned for the entire
family. This new change offers a ‘winning mix’ that simply satisfies consumers and delivers
them with extensive selection. The variety contains variants such as Active, Herbal, Gold White,
Gold Pink, Total, care, etc.
Lifebuoy Active offers the consumer a distinguished health perfume while proposing the health
benefit of Lifebuoy.
At the upper end of the market, Lifebuoy offers exact health benefits through Lifebuoy
International (Plus and Gold). Lifebuoy International Plus offers defense against germs which
cause body fragrance, while Lifebuoy International Gold helps protect against germs which
cause skin flaws.
The re-launch reinforces this fairness by repositioning the brand. Lifebuoy was previously
targeted at the male user with an individual-oriented “success through health” positioning. The
new Lifebuoy is targeted at today’s sensitive housewife with a broader “family health protection
for my family and me” positioning.

In this state, Lifebuoy used the same product to a different segment of the market, so they have
used the “Market repositioning” approach.

Product
Same Changed
Target Market
Same

Image Repositioning Product Repositioning

Changed

Market Repositioning Total Repositioning

(2) Repositioned as Different products
In 2008/2009 this champion brand transformed to other products in addition to its soap offering,
also target market was also changed from original position,
Lifebuoy is now available in Shampoo, Liquid Hand Wash and body wash.

● Lifebuoy Protein Health Shampoo holds a unique creation with milk protein, which nurtures
hair in 5 ways.
● Lifebuoy Herbal Health Shampoo contains 5 unique herbal ingredients that protect hair in a
natural way.
● Lifebuoy Anti-Dandruff shampoo offers 100% better protection in fighting dandruff causing
bacteria.

● Lifebuoy Hand Wash is the most convenient way to protect hands against infectious
causing germs and available in three great offerings-- Active Care/ Gentle Care and Herbal
Care.

● Every day, dirt and smog blocks pores, providing a productive breeding ground for harmful
germs, eventually causing in various skin complications. Lifebuoy Body Wash offers deep
cleansing of pores, protecting against the three root causes of skin health problems – clogged
pores, over-drying, and germs.
In this situation, both the product & target market has been changed so this is “Total
repositioning”

Product
Same Changed
Target Market
Same

Image Repositioning Product Repositioning

Changed

Market Repositioning Total Repositioning

Success of Repositioning

The success of the repositioning is that the lifebuoy appearance wasn’t altered of the consumer
minds although it had been repositioned in the market for numerous times. Consumers who still
feels the “lifebuoy” image as it’s extra hygiene product and it gives protection from germs and
the repositioned products encourages with that core concept.

Also lifebuoy was able to grab massive competitive advantage with the repositioning while other
similar brands that don’t have that kind of range their portfolio around mother brand, therefore
other brands have to follow the brand lifebuoy.

These successful factors reveal the successes & awards such as,

Lifebuoy (Unilever Sri Lanka's flagship germ-protection brand) won all three key awards that it
was nominated for at the recently concluded SLIM-Nielsen People’s Awards in 2012.
Lifebuoy Germ Fighter Ad was voted TV Commercial of the Year at the Slim Neilson People's
Awards 2010.

Conclusion

We can accomplish that the repositioning is success with the above findings.
Part: 2

1) This ad is an example of the social need

of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The
strategy of this ad is stating that the
Salvation Army is continuously looking
out to help people in need. This ad
conveys the social need because it is
expressing that there are people who will
help anybody in need and those people
will feel like they belong.

2) This ad demonstrates the ego need of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The strategy of this ad
is signifying that the design of this car is so much like a plane and it is hard to distinguish
between the two. This ad expresses the ego need because people will feel very important.
They will also feel as if they have a very high status because their car is compared to a plane.
3) This ad expresses the self-actualization need of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The
strategy of this ad is conveying that the U.S. Marines only wants people who are able to live
up to their highest potential and push others to do the same. This ad fits the self-actualization
ad because it is expressing people to be the best they can be and then they will feel self-
fulfilment.