Successful Brand Extension Examples
A brand extension is a risk no matter the category, but those who execute this marketing strategy well can become legends — and teachers.
Dove Brand Extension
Original Product: Moisturizing soap
New Products: Full range of beauty and skincare products
Founded in 1957, Dove started out with the now-iconic cleansing bar, a type of soap that both cleanses and moisturizes the skin. This core product sold well. Still, the company wanted to shore up its brand equity in the evolving beauty marketplace, as described in a case study on Dove’s extension strategy.
Over the next decades, Dove added body washes, hand and body lotions, facial cleansers, shampoos, conditioners, and hair styling products to its core offering. We consider this a brand extension, where Dove used the brand equity accrued from selling soap to sell other types of personal care products.
Apple Brand Extension
Original Product: Personal computer
New Products: Consumer electronics (Apple Watch, iPod, Apple TV), computer software (macOS, Garage Band, iWork) and online services (Apple TV Plus, Apple Music)
Today we know Apple as a technology hub, a place to purchase computers and software, cell phones and tablets, streaming and news subscriptions. But the company began with just one product: a personal computer.
Since its founding, Apple appears to have deployed every kind of extension strategy. For instance, the iPod Touch (32, 128 and 256 GB) sold at different price points is a vertical brand extension, while the AirPods and accessories it sells alongside the iPhone could be considered a horizontal brand extension.
Nike Brand Extension
Original Product: Athletic shoes
New Products: Clothing, equipment, and accessories for sports ranging from basketball to cricket
Similarly to Apple, Nike has likely tried many extension strategy variations, but its early vertical brand extension is especially notable. Originally named Blue Ribbon Sports, the company marketed its products “exclusively to serious athletes,” who paid “premium prices” at specialty stores, according to a report on product innovation in fashion.
Once Nike recognized the market potential of casual exercisers and fashion-conscious consumers, the company began producing apparel and shoes for the mass market, generally at a lower price point.
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