Dual Brand Strategy

It’s story time. Radhika went to her local stationery shop to purchase pencils for her brother and herself. Her brother loves to use Apsara Pencils because of the darker color that it has while on the other hand, Radhika loves to use Natraj Pencil. Both of them happen to fight with each other and claim that their respective pencil is the best one.

You would think that these two famous brands of pencil would be fighting the same way in the market and trying their best to ensure they occupy more of a prominent position in the minds of the targeted audience. But what if we say that all the rivalry that exists out there is staged?

Yeah, it’s time to burst the bubble! Both Apsara and Natraj are the brands of the single Parent company- Hindustan Pencils. It is nothing but the case of Dual Brand Strategy.

What is Dual Strategy?

It is the process by which the Parent Brand tends to create two or more sub-brands, each sub-brand catering to the specific needs of the consumers out there. It may seem like they are competing with each other but in reality, they belong to one single brand only. We know this might come as a shocker, but this is what it takes to be a clever marketer, right?

Don’t confuse it with Mergers and Acquisitions which involve taking over a company by the efficient one to enjoy the benefit of increased resources, which leads to the total elimination of one as a result of the takeover. A dual strategy is done intentionally by the company as its strategic advertising move! But when did it start to gain momentum in the market?

History of Dual Strategy

The marketing era when every company indulged in upbuilding their product in terms of quality in such a way that not only penetrates but acquires the next most possible share of the market. Certain companies initiated a marketing strategy, upbringing their own better but rival products. Not before the 1990s, the marketers realized the need of playing with branding strategies. Well doing nothing much just building their brand reputation compared with their own but seems different product.

The strategic move- The companies playing dual Brand Strategy

Making the consumer market occupied with its own but better-quality products; whichever the product the customers may choose, in the end, it was the parent company who is going to win the battle; the perfect win-win situation.

Parent Company	Sub-Brands	Sub-Brands
Hindustan Pencils	Natraj	Apsara
P&G	Pantene	Head & Shoulders
P&G	Ariel	Tide
P&G	Gillette	Oral-B
The Coca Cola Company	Fanta	Sprite
Unilever	Wall’s	Magnum
Unilever	Dove	Lux

And the list goes on and on and on.

Conclusion

Well, the company doesn't just put up a product with a different name, they popularize the product emerging as somewhat different a brand in itself. And it's not only the case of the same product categories, but they often also acquaint the different product categories with different brands.

Now, given the chance what would you name this kind of strategy of marketing? Tell us about your views in the comment section.

References

1. https://bit.ly/37MDSGs
2. https://fabrikbrands.com/what-is-dual-branding-definition-of-dual-branding/
3. https://bit.ly/3w8eEM2
4. https://www.bms.co.in/sourcedouble-branding/
5. https://hbsp.harvard.edu/product/BH555-PDF-ENG
6. https://bit.ly/3Nfq2v1