Branding is creating a positive perception of a service, product, or company, which involves slogans, themes, and logos, in the market. It is an important factor to consider when introducing a product into a new and unique market since it determines the success of the product. Companies assess policies, culture, religion, and even the acceptability of their products in the countries they want to launch their brands. These would inform the development of appropriate branding strategies to popularize the brands, enabling them to attract new customers, become substitutes for existing products, and compete with other well-established brands. Dr. Brown, an American-produced soda brand, intends to establish itself in the competitive Chinese market, where well-established brands like Coca-Cola and Pepsi offer stiff competition. Dr. Brown has to consider packaging, marketing strategy, innovation, brand culture, and production policies.
Packaging in Chinese has a great influence on the demand for particular products; it has a preference for environment-friendly packages. Dr. Brown has to focus on using cans and metallic bottles instead of plastic bottles. This will facilitate its acceptance in the market and compete with other brands already in the market. In addition, it may consider using Chinese labelings and some of its significant cultural symbols. This branding will make people relate to and embrace it as one of their valued beverages (Zhang, 2022). This strategy has a successful history; as a pioneering foreign beverage brand, Coca-Cola employed a similar strategy and is now widely accepted.
Using locally embraced marketing or publicity strategy plays a critical role in popularizing Dr. Brown soda. This product has to associate itself with locally valued sports or cultural events through partnerships and sponsorships. Participants in these events offer a potential market for this soda and even develop brand loyalty; Dr. Brown Soda will always remind them of some important events in their culture or society. People value products that appreciate and respect their culture by developing a positive attitude and preference (Zhang, 2022). Dr. Brown will use this technique as a competitive advantage against other brands to acquire a broader market base.
Innovation will play a crucial role in the presentation of Dr. Brown. The brand must be ready and capable of adapting to production and market changes, giving it a competitive advantage over its competitors (Chu, 2020). The manufacturer should be ready to diversify production by introducing Dr. Brown’s affiliate products once the brand has acquired a considerable market share. It should also be in a position to take advantage of emerging marketing avenues such as posters acknowledging significant events as well as congratulating the achievement of public figures like sportspeople. In addition, Dr. Brown should be able to comply with any emerging production policies in China. These may include producing sugar-free beverages that are perceived to have lesser effects on human health (Greenhalgh, 2019). This will enable it to retain or potentially expand its market share.
In conclusion, Dr. Brown Soda intends to establish a market share in China, but it has to develop a competitive branding strategy compared to other brands already dominating the market. The packaging strategy must be appealing and environmentally friendly, thus creating Dr. Brown’s preference for those who love soda. The marketing strategy has to associate with some important Chinese events and functions, thus making it part of an affiliate brand of those events. Dr. Brown’s manufacturer has to be innovative enough to take advantage of emerging trends and policies.
References
Chu, B. (2020). Analysis on the Success of Coca-Cola Marketing Strategy. Proceedings of the 2020 2nd International Conference on Economic Management and Cultural Industry (ICEMCI 2020).
Greenhalgh, S. (2019). Soda Industry Influence on Obesity Science and Policy in China. Journal of Public Health Policy, 40(1), 5–16.
Zhang, R. (2022). Coca-Cola Dilemma and Marketing Management Innovation in China. Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Economy, Management, Law and Education (EMLE 2021).