Brand Revitalization by Strategic Repositioning: A Case Study of Korando Sports

A growing gap between market needs and the capabilities of the enterprise prompts repositioning (Corstjens and Dolye 1989). This article examines the strategic repositioning of 'Korando Sports' undertaken by SYMC throughout the period from Jan. 2012 to Jun. 2012, to boost sales volume and market share by entering market of active-lifestyle consumers currently occupied by SUVs. SYMC's experience indicates that it is essential to close the gap between the market needs and the ability of the enterprise to make a shift to new consumer segment with a new positioning. The successful repositioning framework(Ryan et al. 2007) were employed in this paper. This framework is comprised of six elements: core strategic values, strategic flexibility/learning capabilities, customer awareness and sensitivity, external orientation, management commitment, and belief in the product and brand. The evaluation based on the successful framework also confirms that 'Korando Sports' case meets all the requirements of the successful strategic repositioning. This paper provides some of the managerial implications with aim of assisting executives in identifying strategic repositioning opportunities. Primarily, the 'Korando Sports' case affirms the repositioning as a viable strategy and indicates that repositioning is a feasible means for strategic change. Second, this case shows the influence of a target consumer and SYMC's repositioning to follow consumer preference for a particular attribute. Moreover, we can understand how a product formerly considered weak in attributes can enjoy benefits in other segments with the same attributes.