Marketing textbook, chapter 6

The starting point for the following example is the product structure of the Wrigley's Extra brand, which has been successfully established as a brand family in the confectionery market in the „dental and oral care products“ sub-market (oral care) since 1978. These products are used in some places in the book to illustrate the content and are intended to convey the concepts in a practical way. Among other things, the following programme policy decisions were made, which led to corresponding design decisions for individual products.

For the „Oral Care“ submarket, which Wrigley serves with the „Wrigley's Extra“ and „Wrigley's Extra Professional“ brands, a Product development strategy through the launch of the (sub-brand) „Wrigley's Extra Professional Mints“ (Figure 1). Due to the specific benefits („clean mouthfeel“ and „tongue cleaning“), which were not previously advertised by the other products of the Wrigley's Extra brand, and the independent product performance (new type of pastille with a ribbed surface), this is a product innovation that was realised as a product line extension of the „Wrigley's Extra Professional“ brand in terms of branding.

At the same time, Wrigley launched a new packaging for the existing „Wrigley's Extra“ brand of dental care chewing gum in order to Market penetration strategy, which in this case is characterised by a Product differentiation This was done because there was no difference in product benefit and product performance to the chewing gums already on the market. A new packaging variant was „merely“ added, but for many customers this led to a significant improvement in stockpiling (functional benefit) (Figure 2). It can also be assumed that this packaging, which is reminiscent of pillboxes, has significantly improved the (subjective) benefit in the direction of „medical dental care for in-between meals“.

Also for the Product differentiation is the introduction of a new flavour for the „Wrigley's Extra Professional“ brand of dental care chewing gum. Here too, the core benefits and product performance have remained the same. Only a new flavour has been added. However, it is clear that the introduction of the new „lemon-lime“ flavour is also intended to slightly change the benefit claim (Figure 3). With the claim „gives you the feeling of clean teeth“, the previous functional benefit „tooth protection“ has been extended by the more social-emotional benefit „feeling of cleanliness“. This is very likely to open up new target groups for the brand.

After all, the Wrigley company has also developed a new brand for its „Wrigley's Extra“ brand. Product modification undertaken. The „Wrigley's Extra Drops“ lozenge has been completely redesigned. The hard candy in the flavours Wild Mint, Lemon Mint and Wild Fruit became a hollow candy with a xylitol powder filling, which is slowly released when the candy is sucked and develops a pleasantly fresh taste (Figure 4). This was intended to underpin the product performance „dental care“. Furthermore, the special sensory product experience when sucking was to enable a stronger differentiation from the long-established competitor products. This product was launched in the flavours Strong Mint, Cranberry Lime and Caramel Mint. With the last flavour, however, it turned out that consumers saw the „flavour code“ „caramel“ as a contradiction to the product benefit „dental care“. As this flavour did not meet sales expectations for these reasons, it was removed from the range (Product elimination).

If Wrigley - purely hypothetically - were to offer products for the toothpaste market, the beverage market or the mouthwash market in the future, these would be activities within the scope of a (horizontal) Diversification strategy through product innovation, This is because it would no longer be the confectionery market that has been served to date, but completely new markets.

As the example of the Wrigley company shows, the programme policy action alternatives always require brand policy decisions (see section 6.4.2).

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