Comment substituer une marque connue par une nouvelle marque inconnue: les cas bio-Activia et Gemey- Maybelline

To substitute a well-known initial brand by a totally unknown target brand is risky. Whereas some general recommendations in terms of implementation have already been described in the literature, it is not taken into account that brand substitutions could cover two completely distinct situations according to the substitution’s stake : either the substitution could be a customer transfer when the positioning of the initial brand remains identical (Bio-Activia) or it could aim to a customer modification when it evolves (Gemey- Maybelline). The study of the Bio-Activia and Gemey-Maybelline recent cases reveals two different stakes and helps to formulate adapted and more relevant recommendations for implementation to these two situations in order to maximise their success probability : distinct timing of process, different evolution of the identification system and of the product range, specific communication stages. Main contributions of this study, and its limits, are presented in conclusion.