Innovative marketing strategies for national industrial flagships: brand repositioning for accessing upscale markets

Product and process innovations are generally regarded as strategic competitive vehicles in industry. Identifying and conquering new market niches through focused marketing approaches by emphasizing new product qualities in mature markets - has become a very appropriate innovation strategy in developed economies. Highlighting brand identity of high-quality firms - through repositioning with the aid of touchpoints - may then be a rewarding business case. This paper aims to demonstrate the relevance of innovative marketing strategies on the basis of brand repositioning of mature firms. It uses a case study approach to flagship firms in Sweden to test the economic viability of repositioning of innovative firms striving to access upscale markets. The paper develops finally, based on the theoretical and empirical knowledge acquired from the case studies, a general analysis framework that may be useful for further study of brand repositioning and that may also serve as guidance for companies intending to reposition their brand to upscale markets. innovation ; repositioning ; brand identity ; touchpoints