"12. LIFEBUOY’S BRAND POSITIONING STRATEGYAs a consumable item Lifebuoy Soap is having a huge market share in Sri Lanka. But inpresent market there are two main soap categories we can see.? Beauty soaps? Antibacterial soapsLifebuoy soap has a very strong smell and attractive shape. Because of that it has a verybig brand image in rural Sri Lanka.But time tom time lifebuoy conduct brand buildingcampaigns to the promotion needs (Lanka Market Research Bureau, 2008).1. Initial positioning strategyLifebuoy a leading red color soap brand was introduced to the world in the year 1895. Inthe year 1895 to 2002 as a leading soap brand Lifebuoy had largely remained the ultimatemen’s bathing soap.2. Positioning shiftIn the year 2002 Lifebuoy soap brand was to effect the change. So that Lifebuoy soap’spositioning strategy was moved from men battling grime and dirt to mothers chasing ahealthy soap to ensure their children don’t get infected.3. Reinvesting positioning strategyIn the year as a multinational soap brand Lifebuoy was relaunched their soap with fourcolor variants. This relaunched product looks like an “Umbrella “look. After the relaunchof Lifebuoy soap their market share in soap market sector rose to 30 and 20% after thefirst two years’ period.4. Seasonal positioning strategyAs a soap brand Lifebuoy starts to promote about their brand on seasonal platform.Because Lifebuoy knows that many types of germs and infections causing for flu, rash,infection and pimples.21 5. Positioning problem in the urban marketUrban people are having a high literacy rate. Because of that they were think before buysoap or anything from the market. They were not satisfying from companies’advertisements. Because of that Lifebuoy soap has very big positioning problems in theurban market. Rural market strategyIn Sri Lanka Lifebuoy soap is very famous in rural areas.Because people knows that it isa dual purpose soap. But there are many challenges the Lifebuoy soap can be face in thismarket (Lanka Market Research Bureau, 2008).In rural market Lifebuoy has a good image. Because people in rural areas think that, ifthey wash their hands from Lifebuoy soap, they can protect from germs and bacterialinfections. In rural villagers can buy Lifebuoy soaps from their village buttic. But inurban area people understand that germs cause illness. Because they have high literacyrate. In urban areas people can buy Lifebuoy soap from supermarkets. But productquality is same and price can be different (Lanka Market Research Bureau, 2008). 22 13. GLOBAL HANDWASHING DAY(Selected brand campaign)Global hand washing day is an international day that is to motivate people around theworld to improve their cleaning and hand washing throughout each day. Because of thatth in every year 15 October is a global handwashing day. At the global hand washing daysoap is getting a very important part.Figure5: Global handwashing day logoSoap is personal care item that can be used to as a consumable item. A multinationalcompany, Unilever is manufacturing FMCG products and supplying Asian and Europeanmarket and their flagship brand is a Lifebuoy. Lifebuoy is a soap that can use for personalcleaning. Because of that many Sri Lankans and another Asian countries people are usinglifebuoy to their personal cleanings. But Lifebuoy knows that many germs and bacteria isth affecting bad threats to people’s health. In every year 15 of October Lifebuoy tries givemessage about the importance handwashing with using soap (Lanka Market ResearchBureau, 2008).Lifebuoy was conducted in the year 2014 global hand washing day programmes in islandwide. In addition to that in the same day Lifebuoy a leading soap brand was successfullybroke the previous Guinness world record. At that event Lifebuoy uses Sri Lankanmothers to broke the previous world record. Annually Lifebuoy’s global handwashingday campaign their brand and its sub brands are playing a very effective role. Under the 23 "