After reading Three Questions You Need to Ask About Your Brand”, by Keller, K.L., Sternthal, B., and Tybout, A, I thought I knew it all about product positioning. In my pre-class research, I came across an additional subject; product permission. In it’s essence, product permission is a question of whether a certain brand can be successful in a certain industry. It pertains to both well established brands moving into new territories, and fresh companies trying to break into the markets. Some examples of large companies the article talked about were bleach producers. Nobody wanted to buy bleach other than Clorox, because they were known best for bleach. Wendy’s Restaurants used to have  taco bars, but they were deemed unprofitable. The public did not perceive Wendy’s at a restaurant that should serve tacos. Brand permission also determines how much a specific product can be changed without public protest. One example I found, was years back, Tropicana tried to change it’s packaging, but the public’s desire for the traditional packaging caused  a drastic drop in sales.  I agree with author Chris  Grams. If you’re introducing a new product, do your research first, and take things slow.

Here is a video on Tropicana  fiasco.