Brand Repositioning Strategies and Market Share Recovery: Evidence from Nigerian Manufacturing Companies

This study examines brand repositioning strategies and their effectiveness in supporting market share recovery among Nigerian manufacturing companies, drawing evidence from firms in Onitsha, Anambra State, and Lagos State. Brand repositioning, the deliberate process of changing consumer perceptions of a brand's identity, value proposition, or target audience, is frequently deployed by brands experiencing competitive decline or changing market conditions. In Nigeria's rapidly evolving consumer landscape, repositioning decisions have significant resource and risk implications. The research adopts a mixed-method design combining case analysis of four repositioned brands with surveys of 120 marketing managers and 200 consumers. Management data are analysed thematically, while consumer perception shift data are evaluated using before-and-after comparative analysis and regression. The study evaluates repositioning strategy dimensions including communication realignment, product reformulation, pricing adjustment, and distribution channel modification, and their cumulative effect on market share metrics. Preliminary findings suggest that repositioning efforts that combine product quality improvements with targeted communication campaigns are significantly more effective in recovering market share than communication-only approaches. Recommendations address brand directors, marketing executives, and strategy consultants in Nigerian manufacturing on designing repositioning programmes that minimise brand equity erosion while effectively shifting consumer perceptions. Keywords: brand repositioning, market share, manufacturing, marketing strategy, Nigeria