Strategic Positioning For Communication In Brand Crisis

With the high rate of global flow of information, capital, talents and technology and their development, crisis communication of brands has become an important topic for both research and practice. As the basis and prerequisite of brand communication, the importance of positioning is obvious.This study is aimed to discuss the compositions, performances and effects of strategic positioning for communication in brand crises, thereby the essay offers suggestions and conferences for strategic communication positioning of Chinese local brands, especially those in crises.The study makes innovation in theory and mode on the basis of academic literatures analyzing, and whereby takes (Z)Kungfu and KFC, the leader brands in Chinese fast food industry, to make instance analyzing and comparison studying about strategic positioning for communication in crises. All the study is implemented to test and verify the practical meaning of the strategic hierarchical crisis communication positioning mode.The study shows that positioning and its dynamic refreshing is more important to crisis communication of brands, compared to communication in non-crisis state. Referring to multi-dimensions such as macro environment, the industry, consumers, competitors and brands themselves, combined with basic consideration of schema, cognition and needs of audience, strategic positioning in strategies and refreshment in tactics can guarantee the effectiveness of crisis communication.Shortcomings and mistakes in communication for Chinese local brands mainly stem from lack in positioning or mis-positioning on certain layer, whose root lies in few emphases on brand crisis communication and its strategic positioning, short history and little experience of brands. With the development of various industries and the experience accumulation, Chinese local brands will perform better and better in crisis- and non-crisis-communication, with the usage of scientific mode of strategic positioning for communication.