cebuana lhuillier's brand positioning - outside of the realm of possibilities

this was one of the comments left in the cbox. it's an interesting point. it was a comment coming from the analysis i had made on the cebuana lhuillier print ad. on the left. read the the analysis here : http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/search/label/cebuana%20lhuillier

this is the comment:

Nick : I find that your analysis of the pawnshop ad was way off target. The objective of an ad campaign can be to change perception and not just reinforce current perception.

we like to thank Nick for giving his views.

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changing perception is a legitimate advertising objective. in some cases it's even a very smart thing to do. but that works best if there is a need to change it and most specially if the existing perception is a barrier to purchase.

the other part and this is most applicable here is the question of believability. i find the positioning of lhuillier as a dream enabler, like an educational plan, as just too much on the extreme, too far off from reality that it becomes unbelievable. pawnshops is a place of last resort people go to to save themselves from a dire situation, turning that image around to making it like a dream enabler is just too much for the audience to accept and leap into.

also, i do not think its existing brand image is a barrier. people have come to accept pawnshops as the place to go to for last resort for dire situations. that's like a given to the whole category. the keys to usage or patronage is really accessibility, fairness and low interest rates.

no other pawnshop advertises. so positioning lhuillier in any of these would give it a competitive advantage. i also think the most sensible competitive set for lhuillier are other pawnshops and not other products like educational plans. positioning lhuillier as a dream enabler effectively positions itself against these types of products.