The following paper is going to evaluate the performance of the brand Abele Optik and will give some recommendations what steps it should take to improve the customer's experience
and what it can do to bring it brand back on track. The aspect of the location and the interior design of the shops will not be evaluated.
A competitive analysis, an examination of the positioning of the brand and strategic recommendations are given in the paper. Moreover marketing and branding tools as for example perceptual maps and the brand pyramid are applied to rebuild the brand.

Extracto

Introduction
The Optometrist Industry

Competitive Analysis

Positioning of Abele Optik
Rebuilding the Brand

The Target Market
New Positioning of Abele Optik
Brand Pyramid
Employer Branding

Conclusion

Objectives and Key Themes

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the brand performance of Abele Optik, a German optometry chain, and provide recommendations for improving customer experience and brand positioning. The analysis focuses on identifying areas for improvement in customer service and competitive differentiation, without considering factors such as shop location or interior design.

Analysis of the competitive landscape within the German optometry industry.
Evaluation of Abele Optik's current brand positioning and its weaknesses.
Identification of Abele Optik's target market and its needs.
Recommendations for repositioning Abele Optik to enhance customer satisfaction and market competitiveness.
Strategies for differentiating Abele Optik from its competitors, particularly larger chains like Fielmann and Apollo-Optik.

Chapter Summaries

Introduction: This introductory chapter establishes the context for the brand evaluation of Abele Optik, a family-owned business with 72 shops across Germany. It highlights the company's success despite strong competition, but emphasizes a crucial finding from a customer satisfaction survey conducted by the "German Institute for Service and Quality": Abele Optik's customer service is rated very low, negatively impacting overall brand perception. The paper aims to analyze Abele Optik's brand performance and propose strategies to improve customer experience and revitalize its brand image. The analysis explicitly excludes evaluations of shop location and interior design.

The Optometrist Industry: This chapter provides an overview of the highly competitive German optometrist industry. In 2012, Germany had 12,300 shops employing 49,000 people, with an annual sales volume of approximately 11 million glasses. The chapter highlights the increasing market due to an aging population requiring glasses and discusses the emerging threat of e-commerce, which, although currently small, presents a potential challenge to established brick-and-mortar stores. The chapter emphasizes that while online retailers may offer price advantages, physical stores have the potential to differentiate through superior customer service.

Competitive Analysis: This section delves into the competitive dynamics of the German optometry market, characterized by a mix of large chains (both company-owned and franchised) and smaller, independent shops. Many companies are vertically integrated, acting as both producers and sellers of glasses and frames. Abele Optik's main competitors are Fielmann and Apollo-Optik, which together control over 30% of the market share in terms of revenue, with Fielmann holding a dominant 50% market share in units sold. The chapter underscores the need for Abele Optik to establish clear differentiation from these larger chains, which offer both low prices and good service, to ensure its competitive survival.

Positioning of Abele Optik: This chapter analyzes Abele Optik's target market, frame of reference, points of parity, and points of differentiation. The company targets customers who value service, quality, and customer orientation over low prices. While Abele Optik positions itself as offering superior service and high quality, customer surveys reveal significant dissatisfaction with its service levels. This discrepancy between the company's self-perception and customer perception is a crucial issue requiring immediate attention. The chapter highlights the inconsistency between Abele Optik's stated commitment to quality service and the reality of its customer experience.

Rebuilding the Brand: This chapter focuses on the necessary steps for Abele Optik's brand revitalization. It acknowledges the dual nature of the optometry market, recognizing that glasses and sunglasses are both functional necessities and fashion items, influencing image and prestige. The chapter emphasizes that Abele Optik's higher price point should be targeted at the upper-middle and higher socioeconomic classes, but this strategy is ineffective without a corresponding increase in service quality that justifies the higher prices. Customer surveys expose significant shortfalls in service compared to competitors, and the chapter urges Abele Optik to conduct thorough market research to identify customers' true preferences and values in order to guide its repositioning strategy.

Keywords

Abele Optik, brand evaluation, customer satisfaction, optometry industry, competitive analysis, brand repositioning, customer service, market research, Fielmann, Apollo-Optik, German market.

Abele Optik Brand Evaluation: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main focus of this brand evaluation?

This evaluation assesses Abele Optik's brand performance in the German optometry market, focusing on customer experience and brand positioning. It aims to identify areas for improvement and provide recommendations for enhancing customer satisfaction and market competitiveness. The analysis specifically excludes factors like shop location and interior design.

What are the key objectives of this analysis?

The key objectives include analyzing the competitive landscape of the German optometry industry, evaluating Abele Optik's current brand positioning and its weaknesses, identifying its target market and their needs, recommending strategies for repositioning Abele Optik, and suggesting ways to differentiate Abele Optik from competitors like Fielmann and Apollo-Optik.

What is the current state of Abele Optik's brand performance?

While Abele Optik is a successful family-owned business with 72 shops, a customer satisfaction survey reveals significant dissatisfaction with its customer service. This negatively impacts its overall brand perception despite its existing market presence.

What is the competitive landscape of the German optometry industry?

The German optometry industry is highly competitive, with a mix of large chains (Fielmann and Apollo-Optik being dominant players) and smaller independent shops. Many are vertically integrated. The market is growing due to an aging population, but the threat of e-commerce is emerging.

How do Abele Optik's main competitors (Fielmann and Apollo-Optik) compare?

Fielmann and Apollo-Optik control over 30% of the market revenue, with Fielmann holding a dominant 50% market share in units sold. They offer both low prices and good service, presenting a significant challenge to Abele Optik.

What is Abele Optik's current brand positioning?

Abele Optik positions itself as offering superior service and high quality, targeting customers who value these aspects over low prices. However, customer surveys contradict this self-perception, highlighting a significant gap between the company's intended image and actual customer experience.

What are the key recommendations for rebuilding Abele Optik's brand?

The evaluation recommends a thorough market research to understand customer preferences and values. Abele Optik needs to improve its service quality significantly to justify its higher price point and compete effectively against larger chains. The higher price point should target upper-middle and higher socioeconomic classes, but only if accompanied by superior service.

What are the key takeaways from the chapter summaries?

The introduction sets the stage, highlighting Abele Optik's low customer service rating. The optometry industry overview describes the competitive landscape. The competitive analysis details Fielmann and Apollo-Optik's dominance. Abele Optik's positioning chapter reveals the discrepancy between its self-image and customer perception. Finally, the brand rebuilding chapter emphasizes the need for improved service and targeted market research.

What are the key words associated with this brand evaluation?