Duracell vs Energizer Brand Strategies

I chose the battery companies Duracell and Energizer to compare brand strategies. With a 2022 net profit of 2 billion, Duracell would be considered the “top dog” over Energizer, which ended 2022 with a net profit of just over 3 million (Energizer…2023) (Get…2023). Energizer has been in the game since the late 1800s, making Duracell’s entry into the existing market in the 1960s a reactive brand strategy. After becoming the first battery on the moon in 1969, the company introduced its standard alkaline battery (About…2023). This black and copper-colored battery debuted with a catchy slogan and a popular television advertisement/ mascot to match, and the company pretty much immediately shook up the entire industry.

The company’s entry strategy seemed to be to come into the market with a boom- they didn’t need to do very intense advertising because the product’s quality spoke for itself. A great deal of customers were quickly turned into early adopters if they were not already innovators. Their brand advertising strategy is still effective now that Duracell has hit its maturity, and I suppose you could say the same thing for Energizer since they have the same iconic bunny mascot and similar advertising techniques. Duracell has made sure its distribution strategy covers a large demography by having a strong distribution network, for example, its mission to aid in space, its product’s wide availability in over 20 countries, its extraordinary customer assistance, and more. Duracell’s promotion and advertising strategy are focused heavily on connecting with consumers on a personal level which they achieve majorly through campaigns (Team, 2017).

Energizer on the other hand has created a distribution strategy of easy availability. Their batteries can be found almost anywhere, which is a heavy convenience factor. Their batteries are also currently in over 140 countries around the world, giving the company a massive reach. Energizer’s advertising strategy also began on television and was very successful beginning in the 1990s, although television ads still make up about 50% of their promotional strategy. The rest is composed of digital and social media marketing (Team, 2023).

One strategy I recommend for Energizer to surpass its competition Duracell in the market is to create more of an emotional connection through their advertisements. This has clearly worked well for the competition, and with them having the same mascot, they might as well both appeal to the customer’s emotions in their advertisements. Another strategy would be for Energizer to play into the amount of time in which they have been in the homes of people everywhere. Emphasizing the impact, importance, and geographic spread of their products will increase the amount of traction while spreading a nostalgic, positive portrayal.

The last method is to sell batteries online in bulk straight from their website as opposed to only through third parties. This is one key difference in the distribution methods of the two companies, and I believe a lot of Duracell’s success lies in it. I think customers prefer Duracell over Energizer because of the power of their advertisements. Energizer makes it clear through its ads that they have a long-lasting battery while Duracell focuses on battery life and the emotional factors that could be influenced by battery-powered devices (Kardes, 2020).

Out of the two choices, I don’t really have a strong preference. In my mind, I believe Duracell batteries corrode faster but Energizer batteries don’t last as long, so they both have pros and cons to me. I typically purchase whichever is cheapest or whichever is available (which out of the two would likely be Energizer more often than not). 

About Duracell – the story of Duracell Company and Brand. Duracell. (2023). https://www.duracell.co.uk/about-us/ 

Energizer holdings revenue 2010-2023: ENR. Macrotrends. (2023). https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/ENR/energizer-holdings/revenue 

Get the job you really want. Zippia. (2023). https://www.zippia.com/duracell-careers-1110388/revenue/ 

Kardes, F. R., Cline, T. W., & Cronley, M. L. (2020). Consumer behavior. South-Western. 

Team, M. S. (2017, December 23). Duracell Marketing Strategy & Marketing Mix (4PS). https://www.mbaskool.com/marketing-mix/products/17513-duracell.html 

Team, M. S. (2017a, December 16). Energizer Marketing Strategy & Marketing Mix (4PS). https://www.mbaskool.com/marketing-mix/products/17484-energizer.html#google_vignette