Welly: Brand Positioning Case Study

Growing up when you fell and scratched your knee there was only one word that came to mind — Band-Aid. It was so synonomous with bandages, I honestly didn’t realize it was a “brand name” until I became an adult.

Side note: I just learned that this phenomenon of a brand name becoming generic over the years is called genericide. (See Kleenex, Q-tips, and Sheetrock)

One company is taking advantage of this. Their name is Welly: a bandage specifically made for kids and what they care about most… looking and feeling cool.

Let’s get into it…

💼 The Brand: Welly

Welly is an adhesive bandage brand launched in 2018. The brand was created by Eric Ryan and Doug Stukenborg, who also co-founded Method Products.

Eric Ryan and Doug Stukenborg noticed that traditional bandages were boring and uninspiring, and they believed they could create a brand that would make first aid more enjoyable and fashionable.

💛 The Heart (Purpose & Values)

The name Welly was chosen to evoke a sense of wellness and well-being. As they put it on their About Page: “Welly is for everyone that was afraid to fall down, fail, get bumped, get scratched and did it anyway. Welly is for the wellness in all of us, however that looks, and for being prepared for whatever comes our way.”

By using their “Happy” brand personality type they’ve successfully put a positive spin on bumps and bruises.

👤 The Head (Strategy & Positioning)

When you’re competing against a brand like Band-Aid that’s been around since the late 1800’s, positioning your brand differently is essential. Welly accomplished this by focusing less on the utility of a bandage and more on the identity.

They even went so far as to name their bandages “Bravery Badges.”

As Band-Aid touts the effectiveness and reliability of their bandages, Welly is building an emotional connection with its audience.

With Welly, a bandage is no longer a boring but necessary accessory — it’s an opportunity to show off your personality… with a sloth for example.

Want to know if your brand personality is “Happy” like Welly’s or another type? Take our 2-minute quiz here.

DOWNLOAD NOW: Free 5-Minute Marketing Plan [Get Your Copy]

✋ The Hands (Tactics)

Here are a few of the ways Welly expresses their brand personality:

• Packaging - Welly organizes its bandages into “collections” featuring things like dogs, jellyfish, space, and camping. All sparking feelings of fun.

• Product Naming - Welly even puts a positive spin on the names of the products it sells. You can purchase the “Heroic Bandage Kit” for example.

• User Generated Content on Social Media - Welly leverages the power of social proof by reposting and sharing examples of happy families using its products. It might seem strange to post a picture of a Band-Aid, but not when it’s actually a Bravery Badge.

Steal The Strategy

Welly took a century’s old idea and made it completely new by infusing a unique brand personality to it (Happy). But where they really took this to the next level is by appealing to consumers’ emotions.

Welly realized that what its target audience really wants is the emotional feeling a Band-Aid… uh, I mean a bandage… gives you.

For kids with a boo-boo, its feelings of safety, happiness, and warmth. But what would you say your target audience ultimately wants to feel? What are their problems and fears? And what would the opposite of those problems and fears look like?

If you can incorporate those feelings into your packaging… or social proof… or any other way, you and your brand will be in a good spot.

Want this in your inbox every week? We'd love to have you! Subscribe using the form below 👇