Babies need hugs. They need hugs to regulate their body temperature. They need hugs to strengthen their immune system. And, they need hugs to gain weight. In short, babies need hugs to thrive. But what if Mom had a difficult childbirth and cannot offer enough hugs as she recovers? What about the newborns in intensive care who are separated from their parents? And, do all new parents know about the importance of hugs for babies? These insights provided an opportunity for Huggies to alter its positioning strategy and establish a "No Babies Unhugged" program at hospitals. Could there be a better way of positioning for Huggies than offering hugs?The brand arranged for highly screened volunteers to visit hospitals and hug babies in situations like the ones described above and teach new parents about babies' need for hugs. The program began in one hospital and then continued in two others initially, with the involve-ment of the Canadian Association of Pediatric Health Centres. Filming of the activities and testimonials of healthcare professionals provided content for the posi-tioning message. The films appeared on TV, in social media, and on the Huggies website. Further communica-tion included influencers and social media posts, along with display ads. Parents who participated offered their email and became part of a database for direct marketing communication. Other promotions featured samples and standard retail displays and commuication.The purpose of the campaign from a competitive standpoint focused on Huggies' main rival, Pampers. The two brands continually battle for market share and Hug-gies wanted a new positioning to go beyond the typical approach of functional claims of protection and absorbency. The program provided consumers a widespread belief in Huggies as being a good brand, and the hugs angle offered a broad emotional association to the brand. Combined, this altered consumer attitudes in a different way than influencing specific attribute beliefs of functionality.Research results indicated a 10 percent gain in the "better for newborns than other brands" belief, a key measure that signalled a more positive attitude to Huggies. From a behaviour standpoint, a significant number of program sign-ups occurred, and click-through rates of display ads hit well above normal levels. Sales grew 16 percent and market share gained 3 percent in the first year of the program. The made-in-Canada pro-gram proved so successful that it was expanded to over 30 other countries!

what are the ways that Huggies can maintain this brand positioning in future?