What Is Brand Positioning? Defining Your Difference in One Sentence
From a positioning map to a statement the whole team shares
Brand positioning is summarized in one sentence: 'Our brand is [brand] that provides [key differentiator] in [category] to [target customer].'
Draw a positioning map to visualize your position versus competitors, finding empty spaces on axes that matter to customers (price-quality, innovation-tradition, etc.).
Good positioning must be clear, differentiated, meaningful to customers, and executable.
Execution Steps
1
Analyze market and competitors — Identify key players and positions
2
Customer research — Identify what values matter most
3
Derive differentiators — Unique value competitors don't offer
4
Write positioning statement and share company-wide
Pros
- ✓ Provides consistent direction for all marketing activities
- ✓ Enables value competition instead of price competition
Cons
- ✗ Repositioning may be needed with market changes
- ✗ Reaching internal consensus can be difficult
Use Cases
Startup market entry strategy
Existing brand repositioning (image transformation)