Positioning

Positioning is not what you do to a product.

Positioning is not what you do to a product. Positioning is what you do to the mind of the prospect. The essence of positioning is to create a unique place for your brand in the consumer's mind. This involves understanding how your target audience perceives your product or service in relation to competitors. To achieve this: Identify your target audience and their needs Analyze your competitors' positions Determine your unique selling proposition (USP) Develop a clear and consistent message Effective positioning requires a deep understanding of consumer psychology and market dynamics. It's not about changing your product, but about influencing how it's perceived.

The easy way to get into a person's mind is to be first. First-mover advantage is crucial in positioning. If you can't be first in an existing category, create a new one. Examples of successful first movers include: Coca-Cola in cola drinks IBM in computers Xerox in copiers When you can't be first, consider: Creating a new subcategory (e.g., 7-Up as the "uncola") Repositioning existing competitors (e.g., Tylenol vs. aspirin) Finding an unoccupied niche in the market Being first allows you to establish a strong position in the consumer's mind before competitors can react.

In communication, as in architecture, less is more. You have to sharpen your message to cut into the mind. You have to jettison the ambiguities, simplify the message, and then simplify it some more if you want to make a long-lasting impression. Perception trumps reality in positioning. Consumers make decisions based on their perceptions, not necessarily on facts. To shape perception: Simplify your message to its core essence Use clear, concise language Employ visual and verbal cues that resonate with your audience Consistently reinforce your chosen position Remember that changing perceptions is difficult. It's often more effective to work with existing perceptions and gradually shift them in your favor.

The mind, as a defense against the volume of today's communications, screens and rejects much of the information offered it. In general, the mind accepts only that which matches prior knowledge or experience. Cut through the noise by simplifying your message. In our overcommunicated society, consumers are bombarded with information. To stand out: Focus on a single, powerful idea Use short, memorable slogans or taglines Repeat your message consistently across all channels Avoid information overload in your marketing materials Successful positioning requires sacrifice – you can't be everything to everyone. Choose one key benefit or attribute to emphasize and stick to it.

To cope with complexity, people have learned to rank products and brands in the mind. Leverage existing perceptions by understanding the mental "ladders" consumers use to categorize products and brands. Each product category…