Brand Positioning
We define brand positioning as the place that our products or services occupy in the consumer’s mind with respect to the competition.
Positioning allows us to differentiate our products and services from the competition .The clients are able to formulate a different image of our products and services from those of our competitors. This image must be coherent with the identity of our company, so we will have to develop a well-defined identity that reflects the company’s values and culture.
Positioning is not the exclusive task of the marketing department; the whole company must be involved, from top management to low level employees. It is true that the management and the marketing department are the ones who will develop the brand identity, but it must be transmitted to the employees so that they become the first ambassadors of the brand.
Positioning ourselves in the consumer’s mind is not a simple task, so here are a few steps to achieve it.
1. Know our positioning
The first step we must take is to know our current positioning,in order to change or update it if it’s necessary.
Another important aspect to take into account in this first step is to know what target audience we want to reach. To do this, a very useful tool is to create an ideal buyer in which we define as much as possible the characteristics of the target audience.
2. Plan the position we want and put it into action
In this step we have to know the key aspects of our offer, what makes us different and where we offer added value. If we know what makes us different, we will be able to create an image of what we want to transmit.
This positioning must show a real and relevant benefit for the consumer, it must allow us to differentiate ourselves from our competitors and it must be coherent with the company.
To develop our positioning strategy, we can base it on various characteristics:
- Attributes: this consists of highlighting some characteristic of the product or service that differentiates us from the competition. It is important to focus on those attributes that really make the difference, since if we try to transmit numerous attributes it will be more difficult to position ourselves in the minds of consumers.
- User: address a specific target audience.
- Use or application: position yourself as the brand that offers the best product or as the one that is going to obtain the greatest benefits for a specific use or application.
- Price: in this strategy, we can position ourselves by highlighting our price, whether it is low cost or high cost.
- Competition: highlight the advantages of our brand over the competition.
- Benefit: explain how our product or service will improve the lives of users.
Once we have decided on the strategy we are going to carry out, we need to set out the positioning in a positioning statement. This is a short strategic document that specifies the brand value that the brand will bring to a particular market segment.
At this point, and after making the declaration, we will be able to implement our strategy.
3. Carry out continuous repositioning.
Due to the fact that the market is constantly evolving, new competitors appear, social networks evolve, consumer profiles change, etc., strategies must be reviewed periodically so that they are always up to date.
Having explained the steps that must be followed to correctly carry out a brand positioning, we are going to see the benefits that this brings us and the mistakes that must be avoided.
Benefits and mistakes to avoid
A positioning strategy allows us to communicate the competitive advantages of our brand, in addition to the value proposition we offer. This will provide us with a series of benefits:
- Define those elements that differentiate our brand from the rest of the competition.
- Establish the value of the products or services we offer, thanks to helping the customer understand what differentiates us from the competition.
- Corroborate the price set, by means of a positioning strategy we demonstrate the added value for customers, so we expect them to pay the price that has been set.
Mistakes to avoid when positioning:
- Over-positioning: this is when consumers see the brand image as something limited, so some of them will believe that it is out of their reach or that it is not addressed to them.
- Under-positioning: generating a vague idea of the brand in consumers’ minds, causing it to be undifferentiated.
- Dubious positioning: the brand image you have created is not credible, so consumers will not trust you.
- Confusing positioning: the positioning is not clearly defined, changes frequently or attempts are made to cover numerous segments.
In conclusion, carrying out a brand positioning will allow us to position ourselves in the consumer’s mind thanks to the transmission of the attributes that differentiate us from the competition and make us unique. To carry it out, we first have to know the positioning we have and where we want to go, then we will design the most appropriate strategy for our products and services, we will implement it and, finally, we will carry out a continuous repositioning to be updated all the time.
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