Postioning Guides 1 & 2

Positioning Guide #1:   In developing your brand’s positioning, constrain yourself to a one page document using language that everyone who works on the brand will understand. 

Positioning Guide #2:  In writing your brand’s summary positioning statement, don’t deviate from this form:  “To (your target market), (your brand) is the brand of (category definition) that (unique brand benefit) because (benefit supports).”

It’s not good enough to have your brand’s position defined in your mind; the brand’s positioning needs to be in a clear written form.  To assist you in this effort, templates for consumer brand positioning and business to business brand positioning are available.  The brand positioning templates for consumer marketing and business to business marketing differ slightly because the motivations of the consumer and business target customers differ.  Consumers are motivated by the need to satisfy internal wants/needs whereas businesses are economically motivated.  Since differing wants/needs are the basis of distinct market segments, the target market descriptions for consumer marketing and business to business marketing will differ; and the two templates accommodate these differences.

The brand position is the last step in marketing strategy development: segmentation, targeting, and positioning.  It is the brand positioning document that will guide you in the development of tactical marketing mix elements: product and services, marketing communications, distribution, and pricing.

The brand positioning template should be completed in language that is understandable to everyone who works on the brand from research and development people to advertising agency personnel.

Constrain yourself to one page although type as small as 10 point font is acceptable.  Many marketers, immersed in their products, feel constrained by the simple form of a summary brand positioning sentence.  They feel the need to elaborate.  They want to be all things good.  Don’t fall into this trap.  Follow the format of the summary sentence.  Failure to do so will result in you confusing yourself and everyone who reads the brand positioning document as to what is your brand’s unique brand benefit and what are the benefit supports.