Brand Positioning Mastery: Perceptions & Strategies

Let’s take a look at the steps you can take to effectively position your brand in consumers’ minds: 

• Step 1: Understand your Customers, your Company, and your Competitors

The first step in creating an effective positioning strategy is to gain a deeper understanding of your company, your customers, and your competitors. This will provide you with the information you require to select an effective positioning strategy for your brand. 

• Step 2: Select a Postitioning Strategy suited to your Organization

The next step is to use the information gathered to select an appropriate positioning strategy for your organization. It is important that the strategy you select can be implemented within your organization (is feasible). This strategy must also differentiate you from your competitors and resonate with your target audience. 

• Step 3: Incorporate your Positioning Strategy into all Areas of Business

The final step is to incorporate your chosen positioning strategy across all areas of your organization. This strategy must reflect in your products, services, packaging, communications, etc. 

A few common brand positioning errors are: 

• Over Positioning: When a brand differentiates itself to the extent that its products only appeal to a section of the target audience due to the over emphasis of certain aspects of the product. 

• Under Positioning: When a brand has failed to communicate a compelling position due to which consumers are unclear about the key benefits of their brand. 

• Double Positioning: When customers do not believe or accept the claims of the brand.

• Confused Positioning: When a brand’s positioning efforts result in their customers having a confused image of the company and/or its products.