No.1 Positioning
A brand is an extremely complex organism. This is the first in a series of articles in which we explore the components of a great brand.
Any successful brand has something that makes it stand out from the crowd – a principle or value that is fundamental to the company and the way it operates. Exploiting that difference is known as positioning, and your brand will have a lot of trouble establishing any kind of traction without it.
Successful positioning rejects conformity and elevates the brand so the target market can easily notice it. Keep in mind that the human brain looks for things that are new, unusual or unexpected – a brand that is unique will grab attention and have an advantage over its competition.
So, how can you use positioning to give your company that edge? You must:
- Be different
- Be focused
- Be relevant
Neglecting any of these factors will result in the collapse of the ‘elevator’ as each one has an important role in the positioning of your brand.
1) Be Different
You won’t attract potential or loyal customers if they can’t see you. If you want to develop a powerful brand, you should make sure that you look completely different to your competition. The other two factors are essential, but if your business doesn’t stand out, you will be playing a losing game right from the beginning.
People nowadays are constantly faced with a barrage of choices. As Marty Neumeier, the author of The Brand Gap and Zag states: “The over-abundance of similar products and services is forcing people to look for something that is different and will separate winners from all this clutter.”
Differentiation will assist people in making their choice, so you should stand tall as it will make it easier for customers and prospects to pick you!
2) Be Focused
When then there is a problem that we can’t fix ourselves, we reach out to specialists for help. We know specialists usually cost more but we’re willing to pay a premium for their depth of knowledge and experience.
So why do most service businesses end up offering the opposite, where instead of focusing on their area of expertise, they end up expanding their product and service range to try and attract more customers?
This strategy usually ends up with everyone offering the same as each other, resulting in commodification. And once your products and services are considered to be a commodity, your margins are going to suffer as the only way to compete will be on price.
However, focus on the right niche, where you are regarded as being the leading expert, and you’ll attract qualified customers who are willing to pay a premium for your specialist services and products.
3) Be Relevant
If you’re not relevant, then you aren’t really in business. Even if your company is differentiated and specialised but nobody needs or is willing to purchase your product, you won’t last.
This is why you need to research things first and figure out if people are interested in your business and specialty. Discover what your customers’ pains and needs are, and make sure that you are offering a solution to them.
The power of positioning
One of the most important things that you need to understand is that a company can survive with no positioning at all. However, branding is about much more than just survival, it is about creating an emotional connection with your customers.
Successful positioning gives you a foundation for establishing that connection, so that your business can build a relationship of trust and loyalty that will grow and flourish.
4 important keys to a Powerful Position
- Find your own niche. This means evaluating your competitors, examining opportunities and specialisations, and working out how your company stands out and is better than the others.
- Talk to as many customers as possible to figure out if the focus of your business is viable. This will also result in you knowing that there is an actual demand for your products or services.
- Develop a detailed brief that includes the positioning statement you are going to use. This will include what you are planning to do and what your company is going to stand out for.
- Think of ways to create contrast in your marketplace. For example, will you be able to use messaging and provide customers with unique services?
So what exactly is great positioning? The best and strongest positioning is usually built on the concept of reduction – keeping it simple.
People unconsciously place brands in different categories and the ones that rise to the top are the ones that use simple positioning. For example, Volvo built their reputation on ‘safety’; when people are looking to purchase a car that is safe, they think first of Volvo.
Unfortunately, most professional services are complex and the language used is technical. So, how can you successfully simplify complex business concepts? The trick is to uncover your purpose by thinking about the emotional benefit that you offer your customers and building your positioning on that. Good luck!
About the author
Peter Engelhardt
Peter has a ridiculous amount of marketing and communications experience. He is an inbound marketing advocate and passionate about branding. Above all he is the driving force behind Creative Brew and a proud dad.
