Brand positioning: What is it and why does it matter?
Brand positioning is one of those things that often gets discussed but never gets the attention it deserves. It is essentially the starting point of any brand, it is the conductor that guides all the other elements.
Brand positioning is the attributes of your what, how and why.
Your what is the easiest; what does your business offer? It’s important to consider a little detail. For example, Ryan air doesn’t just offer flights, it offers low-cost European flights. You haven’t got to list every service just try and sum up what your deliver.
Your how is all about your approach; think about your methodology for delivering solutions and experiences for your audiences. Take Apple for example their focus is on innovation in design to create beautiful products that are easy to use. Your approach might be excellent customer service, attention to detail, using only the freshest ingredients etc. it’s everything that makes you, you.
Finally your why; this is perhaps the hardest part to your brand positioning. A lot of brands think that purpose is all about saving the world, but it isn’t. It’s simply about why do you do what you do. Think about the impact your service/product has for your customer. One client of ours was all about making student bills simple, this became their why. But it went further than that; by making bills simpler they were keeping the peace in shared accommodation and helping friendships stay together. They were giving students more time to enjoy their University experience rather than worrying and trying to sort out boring bills.
So why does all this matter?
Once you’ve got the above you can begin to answer some basic questions such as are you a premium brand or a value-based brand? Who are your key audiences? Who are your competitors and how do you differ? The answers from these questions then build the blueprint of what your brand strategy and identity need to be.
Your positioning is basically the parameters you set yourself to define your market, identity your audience, and differentiate from your competitors. It outlines the image you want to project, the experiences you want to deliver and feelings you want to conjure.
Only be feeding your positioning into your brand and aligning all the different elements behind it will you achieve true brand recognition and loyalty.
If you need help establishing and reinforcing your brand positioning, and need it fast, our Plan B approach is ideal for brands on tight budgets and time-scales. We also have a free positioning statement template you can download here. All you need to do is fill in the blanks, and your brand will be ready to pivot and take on the world.
Just fill out the form below to receive your template download link via email.
