Product Positioning Made Easy!
The Positioning of your product or service is critical to how your customer thinks about it in relation to your competitor’s products. This Positioning captures all the elements of what you offer in your product and describes its Points of Difference. A Positioning Statement for your product is the foundation that governs everything you do in your Marketing effort, from the packaging to the advertising and publicity. Every element should work to reinforce how the product achieves the points outlined in your Positioning Statement.
A basic Positioning Statement for “Your Product” is as follows:
“Your Product” is the brand of “insert category that your product falls into” that “insert claims or benefits” because “insert reasons, justifications or evidence that your product delivers the claims or benefits.”
Writing a Positioning Statement that is correct for your product is the first step in an efficient and effective marketing program. All communications, information about your product, employee contact, packaging, and elements of your marketing program must be consistent with the Positioning Statement and help your customers think about your product in the right way. Picking a defensible position for your products that differentiates it from competition is critical to obtain a “share of the consumer’s mind” in the buying process. Without a proper Positioning Strategy, your product blends into all the rest of those available and does not have clear points of difference that gives your customers a reason for selecting your product for what it specifically delivers.
Positioning can be versus a competitor’s points. The “er” and “est” words apply like lower, better, bigger, or best, highest, smallest, etc. Examples might be: “Our product is better than the competitor’s because we only use first quality materials”. Our car is faster because it has more horsepower.”
Positioning can also emphasize a unique benefit or feature. An example: “The only product with XYZ additive.” Our product has a patented feature only available from us.
Positioning can also associate your product with something your customer values in the buying decision. A favorable position can be created by endorsements. “The only product endorsed by the ABC Organization.” Having a celebrity endorse the product can create a favorable positioning. Showing environments in which the potential customer might want to be in can imply the use of your product will help the user achieve that goal or situation.
Whatever you chose for your Positioning Strategy, it must be real, defensible and meaningful to your customers. Choosing something else will hurt your success in the marketplace because it will confuse consumers because what you are telling them in the communications does not match with the actual product performance. Use your positioning to guide every execution of the product’s marketing plan. Handing the Positioning Statement to the employees, ad agencies, distributors, salespeople, customer service representatives, and anyone else that is a part of your marketing program is critical. Test every action against the Positioning Statement and ask if it is reinforcing the Positioning of the product. Only continue with elements that are correct.
Mapping your product’s positioning and those of your competitor’s against the range of benefits or features you have chosen to differentiate your product can help in creating a wider point of difference. It can also help understand what competitor’s might do to encroach on your positioning with their products and eliminate your point of difference. Having a solid, defensible positioning can create a separate space for your product that no other can occupy therefore allowing you to meet more of that customer’s needs and sell more product. Maintaining that position requires constant product improvement and upgrade. Products in any category will lose their leadership if the Positioning Strategy is not maintained as a dynamic part of the product as it evolves through its life cycle.
Without a proper Positioning Strategy, the messages the consumer receives about your product can be confusing and not create a unified impression. Any inconsistency in the marketing elements and the Positioning Statement will sub optimize the effectiveness of all the elements and the customer may choose a competitor’s product for which they better understand the positioning. Be clear about what you want the customer to believe about your product and stay consistent with its Positioning Strategy.
About
R. Rex Schutte heads up Schutte & Associates a business consulting firm based in West Chester, PA. Schutte & Associates was founded based on the principal that small business owners need practical advice that is affordable and works. They need that constant helping hand reminding them of the bigger picture when the day to day issues block out the light.
Leave a Reply 
