positioning in business plan example

How to Develop a Positioning Statement for Your Business

4 min. read

Updated May 10, 2024

Positioning is the essence of marketing strategy, and some would say of all business strategy.

It’s about how your business is different from the others. It’s about what your business does for people that other businesses don’t do.

• The positioning statement template

I’m not sure where this classic positioning statement template started, or whom to credit, but I’ve found it very useful for years of developing business plans.

“For [target market description] who [target market need], [how our business offering meets the need]. Unlike [key competition], it [most distinguishing feature].”

Here’s an example of that template in action for a social media consulting service, with the components separated:

“For [small business owners who want social media marketing but don’t have time to do it themselves], our social media services [do it for them without taking their time and effort]. Unlike [most social media consulting], [we don’t just advise; we do the work].”

Another example for a healthy fast food restaurant:

“For [busy people who want healthy foods but need fast meals], [we offer organic healthy fast foods]. Unlike [most fast foods offerings], we [offer fresh local ingredients, organic, grilled not fried, with a lot of vegetables and vegetarian options, and free-range meats].”

The examples show how the positioning statement sets the business and its offering apart from others. It implies strategic focus and a strategic match between target market, market need, and business offering. It’s a great tool to help you view your own business strategically, and to explain your strategy to outsiders when necessary.

• Positioning diagrams

I also like to explain positioning graphically with diagrams, like this simple one from Philip Kotler’s iconic textbook, “Marketing Management,” that shows positioning related to breakfast:

The diagram illustrates simple positioning related to breakfast. Breakfast can be slow or quick, and expensive or inexpensive. Pancakes might compete with hot cereal for slow and inexpensive, but bacon and eggs are different because they are slow and expensive. The instant breakfast doesn’t compete with bacon and eggs. That’s positioning.

To do your own positioning diagram, start with creative thinking about how you can divide your market in terms of variables that make strategic sense. In the example below I decided to organize the automobile market according to two factors: economical versus expensive, and practical versus fun. If I were looking to position specific cars with this, I’d put a luxury SUV on one extreme as practical and expensive; and a Mini-Cooper on another, as economical but fun.

I hope you can see how this kind of positioning diagram can lead to strategic thinking. What kinds of cars compete against the Mini-Cooper? What kinds of cars compete in the luxury SUV area? I hope you can also see how the positioning will help set marketing strategy, marketing messaging, and so forth.

We could take this diagram and develop a formal positioning statement for the Mini-Cooper:

For people who like fun-to-drive sporty cars but can’t afford to spend what a Porsche costs, the Mini-Cooper S offers a small car with great cornering and good acceleration that costs only about $30,000.

You may notice that the positioning diagram example here is a lot like the competitive matrix that appears in many business plans. That similarity is not an accident. The competitive matrix that appears in many plans and pitches is a direct descendent of the positioning diagram that Philip Kotler first popularized in the 1970s and 1980s.

What I wrote in an earlier discussion of the competitive matrix also applies here, with positioning:

“Don’t, please, discount [this] as an internal tool to help with strategy development and specifics of designing products. For this use, you don’t worry about showing how what you have is better; you use it to look for holes in the market, and needs that aren’t covered, so you can lead product development toward solutions that are better business opportunities.”

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• Place it in your plan where it achieves your goal

So which do you include in your business plan: competitive matrix, positioning statement, positioning diagram, or two or even three of these components? As with so many elements of a good business plan, this depends on the exact goal of your plan and the nature of your business.

If your plan is to serve as background information for raising angel investment, then you’ll need a pitch deck ; and either your positioning diagram or your competitive matrix will be one slide in the deck. Don’t give your investors both.

If you use the more trendy competitive matrix, include it in the part of the presentation that you’re using to explain and develop your product, product positioning, or marketing. Put it close to your relevant information, and be flexible, because the flow of a pitch depends on the specifics. If you use the more traditional positioning diagram, keep it close to strategy or marketing strategy.

Within the plan itself, in that case, include the formal verbal positioning statement as part of marketing strategy. Done right, it’s concise and communicates strategy very well. Set it aside as a “positioning statement.” That specific phrase will be meaningful to people who have studied marketing.

If you’re doing a lean business plan, use the positioning statement and the positioning diagram to help with strategy development. It fits into strategy or tactics, and concrete specific actions to react to your competitive positioning could easily be milestones.

Tim Berry is the founder and chairman of Palo Alto Software , a co-founder of Borland International, and a recognized expert in business planning. He has an MBA from Stanford and degrees with honors from the University of Oregon and the University of Notre Dame. Today, Tim dedicates most of his time to blogging, teaching and evangelizing for business planning.

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You are here: Influencer Marketing Hub » Digital Marketing » 16 Brand Positioning Statement Examples Tailored for Success

16 Brand Positioning Statement Examples Tailored for Success

Have you ever wondered how classic brands like Coca-Cola and Walt Disney remained successful all these years? The answer lies in their brand positioning statement. These brands knew what they stood for and could communicate it clearly to their employees, suppliers, and customers. 

What is a positioning statement, and how can you effectively craft one? Let’s dive into the details. 

What is a Positioning Statement?

A positioning statement describes your products or services and explains how they meet the needs of your target market. It should state your unique value and  brand identity , as well as how you want your brand to be perceived by your customers and competitors.

It’s often an internal private document not meant for public knowledge because it highlights your key differentiators and competitive advantages. The positioning statement is also designed to help your marketing team align their campaigns with the company’s brand and value proposition. 

Why a Positioning Statement Matters

With so many options out there, buyers want to know what they’re getting before fully committing to a purchase. When you have a clear positioning statement, customers will understand your business at first glance. 

A positioning statement also makes it easier for marketing teams to create impactful campaigns that achieve their goals. You can reduce the risks of failed campaigns because your team will have a clear vision of your brand and can accurately convey it. 

Every time the marketing team launches any on-brand experience, it will resonate with the intended market leading to better sales and lower costs. Your product or service will stand out from a sea of competitors because it’s clear what makes you different and why they should choose your brand.

Key Elements of a Positioning Statement

When crafting a positioning statement, you have to understand the key elements it should cover. Defining each element will help you create a clear statement that won’t leave any doubt as to its interpretation. 

Here are the crucial elements of a positioning statement:

Target Market: Who you serve

Knowing your target audience will help you create buyer personas that define their motivations for purchasing your products or services. Identify their demographic, psychographic, or behavioral characteristics and discover their pain points and challenges. 

Understanding what motivates them to use your solution will help you define the outcome or experience they expect. Having a deep knowledge of your target audience will ensure a detailed and clear positioning statement, that doesn’t have vague details which are open to interpretations.

Our product is tailored for tech-savvy millennials who seek convenience and sustainability in their daily lives.

The example above clearly states that the target customers are millennials who know how to use technology and value convenience. From the statement, it’s already clear who the product serves and the right approach to reach them. 

Brand Promise: What value you offer

When you know your customers, you can clearly articulate the problem you’re solving for them. This will also help you demonstrate how your product or service solves this problem. 

Answer the question: What problem does your product solve, or what need does it fulfill for customers? The answer is the primary benefit or value proposition of your solution. 

We offer an eco-friendly meal delivery service that provides nutritious, chef-prepared meals delivered right to your doorstep, saving you time and reducing your carbon footprint.

In the above example, it’s clear that you offer a meal delivery service that’s eco-friendly, nutritious, and prepared by chefs. It targets customers who are eco-conscious and heavily favor sustainable efforts. 

USP: How you position your offer

Your positioning statement should clearly define your unique selling proposition (USP). Lead with the benefits of your products or services rather than the features. Buyers resonate with the outcome of an offer (benefits) rather than how it achieves them (features). 

Answer the question: How do you want your target audience to perceive your product or brand?

We position ourselves as the premium choice for health-conscious individuals who prioritize both quality and sustainability in their food choices.

Similar to previous examples, the statement above emphasizes quality and sustainability as the USP of the meal delivery solution. When aligned with your marketing efforts, potential customers are immediately aware of the benefits of your products or services.

Brand Purpose: Why you're in business

It’s also important to communicate the underlying mission or purpose behind the brand. Employees and customers alike rally behind a brand whose purpose is something they support and believe in. 

Your value proposition should answer the question: What drives your company beyond financial gain? The following statement shows that the brand is working towards a bigger goal of a healthier planet. It’s the driving force for creating convenient and environmentally responsible alternatives.

We are committed to revolutionizing the food industry by offering a convenient and environmentally responsible alternative to traditional meal preparation, ultimately contributing to a healthier planet.

Differentiator: What makes you different from the competition

Researching your competitors will help you identify how to position your brand in the market. Don’t stop at competitors offering the same goods and services. Instead, research companies that offer alternative solutions to the same target audience.

Your positioning statement should be able to answer the question: What makes your product or brand stand out in the market? In the example below, the service is differentiated by locally grown, organic ingredients packed in biodegradable materials.

Unlike other meal delivery services, we source locally grown, organic ingredients and package our meals in biodegradable materials, ensuring both freshness and sustainability.

When defining the value of your offer, come up with 3-5 core differentiators that set you apart from the competition. The combination of these key differentiators will help you provide a unique solution that other brands can’t easily copy.

Positioning Statement vs. Mission Statement

It’s typical to confuse a positioning statement with a mission statement. After all, they appear to provide the same things when you first read them. However, a mission statement is a small component of a positioning statement. The mission statement answers the “why” of a business, while a positioning statement includes the “what, why, and how.”

Mission statements are also public-facing. Most brands publish them on their websites, brochures, and other marketing materials. They are crafted so customers can know why the business operates. 

Value Proposition vs. Positioning Statement

The value proposition is another term often confused with a positioning statement. A positioning statement has a broader scope than a value proposition, and it’s usually crafted after you’ve defined your brand’s value proposition. 

The value proposition defines how your product or service is different from other solutions. It identifies your primary customer and gives an overview of the benefits your brand delivers. Meanwhile, the positioning statement incorporates the value proposition with the mission statement. The value proposition is the “what and how,” while the mission statement is the “why.” When combined, they form the positioning statement.

Crafting a Positioning Statement

Now that you know what a positioning statement is and how it differs from a mission and a value proposition, it’s time to craft one. When writing your positioning statement, define the elements described above. You can use the following guide questions to help you. 

Using the questions above as your starting point, you can follow these steps to write your positioning statement:

1. Brainstorm ideas.

Set aside a dedicated and focused time to brainstorm answers to the questions above and let the ideas flow naturally without any filters. As your team comes up with answers, take note of the concepts that excite you.

Brainstorming is a creative process that will help you come up with the raw materials to build your positioning statement. As the team shares ideas, you’ll identify a pattern that your audience will also resonate with.

If you need further inspiration, you can create a vision board that contains images that represent your customers and the environment where they’re using your product or service. You can study these pictures to know your customers' emotions, characteristics, and actions.

You can also draw inspiration from similar brands, including your competitors. Don’t copy their statements, but observe how they crafted their messages.

2. Create detailed customer personas.

Positioning statements may not be public-facing, but they are customer-focused. Your customers must be at the heart of your statement, and as your brand evolves, it must always remain faithful to serving their needs and wants.

Be as detailed as possible in identifying your audience’s pain points, attributes, motivations, and preferences. You can create customer segments that will help you further refine your messaging.

3. Cut out unnecessary words and be concise.

Positioning statements aren’t long-winded documents that span several pages. They are clear and concise statements that help readers quickly grasp the essence of your brand. Ideally, it should be 3 to 5 sentences maximum.

Remove any repetitive phrases and focus on translating complex ideas into simpler words. Concentrate on a few carefully chosen but impactful words that deliver a powerful statement. Review your statement from the eyes of a first-time reader and ensure it captures their attention. 

4. Integrate your unique business qualities.

Highlight the qualities that make your brand stand out to your customers. Reflect on your business values and convictions that humanize your brand, and make sure these qualities are prominently featured in your statement. 

Be wary of using the same words and characteristics as other brand brands. The market is often saturated, and you want something unique and memorable. As the market evolves, constantly revisit these qualities and improve on them so your positioning adapts to changing customer demands.

5. Strive for transparency and authenticity.

Today’s consumers demand brands to be authentic and transparent. Often, your quirks and imperfections set you apart from others and make your brand more relatable, so don’t be afraid to be vulnerable and honest about your brand’s areas for improvement. 

Transparency creates customer loyalty by building trust and enhancing your brand’s reputation. Avoid making promises you can’t keep in your statement because this will frustrate your team and mislead your customers.

Positioning Statement Template

Here’s a straightforward positioning statement template that works for any business:

For [customer], [brand name] is the [brand category] that [unique value proposition], unlike [competition]. We [brand promise] because we believe [brand purpose]. Our [points of differentiation] sets us apart from [competition].

Putting the statement into practice, here’s an example for a clothing brand.

“For [environmentally-conscious consumers], [EcoChic Fashion] is the [sustainable clothing brand that offers stylish and eco-friendly apparel], unlike [fast fashion retailers]. We [prioritize transparency and ethical practices] because we [believe in creating a more sustainable fashion industry]. Our [use of organic materials, fair labor practices, and transparent supply chains] sets us apart from [other clothing brands]."

Brands are unique and you may need a different format to convey your positioning, depending on your goals. However, the format above is a generic template that captures all the essential elements of a positioning statement. 

You can also use a persona-based approach for your positioning document, which defines multiple customer personas and addresses their specific needs and preferences.

16 Positioning Statement Examples

To better understand how a positioning statement works and to give you inspiration on how to draft yours, here are 16 examples of positioning statements from some of the best global brands. We’ve dissected their statements to help you define your own messaging elements.

Since positioning statements are internal documents, these statements were curated from the brands’ websites and public statements.

Nike is well-known for providing durable, trendy, and innovative athletic wear. They were one of the first brands to launch an NFT and embrace emerging channels like the metaverse.

Why it works:

Nike’s positioning statement is comprehensive yet concise and instantly identifies the target customer. It’s a textbook example of a positioning statement answering who (athletes), what (Nike), why (top-performing), and how (high-quality materials). It communicates a straightforward and focused brand promise that also sets it apart from the competition. 

Throughout its history, Apple has shown that it understands its customers closely and knows the values they cherish. That includes the latest cutting-edge products with a positive carbon footprint.

Apple defines what it offers to customers (the best computing device) and emphasizes its brand promise (commitment to using the latest tech research to create the most innovative products). We have seen this in the beautiful and cutting-edge products that Apple offers—from the iPhone and MacBook to Apple Watches and now the Vision Pro.

3. Coca-Cola

Have you ever wondered how the 137-year-old brand Coca-Cola still thrives despite numerous controversies involving sodas ? Coca-Cola enjoys a positive brand reputation because the company is clear on its brand positioning. 

Coca-Cola focuses on creating a positive customer experience that they closely associate with drinking one of their refreshing beverages. You can see this all over their marketing communications, which emphasize happiness, creating a positive difference, sustainability, and building strong relationships.

4. Starbucks

Let’s look at another popular drink brand that has taken the world by storm. With over 38,000 Starbucks stores globally , you can argue that this company, known for its specialty coffee and tea drinks is a global phenomenon penetrating every culture. 

Starbucks’ mission statement has evolved throughout its 20-year history, and the latest reads:

While technically a mission statement, the sentence also encapsulates Starbucks’ brand positioning. The company is clear on what it offers customers—a cup of coffee or tea and a pleasant conversation. The goal is also clear: to create a human connection. We can see this in how Starbucks baristas (called partners) treat their customers and in the company’s commitment to top-notch product quality. 

Tesla is known for its commitment to sustainability and is credited for introducing premium electric vehicles in the market. They target middle to upper-class consumers who are environmentally aware and looking for a way to reduce their environmental impact. 

The statement is clear on Tesla’s brand promise—build a sustainable planet. They mention how they’ll fulfill this promise by using solar-powered batteries used in electric vehicles and other energy generation and storage products. While the target market isn’t explicitly mentioned, it’s clear that the brand targets consumers who are interested in sustainable practices for a better world.

The Walt Disney Company is a multinational conglomerate that operates a wide range of businesses from theme parks to movie production. It has a single goal: to make people happy. 

Disney continues to capture markets of all ages worldwide because they meet a universal need: being happy. This is at the core of everything that they do, and by being fully committed to delivering this brand promise, they explore all avenues, including the latest technological innovations.

Airbnb revolutionized the hospitality industry when it launched its booking platform, which empowers individuals to become hosts and rent their properties to travelers. Since its inception, the company has remained revolutionary with its innovative solutions like Experiences, City Portal, Emergency Stays, and AirCover.

Airbnb remains true to its product—a booking website with expanded features to fulfill the promise of giving travelers unique experiences worldwide. Their differentiator is also clear: They offer the largest selection of diverse, top-rated, and personalized places to stay. You can experience this when you visit their website and see how you can book everything from a castle in Germany to a treehouse in Bali, Indonesia.

You can’t mention online shopping today without thinking about Amazon. The company has established itself as the primary destination for everything you need, including quirky items you didn’t know you needed. 

Amazon sets itself apart by promising shoppers a wide range of products delivered quickly. By having hundreds of product categories and introducing Amazon Prime (with 2-day shipping), the brand fulfills its promise. Amazon is also clear on what differentiates it from the competition—a passion for innovation and commitment to operations excellence. You can see this with Alexa and Echo, two devices that give shoppers a more personalized experience. 

9. McDonald’s

McDonald’s is another revolutionary brand that has stood the test of time. It changed the food industry when it was established in the 1940s due to its fast and affordable way of serving quality food. 

The positioning statement emphasizes McDonald’s key differentiators of offering a quick, friendly, and consistent service. Regardless of which McDonald’s outlet you go to, you’ll find virtually the same menu and store aesthetics. 

In a world that has come to embrace remote and hybrid work, Slack has become an essential tool for business communication. It’s an efficient solution to solve the shortcomings of ineffective email communications. 

Slack’s positioning statement emphasizes its role as a productivity platform meant to help users effectively connect with each other. It describes how it achieves this promise using no-code automation, quick search and knowledge sharing, and constant team connection. Its website gives a longer version that incorporates Slack’s mission to “make people’s working lives simpler.”

11. Spotify

Spotify changed the music industry when it launched its music streaming app in 2008. The innovation gave millions of people access to a freemium service where they can listen to diverse music and where artists can publish their music. 

Spotify’s brand statement discloses its mission of unlocking human creativity and then proceeds to describe how it will achieve it. It also mentions the two target audiences (artists and fans) and what they can get from the platform (publish and listen to music).

Everyone recognizes Volvo for creating safe cars. The brand produced some of the most iconic car models since 1927 and is credited for introducing the three-point safety belt, an invention that saves millions of lives.

Volvo is proud of its safety heritage, and this shows in its positioning statement where they promise to be a brand for people who care about others and the planet. This also reflects in their move to create fully electric and hybrid cars, with a commitment to rethink sustainability in their operations. 

13. Netflix

Streaming movies and TV shows were virtually unheard of before Netflix made it popular in the late 2000s. Netflix has evolved from a brand renting DVDs to a production house creating original movies and shows. It leads the pack in streaming services, streaming in over 30 languages to 190 countries.

Netflix’s brand promise is clear—it wants to entertain the world. The positioning statement declares how they will accomplish this by giving users access to the best TV series, documentaries, films, and games. From DVDs to on-demand streaming, Netflix fulfills this promise. And while there are many on-demand streaming services today, Netflix differentiates itself from competitors by giving members control of what they watch with a simple subscription. 

Just like Spotify and Netflix, Uber changed an entire industry when it first launched. Born on a snowy evening when the founders couldn’t get a taxi, Uber started as a ride hailing app that has since grown to delivering food, connecting freight shippers, and providing non-emergency medical transportation.

Uber is clear that they’re a tech company whose mission is to connect the physical and digital worlds to address movement challenges. They accomplish this with an app that makes transportation options accessible for everyone. This clarity and focus help them identify needs in the transportation sector and provide digital solutions like Uber Eats and Uber Health to address them.

The Dove brand is one of the most classic marketing examples of how positioning can alter the market’s perception of a product. Originally, Dove’s positioning was created to differentiate itself from the competition. As a bar of soap, it needed a way to stand out, so it targeted women and positioned itself as a moisturizing soap. Decades later, Dove still targets women (and girls) but now focuses on a different positioning—the concept of real beauty. 

Dove offers not only bar soaps but a whole range of essential beauty and cleansing products. It also realizes that the needs of its primary target market (women) have changed. From having a product-centric positioning, it moved to a customer-centric positioning, as reflected in its positioning statement. 

This new positioning continues to be successful with Dove’s Real Beauty marketing campaign, which has garnered consumer awareness and loyalty for over a decade. They’ve also created the Self-esteem Project to help teenage girls cope with the true concept of beauty.

16. Thrive Market

Our last example in this list is a small-to-medium enterprise with a solid brand that knows its positioning in the market. Thrive Market is an e-commerce platform that brings together different organic brands and uses sustainable practices to ship orders to customers. Their brand positioning statement is short, clear, and complete.

Thrive Market knows what it offers (membership-based shopping) and what makes it different (highest-quality, healthy, and sustainable products). The statement highlights the brand’s values of affordability, lifestyle, and accessibility. 

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Final Thoughts

Writing a brand positioning statement is just one piece of the puzzle for building a strong brand. Once you’ve nailed down your statement, you should also invest in creating compelling visual branding that captures the essence of your brand. Creative marketing agencies will help you transform your statements into impactful visual guides.

Remember that times change, and a positioning statement isn’t set in stone. Revisit it every now and then and evaluate if it still reflects your business’ offer and value, as well as your customers’ needs and wants. By constantly refining your statement, you’ll have a tried-and-tested guide to creating captivating consumer experiences.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good brand positioning statement.

A good brand positioning statement effectively communicates the product or service’s unique value proposition, target audience, and differentiation. It’s a clear and concise statement that’s memorable and captures the essence of the business.

What are the 5 positioning statements?

There are five types of positioning statements that are commonly used by businesses:

• Benefit-based Positioning: This is the most common type since it focuses on the primary benefit or value proposition to the main target audience. Slack’s positioning statement clearly outlines the benefits of using its product.
• Cost-driven Positioning : Cost is a primary motivator for most buyers. If your brand’s main differentiator is cost (either affordability or being a luxury item), then clearly include that in your positioning statement. One example of this type is Netflix’s positioning statement, which emphasizes that users can enjoy the benefits with a simple subscription.
• Problem-based Positioning: Addresses a specific pain point or customer challenge and describes how the brand provides a solution. In its brand positioning statement, Amazon identifies the needs of its target customers and describes how it solves this challenge. 
• Competitor-based Positioning: Highlights how the brand differs from competition by outlining its core differentiators. Airbnb’s positioning statement clearly describes what makes it different from other booking sites. 
• Usage-based Positioning: Describes how the brand’s product or services will be consumed by the target audience. For example, Spotify’s brand statement describes how artists and fans will benefit from the platform. 

What is a good example of positioning?

Dove’s marketing journey is a great example of positioning as the brand was able to stand out from other bar soaps whose primary function was cleansing. It was able to carve a spot for its product in the market, which has since been dubbed the Dove effect . By knowing the real needs of its target market (women of all ages), Dove was able to move from a product-centric to a customer-centric positioning that continues to remain relevant and purposeful. 

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Awesome Brand Positioning Statement Examples (+Template)

May 17, 2024

Position your brand for success.

This seemingly simple task takes extensive time, research, and company-wide reflection to ensure your customers are perceiving your brand the way you wish it to be perceived.

Creating a brand positioning statement allows your company to compile its efforts to establish a uniformed direction to ensure positive public perception.

What is a positioning statement?

A brand positioning statement is an internal guideline used to align your company when making decisions related to advertising, marketing, strategy, and more. It should answer these three questions: Who are your customers? What can you provide them that the competition can’t? Why should they believe you?

A positioning statement is ever-changing. It must reflect the present while still having the flexibility to change as your business evolves.

This statement is for employees’ eyes only and is used to ensure all business efforts are on par with your overall brand identity.

Positioning statement examples

Once you fully understand what a position statement is and the steps used to write one, let’s utilize our template to create positioning statement examples for some of the most beloved brands in America.

Remember, positioning statements are kept from the public’s eye, so these are just examples created from what we already know from each company’s popular brand identity.

Brand positioning statement template:

[Your brand] provides [your offering/benefit that makes you better than competitors] for [your customers] who [customer needs] because [the reason why your customers should believe you are better than competitors].

To get us started, I'll use my company, G2 , as an example.

G2 provides a B2B review site for business professionals who are looking to quickly discover, buy, and manage the best technology for their needs. Unlike other B2B review sites, G2 offers 700K+ unbiased and verified user reviews in over 1400 categories.

Apple provides cutting edge technology for tech-savvy consumers who want the top of the line laptops, computers, and mobile devices. Apple promotes inclusion and accessibility for all and takes responsibility for its employees in addition to committing itself to sourcing the highest quality materials and products. 

Source: Apple.com

Chipotle provides premium, real ingredients for customers looking for delicious food that’s ethically sourced and freshly prepared. Chipotle’s dedication to cultivating a better world by cutting out GMOs and providing responsibly raised food sets them apart in the food industry.

Source: Seeking Alpha

Disney provides unique entertainment for consumers seeking magical experiences and memories. Disney leads the competition by providing every aspect of related products and services to the world and appealing to people of all ages.

Source: Disney

Starbucks offers the best coffee and espresso drinks for consumers who want premium ingredients and perfection every time. Starbucks not only values every interaction, making each one unique, but the brand commits itself to the highest quality coffee in the world.

Source: Starbucks

A statement to guide all efforts

As you can see, the tag-lines on each brand's advertisement touched on at least one aspect boasted in the example positioning statement. This is exactly what brands need to do to ensure clear public perception.

The most obvious and notable brand features should always be the main points advertised. Allow your brand positioning statement to eliminate confusion and provide a strong direction for your business to accomplish its marketing goals .

Position yourself well

Creating a singular statement that encompasses the entire essence of your brand may seem like an impossible task at first glance, but it really comes down to having a comprehensive understanding of the direction your business needs to take to accomplish set goals.

Utilizing the template provided in this article will assist your business in building a strong brand position statement that ultimately defines your presence in the marketplace and aligns all business efforts for the future.

Learn how to make your business stand out in the marketplace by improving your brand identity with these 5 basic steps!

Hannah is a former content marketing associate at G2. She graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in Journalism. In her free time, Hannah enjoys running with her dog, Teddy, traveling to new and exciting places, and capturing the beautiful places she travels to with her DSLR camera. (she/her/hers)

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Learn how to improve your positioning in marketing. We cover the benefits of positioning, types of positioning, examples, how to create a positioning strategy.

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Updated November 20, 2023.

There are probably hundreds or even thousands of companies that provide products or services similar to yours. They give similar promises and offer similar benefits, and thus they have a similar position in the mind of the average consumer.

Such a situation makes the consumer wonder why they should go for one company instead of another. They might feel like all the options are the same. As a business owner, your job is to show why your products are not the same as others’ products and why you can provide unique value to customers about your competitors.

The process of positioning is crucial for your marketing strategy and marketing efforts. This guide will help you learn how to distinguish yourself from your competition in the consumers’ minds, thus getting ahead of your competition in a highly competitive market.

What does positioning mean in marketing?

Positioning is one of the 4 P’s of the marketing mix and refers to the process influencing the consumer perception of your brand or a specific product you offer. More specifically, positioning is the process of creating a specific image of your brand with which your target customers will associate you, thus distinguishing you from your competitors.

As Ries & Trout say, “Positioning is not what you do to a product. Positioning is what you do to the mind of the prospect. That is, you position the product in the mind of the prospect.”

Positioning is all about choices - choosing your place in the market. For example, a car manufacturer may emphasize the practicality of its cars, positioning them as quality vehicles for the average consumer instead of costly status symbols. Likewise, a fast food chain may position itself as a palace to get inexpensive and quick meals, unlike high-end restaurants.

On the other hand, a fashion brand may position its clothes as high-end status symbols with completely unique design choices. This would make it stand apart from other clothing manufacturers.

No matter what business you run, positioning is invaluable for showing consumers why they should pick your brand out of all the others. You need to create a distinct image and make it stick in your consumers’ minds to have a lasting impact and ensure they don’t forget you and the value you bring.

Positioning is somewhat similar to processes such as branding, value proposition, messaging, and differentiation. However, there are some key differences that we need to highlight to understand better what positioning is.

Positioning vs. branding

Branding refers to creating a unique logo, tagline, or slogan to create an original brand image . You can think of the McDonald’s logo and the recognizable “I’m lovin’ it” slogan. These two elements are unique to the company and instantly recognizable.

Positioning is similar, but its main focus is on creating a specific image or idea of your brand in your customers’ minds. For example, you might try to position your company’s products as more practical when compared to your competitors.

Positioning vs. value proposition

Positioning can also be confused with a value proposition. A value proposition is a promise you make to your customers regarding the benefits, use, and quality of your products or services. So a value proposition might be a part of the positioning, but it is not the same process.

Positioning vs. messaging

While positioning involves outlining the uniqueness of your products and services in comparison to your competitors, messaging is when you communicate how you’ll fulfill your promises to your target audience.

Positioning vs. differentiation

Since positioning is to a great extent about how different your product is from the competition, it might be easy to confuse it with differentiation. However, differentiation is a tactic you use to make a specific offer or product stand out and get more interest from the target audience.

The benefits of positioning in marketing

Now that we know what positioning is, we should examine its benefits in greater detail. Here are all the benefits of having good positioning.

Have a stronger position in the market

When you create a positive image of your company in consumers’ minds and associate your business with a certain value, you’ll attract more customers.

A successful positioning campaign will cement your position not only in consumers’ minds but also in the target market. The goal is to have consumers believe that your products and services provide more value than those of your competitors.

Increase sales

Improved positioning can lead to greater sales. Having a relevant offer and communicating information about your company effectively may allow you to get a bigger piece of your existing market and expand to new markets.

Better market to your target audience

Positioning also allows you to reach out to your target audience and better capture their imagination. This will allow you to market your products and services to your target buyers better. You will be able to address their needs and pain points effectively, thus turning them into more loyal customers.

Build a stronger brand

Positioning goes hand in hand with branding. While branding will give you a recognizable logo and slogan, positioning will ensure that your brand is associated with a certain value and that your (potential) customers see it in a certain way. And together they are part of an overall branding strategy .

You might position your business as one that provides convenience at a reasonable price. Such clear positioning will result in a strong brand because you’ll show that you have a clear focus and target demographic. Customers who prefer this kind of service or goods will know where to look for them.

Every brand must have a specific focus. A brand that tries to cater to everyone will end up catering to no one. And a great branding freelancer will be able to help you take your first-party data and create a brand that attracts your ideal customer.

Types of positioning in marketing

There are different types of positioning depending on what you want to focus on in your business. Let’s look at each one in detail.

For most consumers, a product’s price is a determining factor when they have to decide if they’ll buy something or not. A company that offers affordable products with reasonable quality will most likely have lots of success with customers if it positions itself as a low-cost brand with decent products.

A good example of this is Dollar Shave Club compared to Gillette. Even though Gillette was the leading company in the razor blade market, Dollar Shave Club took over a decent chunk of their market due to their unusually low prices and good quality.

The cheapest razor cartridge from Dollar Shave Club is only $0.20, which swayed many customers to their side. This enabled Dollar Shave Club to successfully take on a giant like Gillette. They have positioned their business around a competitive pricing strategy and it worked. They were acquired by Unilever in 2016 for a whopping $1 billion .

Quality is the determining factor for companies that sell products in the same price range. Think of the reason people buy Volvos - they are more expensive but are significantly better quality-wise than other cars. Consumers for whom product price is not an issue will want to get the highest possible quality.

Chipotle and Taco Bell are good examples of this. Chipotle was able to get a good part of the market share when it focused on quality instead of price.

Competitors

When positioning your brand, you must also emphasize the ways in which you’re better than your competition. This can refer to your superior customer service, top-notch experts that you hire, or better standards of production.

Convenience

Sometimes your biggest strength might be the convenience you offer to your customers. It can refer to the sheer number of your stores or office, accessibility, multiple-platform support, or ease of use of your application(s).

A convenience-based positioning strategy attracts busy customers, who are often willing to pay extra to save time. And while it can get you greater profits, it can also cost more. For example, if you’re offering a mobile app and a desktop version of the app, you can get more customers, but you’ll need to spend more on development.

Customer needs

If you want to get and retain customers, you must be ready to quickly and efficiently meet their needs. Consumers are generally happy to pay a premium price if they know that any problem they might have with the product will be solved quickly and efficiently.

On the other hand, If consumers perceive you as cold and disinterested, they’ll rather opt for someone else, even if your goods or services are top-notch.

Positioning your company around your customer and their needs is a powerful strategy that helps cement your position in the market.

Product use

Another thing you can focus on is the intended use of your product(s) and its characteristics. It’s impossible to create products that customers can use for everything and in every situation, so you have to focus on a particular characteristic and use it to stand out.

For example, Volvo emphasizes the safety of its vehicles, and drivers who prioritize that characteristic know where to turn when buying a car. On the other hand, drivers that prefer reliability will turn to Toyota, as the company positions itself as a manufacturer of reliable cars.

Examples of positioning in marketing

Now that you know the different types of positioning here are a few great examples from the world’s most famous brands. These examples will deepen your understanding of positioning and they might give you some useful ideas you can use in your marketing efforts.

1. Tinder and Bumble

Tinder and Bumble are two of the biggest names in the dating industry and they rely on different positioning strategies to attract new users and retain the ones that they have.

Tinder tries to position itself as a leader in the industry by drawing attention to its large number of users ( 75 million and counting) and its long presence in the market. That’s an important factor for potential users who would like to have a wide pool of potential dating partners.

On the other hand, Bumble uses its unconventional approach to position itself as a game changer in the industry. Bumble is specific because it only lets women initiate conversations, and it also offers users to look for friendships and business connections.

Therefore, Bumble relies on differentiation to stand out from the competition and present itself as an innovative alternative to its competition.

2. Apple Music and Spotify

Apple Music and Spotify are bitter rivals when it comes to music streaming. Even though their services are similar, their positioning strategies are quite different.

Spotify relies on a price-based strategy. While it has a premium option that makes it very similar to Apple Music, it also offers a free plan that attracts many users. Additionally, it offers a great degree of personalization that allows users to enjoy their favorite music and discover new artists with only a few clicks.

Apple Music focuses on its status as a prestigious service. It emphasizes its impressive catalog of 60 million songs and exclusive features such as on-screen lyrics and music videos, which Spotify offers for only a few songs.

3. Walmart and Target

The rivalry between Target and Walmart can also give us a great example of different positioning strategies. While both chains offer similar products and prices, their positioning is vastly different.

Walmart competes on price and offers the best-priced goods in the market. This has some drawbacks and it has earned them an interesting reputation but customers know that if they want to get the best deals they should go to Walmart.

On the other hand, Target focuses more on customer experience and product quality. Target stores tend to be better organized, and the customers find the experience much more enjoyable than the one they might get at Walmart.

4. Popeyes vs. Chick-Fil-A

Both companies serve tasty fried chicken but with very different approaches. Popeyes focuses on differentiation, while Chick-Fil-A focuses on its quality and customer service.

Popeyes’ main focus is on home style, Cajun recipes, and food that are different from many other similar chains. This allows them to stand out from the crowd and be recognizable for their food.

Chick-Fil-A emphasizes the quality and general appeal of its food to position itself. However, their strategy is hybrid because they also rely on customer service . They don’t brag about it, but they let their employees’ actions speak for themselves, so they’re recognized as a place where customers feel well-treated.

How to create an effective positioning strategy

Here is a step-by-step process for creating an effective market positioning strategy for your business.

1. Define your current position

Before you dive deep into the positioning process, you must first determine your current position in the market. Do prospective customers see your products as just another thing on the market, or do they see them as something unique? Conduct some research to determine how your products are perceived by your target audience.

After that, you must determine who your potential and ideal customers are and how you can connect to the typical buyer persona. If you have a wide range of products, segmenting your customers is also a good idea. This will help you create campaigns that cater to specific market segments.

2. Analyze your competitors

Competitor analysis is just as important as analyzing your own position in the target market. Conduct a SWOT analysis to see how you stack up against your competitors. Identify the weaknesses you need to address, as well as the strengths you should emphasize.

Pro tip : take note of your competitors' marketing channels, tactics, and advertising campaigns, and record all of those in your marketing plan . Refer back when you need fresh ideas of what works in your target market.

3. Create a positioning map

Positioning maps are a visual representation of how you compare to your competition based on certain attributes and values they find important. It’s a super helpful tool that helps you see a clear picture of the strengths and weaknesses you and your competitors have.

4. Tweak your current position

Once you know what you need to work on, you can start tweaking your position. Emphasize your strengths compared to your competitors and convince your potential customers that your business is the place to go if they’re looking for a certain value.

This value should be the one you’ve identified as your strong point and decided to push forward as a factor that differentiates you from the competition. This should also be the value you associate with your customers’ needs.

5. Create a positioning statement

Your positioning statement should be one or two sentences long and briefly state your mission and goals. It should emphasize your uniqueness compared to your competition.

It consists of three elements - what you do, who your target audience is, and the greatest benefit that your product provides.

For example, here’s a compelling positioning statement from Amazon: “Our vision is to be the Earth’s most customer-centric company, to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.”

This statement summarizes their goals and proof of the statement has become self-evident. Amazon offers basically anything you might want to buy, it’s all available at the click of the mouse, and it's delivered to your doorstep.

6. Create a tagline

A tagline is better known as a slogan. A good slogan can be almost synonymous with your brand and will do an excellent job showing your customers what they can expect from your company.

We’re all aware of slogans such as “Just do it” from Nike or “Because you’re worth it” from L’Oreal. Those slogans are instantly recognizable and tell consumers exactly what they can expect from the companies.

7. Test your marketing positioning

Once you’ve prepared everything essential for positioning, it’s time to put it to the test. It takes time until your customers’ perception of your business changes into what you want it to be. This allows you to track the progress of your positioning campaign and make changes.

Don’t expect your positioning campaign to be effective immediately. It’s almost impossible to do everything perfectly right away, so embrace the effort and know that it’s a process.

Looking to position your company?

If you’re serious about standing out and conquering your competition, you need to have a successful positioning strategy.

It could seem daunting but you don’t have to do it alone. Hire the perfect marketing consultant through Mayple and get the job done. Get started now and start working on a killer positioning plan!

What is the meaning of market positioning?

Market positioning refers to shaping the consumer perception of your brand, company, or products. Brands position themselves by creating an image or identity of the brand or product so that consumers view it in a certain way. It’s an important part of your marketing mix and serves to strengthen your brand and improve sales.

What is the importance of market positioning?

The objective of market positioning is to stand out from the competitors and show your uniqueness to the customers. It associates your company with certain values and characteristics, and people will know they should turn to you if they’re looking for those values and characteristics.

It's important for companies that want to develop better messaging for their target segment, improve their current market position, and increase sales.

What is meant by positioning in marketing?

Positioning is how consumers see your brand. In other words, it refers to the values you want your customer base to associate you with. It can also refer to how consumers see your product in relation to other products on the market. Good positioning makes your product unique in the eyes of your target segment and helps display the benefit it provides for them.

What are the 5 positioning strategies?

The five positioning strategies are: quality positioning, convenience positioning, customer needs positioning, product positioning, and competitive positioning.

What are the 4 types of product positioning?

There are four types of product positioning: price-based positioning, lifestyle-based positioning, characteristics-based positioning, and quality-based positioning. You can also use a combination of two types of product positioning together to make your product stand out in the market.

What is an example of positioning?

Volvo is a good example of positioning in the car industry. The company emphasizes the safety of its vehicles, so consumers who prioritize that characteristic know that Volvo is the best option for them.

Why is positioning important?

Positioning helps you boost sales, attract your target audience, and create a unique image of your company. This makes you a recognizable force in the target market and cements your position in your customers’ minds.

What are the 4 Cs of positioning?

The four Cs of positioning are clarity, consistency, competitiveness, and credibility. They tell what your main focus should be when working on your positioning. They were created by David Jobber and John Fahy in their book "Foundations of Marketing" (2009).

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Craft Winning Positioning Statements: Examples & Tips

Learn the key components to writing a brand positioning statement. Follow these tips and examples when you go to write your own.

If you meet someone new, and they ask you about your brand, what would you tell them? As a business owner, you know your brand identity inside and out. You are immersed in your brand every day. But, how often do you sit down and really think about what other people see when they come across your brand in person or online? Do you have a statement describing your brand and how you'd like for it to be perceived by the public?

A key step in branding basics is to create a brand identity as well as to understand the unique value that your brand brings to users. Since you most likely have competitors in your niche, what makes your brand stand out? Why should someone use your brand instead of your competition?

To make your brand distinctive, you need a statement that tells your employees and customers who you are and what your brand is working to achieve, a statement that summarizes your brand identity . This is called a positioning statement.

When you have a positioning statement, the next time someone asks you about your brand, you have an answer ready. Having a positioning statement is essential for all brands. It doesn't matter what industry your business is in. Brand positioning statements guide a brand regardless of market or niche.

What is a positioning statement?

A brand positioning statement acts as an anchor or foundation for all of your branding and marketing. It is a statement that summarizes what your products or services are and how they fill your target audience's needs.

All of your branding, logo, ads, signage, and packaging are based on your positioning statement. It provides a solid brand identity, a focus or overlying theme, that makes your brand stand out and explains the values and purpose of your brand as a whole, and what your products are designed to give to your customers.

When boiled down, your brand's positioning statement summarizes the one-of-a-kind value customers can expect from your brand. Your positioning statement states your brand's value proposition .

Key parts of a positioning statement

What are the key elements that every positioning statement should have? Without these elements, your positioning statement is incomplete.

Target audience

Knowing your target audience is critical when creating a brand positioning statement. Ask yourself:

• Who are the people who will benefit from my product?
• What demographic (age, gender, household income, style, interests, etc) is my brand going to connect with?
• Where can I find this audience?
• What is the best way to connect with this audience?

It's important to understand your target audience, how they think, and what are "must-haves" for them. Whether you are selling something for individuals or commercial customers, by defining your target audience, you will find out why they need your product.

Value proposition

Another element that is necessary for your positioning statement is the value proposition or u nique selling proposition .

A value proposition is a determination of how a customer will benefit by using your products or services. Knowing your brand's value to users is key to marketing your brand. Answer these questions to figure out your value proposition:

• What makes your product one-of-a-kind?
• Why do people need your product?
• What is special about your brand that makes it better than other brands?
• What benefits will your brand deliver to customers?
• What value does your brand offer to potential users that differentiates it from the crowd?

In order for you to fulfill customers' needs, you need to understand what they gain by using your product and why yours is the best.

Competitive advantage

What gives your product a competitive advantage in your niche? A competitive advantage is a circumstance or characteristic that gives your brand a favorable position against your competitors.

Questions you can ask are:

• What is unique about your product?
• Why is it a better deal than the competition's product?
• What is special about your brand and/or product that puts you ahead of the rest?
• What are the circumstances that provide your brand with a leading position in your niche?
• What have you learned from your competitor analysis ?
• What does your market assessment tell you?

Understanding the answer to these questions will help you market your product to your target audience in such a way that they will appreciate the unique benefits they can receive when they use your product.

Creating a brand strategy and brand identity is necessary for any business, whether you're selling products or services. Branding is creating a recognizable identity that your target audience perceives when thinking about your company (or the brand line of a larger company).

Branding is displayed everywhere your brand is marketed through your company logo, visual design package, brand mission statement, and presentations, including audio and visual customer interactions.

To develop your branding, ask yourself:

• How do users perceive my business?
• What does my logo represent? Is it the best logo for my brand ?
• What visuals do I use to create marketing materials?
• What song or jingle does my brand evoke?
• What emotions are connected with my brand? How do people feel about it?
• Does my business align with the mission statement?
• Are customers perceiving my business the way I intended?
• When customers and employees interact with my brand, what type of experience do they have?

When creating a positioning statement, it's crucial that your branding is on spec and clearly perceived. A good way to see if your brand is viewed the way you intend is through A/B testing .

Once your target audience, value proposition, competitive advantage, and branding are ready, you can create your positioning statement.

5 tips to craft a strong statement

Once you are ready to start crafting a positioning statement for your brand, here are some tips to get you started.

1. Learn how your brand fits into your industry

Unless you are the first business to sell a specific product or service to anyone, you are entering an established industry. A good rule of thumb is to consider how your company compares to the industry as a whole, starting with the history of the industry.

Businesses aren't created in a vacuum. They are initiated to answer a need that has come to light within a niche or specific industry. Many customers already have a relationship with the industry you are entering. Therefore, it's helpful to learn about traditions and established practices in the industry that customers have come to expect.

Then, with this knowledge in hand, you can decide how you can fit in with the industry while providing something new that customers are asking for. A thorough understanding of the industry and industry leaders will help you find your feet and fulfill a need that is currently neglected. The better you know your industry, the better you will be able to position your brand within it.

2. Know your brand inside and out

A key factor in crafting a positioning statement is to know everything there is about your brand. This means everything. Make sure you know:

• Who is the owner of the business?
• Why did they start the business?
• What is the background of the person or people who started the company?
• What is the goal of the brand?
• What is the ideal result that a user will have when using the brand?
• How does your product operate and do you supply everything needed for its use?
• What makes your brand special in the marketplace?

If you are an expert on your brand, then you will better understand how to position it as compared to other brands in the industry.

3. Prove that your brand meets your expectations

There's nothing worse than creating a brand that your product can't live up to. All of the hope that customers have regarding your product will turn into disappointment. Therefore, before you demonstrate your product to potential users, make sure that your product works without fail and meets the expectations set by your branding.

Next, you will need to assemble proof of your claims about the product and how it differs from the rest of the industry. You need to prepare how to explain to customers why your product is the best and whatever you claim your brand can do.

4. Keep it short

If your positioning statement is too long, you will lose your audience. Keep it short and to the point. A positioning statement should be one or three sentences or phrases. No more than that.

5. Make sure it says what you want

Once your positioning statement is crafted, make sure it says what you want it to. It must be clear and concise and reflect your brand's core values. Using your positioning statement as the foundation, you should be able to make clear decisions about your brand that reflect your brand's position.

Position statement examples

Let's look at some examples of positioning statements that established companies use across various industries to show that regardless of who a business is targeting and what industry they are in, they all include the same key components in their statements.

To start, let's look at Mailchimp's positioning statement :

Mailchimp is an all-in-one Marketing Platform for small business. We empower millions of customers around the world to start and grow their businesses with our smart marketing technology, award-winning support, and inspiring content.

As you can see, our statement says exactly what is needed for users to understand what we do. It describes what we are—an all-in-one marketing platform. And what we do for customers—empower millions of customers around the world to start and grow their businesses. And how we do it—using smart marketing technology, award-winning support, and inspiring content.

The style of the statement is friendly and encouraging, giving customers confidence in working with Mailchimp.

Here is Nike's positioning statement :

For athletes in need of high-quality, fashionable athletic wear, Nike provides customers with top-performing sports apparel and shoes made of the highest quality materials. Its products are the most advanced in the athletic apparel industry because of Nike's commitment to innovation and investment in the latest technologies.

With this statement, Nike has clearly defined its brand as one that is for serious athletes— for athletes in need of high-quality, fashionable athletic wear . Nike's product is top of the line— Nike provides customers with top-performing sports apparel and shoes . And the brand is innovative— its products are the most advanced in the athletic apparel industry because of Nike's commitment to innovation .

Customers looking for durable, high-performing, and fashionable athletic wear are sure to look to Nike due to this positioning statement. The statement offers confidence in current products and future products moving forward because of its focus on innovation.

Now, let's take a look at Apple's positioning statement:

Apple emphasizes technological research and advancement and takes an innovative approach to business best practices — it considers the impact our products and processes have on its customers and the planet.

Apple's positioning statement offers insight into its business strategy with a broader focus. It focuses on Apple's forward-thinking research and development— Apple emphasizes technological research and advancement . And the statement emphasizes its innovation— takes an innovative approach to business best practices . Then it steps outside the box by declaring that Apple is aware of its impact.

Apple's impact can be viewed in more than one way. It can include the impact on people that use Apple devices. It also notes their impact on the planet. This emphasis is very appealing to Apple's target market. They tend to be more progressive than the general population and therefore concerned with their carbon footprint.

Apple is a company that understands exactly who they are selling to and what that audience values, including innovative products and a reduction of their environmental impact.

When it launched, Airbnb offered a unique service to its audience with this positioning statement:

For local and international travelers, Airbnb is the only booking website that connects you to unique experiences all over the world because we offer the largest selection, most diverse, top-rated and personalized places to stay.

Airbnb offered a new way to travel, targeted primarily to millennials. It was for travelers from anywhere on the globe— for local and international travelers . And they exclusively offered unique travel experiences— the only booking website that connects you to unique experiences . They featured global, diverse, personalized places to stay— we offer the largest selection, most diverse, top-rated, and personalized places to stay . Airbnb lays out its target audience, value proposition, and competitive advantage clearly.

Millennials have grown up with personalized online services, and their travel plans reflect that. With a clear target market, Airbnb gives travelers a peek into travel destinations that most people never see while having lower prices than many hotels and resorts. This new concept of travel has grown with new companies joining the niche.

For individuals looking for high-quality beverages, Coca-Cola offers a wide range of the most refreshing options — each creates a positive experience for customers when they enjoy a Coca-Cola brand drink. Unlike other beverage options, Coca-Cola products inspire happiness and make a positive difference in customers' lives, and the brand is intensely focused on the needs of consumers and customers.

Coca-Cola is a well-established brand with visual recognition worldwide. It has a wide target audience and offers emotions as well as flavor to its customers. Their products are refreshing— Coca-Cola offers a wide range of the most refreshing options . Drinking Coke is a positive experience— a positive experience for customers when they enjoy a Coca-Cola brand drink . They engender good feelings— inspire happiness and make a positive difference in customers' lives .

Coca-Cola has the benefit of being a well-known brand with an established history that is recognized pretty much anywhere. Even when the product is in another language, it is easy to identify the logo and branding. Coke doesn't define itself as just a refreshing drink, Coke defines its brand as one that brings positivity and happiness to all of its customers.

Make your position known

By crafting a position statement, you give your brand a voice. You can create marketing materials that are unified behind a single theme, and give your customers a desirable way to perceive your brand and product.

Using your positioning statement as an anchor or guide, you can project the brand identity that you want customers to see in everything you do to market and produce your product. This includes your brand logo, website, advertisements, packaging, shipping, and anything else your brand uses.

Audio and video commercials can all reflect back to your brand while giving users the impression of your brand that you want them to see. This creates a cohesive, focused presentation of your branding that is reiterated by each step you take and each marketing campaign you have.

Mailchimp offers numerous tools and services to help you achieve and promote your brand position. While they are best known for their email marketing service , they also have numerous other services, including:

• Marketing library
• Ecommerce and retail marketing
• Mobile apps

All of these services can help you create and promote your brand identity and positioning statement.

• Authority Explosion
• Business and Marketing Audit
• Coaching and Projects
• Write Your Book
• White-Label Content
• VIP Day with Christina
• StoryBrand Site Review
• Free Facebook Group
• Subscribe to Newsletter
• Interactive Resources
• Event Replays
• Christina Hooper
• Testimonials

How to Write a Brand Positioning Statement + Template and Examples

You don’t drive somewhere new without a map. You wouldn’t want a surgeon just to cut you open and wing it. You won’t pay someone $100 if all you owe is $20.

So why would you want to run an ad in a magazine, or post something on social media without a plan to get a return on your investment?

A brand positioning statement is much more than just another piece of paperwork you should do if you want to be a professional company. It’s everything you stand for wrapped up into a few sentences.

If you’ve read much from us, you’ll know that we’re adamant about preventing the spread of random acts of marketing. Your time is valuable, your knowledge and expertise are valuable, and your budget is limited — so let’s be smart about it.

What is a Brand Positioning Statement?

Your brand positioning statement conveys what you do, why it’s valuable, who will benefit from it the most, and why you’re motivated to deliver on your promise. It’s not a tagline, but rather an internal tool that will keep your marketing aligned with your brand’s goals as you grow.

You probably already know that it’s essential to know your customers. You want to target the people that you enjoy working with, the ones that are the most profitable, and the ones to whom you can deliver the best results.

But — have you built your profile?

Why are you better than your prospects’ other options? Why shouldn’t they hire someone else or simply not do anything at all? You need to be able to sum up what you do, and why it matters, in a concise way. Then it will be the guiding statement for everything you do.

Types of Positioning Strategies

There are five types of positioning strategies that most professional service firms utilize.

Lowest Cost

“We are the cheapest choice for your needs.” We’re personally not a big fan of this strategy. It’s essentially a race between you and your competitors to the bottom. It’s a great way to see who can go out of business the fastest. 

Sure, you can utilize technology and streamline your processes to deliver high-quality work faster — but why would you want to charge less just for doing your job more efficiently? You invested time and resources into providing the same or better quality in less time. That kind of investment should result in higher, not lower profits.

Best in Industry

“We are the best choice for ___ industry.” (Hint: this is the direction we took our agency.) By focusing on a specific segment of your audience, you can deliver higher quality and scalable services. 

In our case, a B2C company selling $20 widgets has vastly different marketing needs than a business consultant selling his time and expertise for $500/hour to corporations.

By specializing, you can fine-tune your services to the specific needs of your audience and deliver better results.

Best at Providing Service

“We are the best at ____.” Another strategy is to get good at one service in your business and focus on delivering just that to the right audience.

For example, some business consultants focus only on delivering strategic planning or consulting services one-on-one with the business owner. They don’t provide additional services like HR consulting or leadership training courses.

Role-Focused Positioning

“We are the best at helping ____ succeed.” Some people choose to focus on helping a particular type of person in their target marketing.

For example, business consultants may offer services designed for CEO’s, managers, or HR professionals. By narrowing down on that one job role, they refine their tactics for the pain points and goals that specific job entails.

Best Service Provider

“We provide best-in-class service.” This is our least favorite strategy because it is often overused and abused. It’s like when comic sans and papyrus fonts were everywhere. Sure, it seemed great at first, but then when everyone started using it, the novelty wore off fast.

Cliché Phrases like “nobody is more committed than us,” and “customer-first” are going to fall on deaf ears and be ignored. If they are considering hiring you, they want to expect that your customer service is excellent — otherwise, what’s the point.

Your Brand Positioning Statement Templates

Template #1.

• [Your Company Name] 
• [category/vertical/industry] business
• that provides 
• [target audience] 
• [benefit]. 
• We do this by 
• [proof that you can deliver the promise].

Example: 

• Voltage Energy Drink 
• is an 
• on-the-go energy drink company 
• busy millennials 
• the healthy, low-calorie, energy they need to stay active and live their best lives. 
• We do this with
• a unique blend of natural energy sources and safe sugars.

Template #2

• For [target audience] 
• that [what they want], 
• provides [benefit] 
• because 
• For professional service providers 
• that want to maximize their ROI from marketing efforts, 
• Sparkitive 
• provides expert guidance and the execution of strategic tactics without the fluff 
• we know the specific challenges that come with trading time and expertise for resources.

Template #3

• At [Company Name],
• a [industry/vertical/category],
• we help 
• [target customer]
• [benefit of working with you].
• As [key differentiator],
• [provide another benefit].
• Our clients hire us because 
• [more benefits or differentiators].
• At Strategic Consulting,
• a Business Consulting Firm,
• CEOs of Small to Medium Businesses
• lower turnover rates and higher profitability.
• As a firm specializing in HR and Management,
• know how to deliver the strategy and training needed to help a business succeed.
• the work we do gets measurable results because we build custom programs just for their needs instead of executing a generic one-size-fits-all plan.

Example Positioning Statements

Since 2006, HubSpot has been on a mission to make the world more inbound. Today, over 68,800 total customers in more than 100 countries use HubSpot’s award-winning software, services, and support to transform the way they attract, engage, and delight customers. Comprised of Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub, and a powerful free CRM, HubSpot gives companies the tools they need to Grow Better.

About HubSpot

Ascendient is a top-50 consulting firm that serves hospital systems around the nation. Led by a team of practitioners and academics, they have a unique perspective on the future of healthcare. They believe most healthcare systems are not prepared for the massive changes that are about to transform the marketplace. To make their perspective more visible and differentiate their firm from consultants that focus primarily on today’s problems, Ascendient decided to reposition their firm around their future vision. Brand positioning: We’re rethinking the future of healthcare. 

About Ascendient

Walsh Colucci Lubeley & Walsh is a law firm outside Washington, DC. For decades, they were a general law firm with a strong practice in zoning and land use. But when the top firm in that space dissolved, their leadership recognized an opportunity and quickly rebranded their firm as The Land Lawyers. While they continue to offer a few general legal services, Walsh Colucci focuses their brand message squarely on their area of strength. Today, they have become the region’s dominant player in commercial real estate law. Brand positioning: Northern Virginia’s premier commercial real estate law firm. 

About Walsh Colucci Lubeley & Walsh

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How To Write A Great Positioning Statement | Template + Examples

When a consumer looks for a new service and is faced with multiple options from different companies, how do they decide between them? This problem is as old as commerce itself, and is solved (in part) by how each company positions itself in the market. One company may position themselves based on price, targeting richer customers who aim for quality. Another may position themselves as delivering the very best customer service in their industry, or as the only true ethical choice in a sea of scoundrels.

Whatever unique position you choose for your brand, it can be a helpful way for customers to choose you over a competitor. Which is why a brand position statement is such an important internal document for you to create.

What is a positioning statement?

A positioning statement describes how your company fills a consumer need in a unique way. It defines the “position” that you take in the marketplace, and how that position serves your target customers in a way that is different to your competitors (differentiation). It’s also known as a brand positioning statement because it describes how your brand has differentiated itself in the market, and a unique selling proposition (USP) for the same reason.

If you already have an established business, there’s a good chance you’ve already differentiated your brand, and are using the position to successfully sell to your market segments . You may have differentiated on pricing, product quality, product features, customer service, delivery speed, ethics, or some other way. If that’s the case, you can clarify your position with a concise statement that helps to guide your company, and to make good decisions that align with your identity.

Every good brand positioning statement includes:

• Your target customers, and a problem they are trying to solve
• Your solution to the customers’ problem
• Why your solution is different (and ideally better) than your competitors’

A positioning statement has a variety of benefits (see below), but its main purpose is to guide the decisions of your business. If marketing wants to launch a new advertising campaign that doesn’t align with your position statement, it should probably be reconsidered. If your sales team is targeting customer segments that sound nothing like the audience described in your statement (or your buyer personas ), they may need to justify their decision. The statement should help you to stay on track for every area of the business, and can be used in conjunction with your mission statement and value proposition to give an accurate picture of what the company is all about.

As you might have guessed, a positioning statement is usually created for internal purposes, but it can also be used in marketing materials like slogans and advertisements if appropriate (it usually needs to be tweaked before doing so). The statement can also indirectly reinforce the brand image you have chosen for your business, and in fact, if the two seem to be at odds with each other, you may want to revise the statement (or your identity!).

Because a positioning statement is based primarily on a target market and how you are uniquely servicing them, if you have multiple target markets, you may need to create unique statements for each. Again, when this is the case, it’s important that the statements stay true to your brand’s identity, to prevent it from becoming muddled. Statements should also evolve as your company evolves, and may need to be revised if major changes occur, such as mergers, acquisitions, or big directional changes. Amazon certainly doesn’t have the same positioning statement from their early book-selling days, and if your company has also evolved into something bigger and better, neither should you.

What are the benefits of a positioning statement?

A positioning statement has a variety of great business benefits, including:

• It clarifies your target audience, the problem that you’re solving for them, and how your product solves it. This encourages a clear, focused target, which helps with prioritisation, planning, and making key business decisions. It can be especially helpful for your marketing team, who can identify the best promotional channels, and use the right messaging in adverts, social posts, and other marketing materials.
• It reminds you of how you differ from your competitors , and why you should continue operating within your specific niche, and getting better at it each day.
• It can be used as a communication guide for departments like marketing, support, and sales, to ensure that your positioning matches what you are saying to customers, which helps to solidify your brand’s identity.
• It can help you to set pricing based on your target market and the quality of your products, e.g. budget, regular, premium.
• It encourages you to review your research. If you plan to run a successful business, you should have already completed research for the three vital areas—your market, customers, and competitors—and creating a positioning statement is a good opportunity to revisit (and perhaps refine) them. Reviewing good research helps to strengthen your knowledge of the business and what makes it work.

Positioning statement examples

Here are some fake positioning statement examples from a variety of industries, to give you an example of how they should read:

Air conditioning company

Ducted air conditioning is highly desirable but expensive to run. That’s why we only install the most efficient ducted air conditioners, so that our energy-conscious customers can stay comfortable in their homes and in their wallets. This not only helps our customers, it helps the environment too. We guarantee that every system we install is 5-star rated, which is unheard of in our industry.

HR consultant

Employee clashes are no fun for anyone. They can infect the mood and culture of a company, and be tough to deal with. We are a HR consultant who specialise in these kinds of disputes, with a proven track record of bringing resolution and lasting peace to combative employees. Unlike our competitors, disputes are all we deal with, which is why we’ve become so good at handling them.

Wine producer

Our customers know good wine when they taste it. They know that it’s made with the finest grapes, expert techniques, and a touch of art, which is why they are our customers and not our competitors’. We put an inordinate amount of work into our wine production, which makes it one of the premium wines in the Hunter Valley, winning awards year after year. Wine brings joy, and we are proud to make the lives of our customers a little happier.

Web developer

Small business owners struggle to find people who are great at creating budget websites. They often turn to cheap templated sites that look good on the surface, but regularly break and fail to rank in major search engines. That’s where we come in. We specialise in creating budget websites for small business owners, so that they can have a high-performing site that helps them to grow their company, without breaking the bank.

As you can see, a positioning statement can be written in a variety of ways. But it should contain the necessary ingredients to make its point. Here’s how to write one for your brand.

How to write a brand positioning statement

As mentioned above, a brand positioning statement should contain the following key elements:

• Your typical customers and a problem that they have
• Your unique solution to their problem. You can also specifically talk about how it’s different from your competitors’ solution.
• An (optional) aspirational element that talks about why you are in business; i.e. the values that drive you

If you struggle with writing long-form sentences off the bat, we recommend starting with bullets for each element, and then trying to combine them into a solid statement. The length of the statement should be between 50 to 200 words, and use simple language that can be easily read, understood, and recalled. This helps to drive the points home to staff members, and improves the likelihood of the statement guiding and influencing their work.

The positioning statement is usually written by a company director or high-level marketing staff, but it can be written by anyone who knows the business well. It may be useful to write the statement as part of a team exercise, where you write headers for each component on a whiteboard, and ask team members to contribute. Five to ten heads are better than one!

If you’d rather avoid writing the statement from scratch, you can try writing using our template below. Or even use a ghostwriting service , if that helps.

Positioning statement template

This positioning statement template provides every key element you need, laid out in logical paragraph form. You can try swapping a few of the sentences around if you need, or just use it as is.

[target customers] struggle to [target customers’ problem]. We provide them with [solution]. This differs from our competitors, who [competitors’ solution and why yours is different]. We created our approach because [why you created the solution—aspirational].

Here’s how we might use this template for our own business, Media Heroes:

Small to medium-sized business owners struggle to grow their companies through digital marketing. We provide them with tailored digital marketing strategies based on their growth targets, and then execute the strategies for them. This differs from our competitors, who often sell individual, disparate services like SEO and advertising which can work in the short term but fail to look at the big picture. We created our approach because we see the value of a healthy economy, and want to help businesses do better.

Once you’ve completed your positioning statement, it’s usually a good idea to get some feedback. Try sending the statement to staff in a survey, and getting their (possibly anonymous) thoughts. Or do the same with customers, or on social media. Requesting feedback often results in good insights or points that you may have overlooked.

Positioning statement—summary

Positioning yourself in a market gives you a clear niche to operate in, and helps to distinguish your business from your competitors. When you’re comfortably settled, a positioning statement can help to clarify your situation and encourage good decisions across the company, surging you towards your most important goals.

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16 examples of positioning statements & how to craft your own.

Understanding your brand’s unique identity in the marketplace can be a complex task. Positioning statements, one-line descriptions that convey your product or service’s value, are an effective tool to communicate this identity to customers and competitors alike.

Through this article, you will gain insights into accurate market positioning with stellar examples from successful brands like HubSpot, Coca-Cola and Apple. Ready for a straightforward guide to create an impactful positioning statement? Let’s get started!

Key Takeaways

• Positioning statements are concise descriptions of how a product or brand stands out in the market.
• They help communicate a brand’s unique value and differentiate it from competitors.
• Key elements of a positioning statement include the target audience, product positioning, market category, customer pains, brand promise, and brand identity and values.
• Crafting an effective positioning statement involves keeping it brief and memorable, staying true to core values, and differentiating from competitors.

What is a Positioning Statement?

A positioning statement is a concise and compelling description of how your product or brand fills a specific market need and differentiates itself from competitors.

A positioning statement is a short saying. It tells about a product and how it meets a need. This statement helps people understand what the brand does. It also shows how the brand stands out from others.

People use it to plan strategies for selling things. The statement aids in tasks like making logos, ads, and signs. Different products and brands have unique statements based on who uses them and what industry they are in.

A positioning statement has a big job. It tells people why a brand or product is special. It makes clear what the product does and who it helps. The use of this statement leads how teams sell their products.

The design team also uses this outline to guide their work.

Positioning statements help make the brand’s look and feel more alive. They give focus to marketing moves, too. By using them, brands can show off what sets them apart from others in unique ways.

This gives us powerful tools for our business that let us grow and scale with ease.

How is a Positioning Statement Different from a Mission Statement?

A positioning statement and a mission statement are not the same. They both talk about a brand, but they serve different roles. A positioning statement shows how a product or service stands out.

It tells who should use it and why it’s better than other options.

On the other hand, a mission statement talks about the aims of the company. It sets out what a company wants to do and why it exists in the first place. So, while both help to shape how people see a brand, they focus on different things.

The Core Elements of a Positioning Statement

The core elements of a positioning statement include the target audience, product positioning, market category, customer pains, brand promise, and brand identity and values.

Target Audience

The target audience is an important aspect of crafting a positioning statement. It refers to the specific group of people or businesses that your product or service is designed for.

In the technology industry, the target audience could be businesses in need of software solutions, individuals looking for innovative gadgets, or tech enthusiasts seeking cutting-edge products.

Identifying and understanding your target audience helps you tailor your positioning statement to their needs and preferences. By clearly defining who you are targeting, you can create a statement that resonates with them and effectively communicates how your product or service meets their requirements.

Product Positioning

Product positioning is an important aspect of marketing strategy . It involves highlighting the unique features and benefits of a product compared to competitors in the market. When crafting a positioning statement, it’s crucial to describe the product or service and its target audience.

By emphasizing how the product addresses a specific market need, businesses can differentiate themselves from others in their industry. Marketing and sales teams rely on positioning statements to guide their strategies and effectively communicate a brand’s purpose to customers.

With proper market positioning, businesses can grow and scale by attracting customers who have particular needs that their products or services fulfill.

Market Category

A market category refers to the specific industry or product segment in which a company operates. It helps define the context and competition within which a brand positions itself.

For example, in the technology industry, there are various market categories such as software development, hardware manufacturing, cybersecurity solutions, and artificial intelligence.

Each category has its own unique characteristics and customer needs. By understanding their market category, companies can better tailor their products and marketing strategies to meet those specific needs and stand out from competitors.

Customer Pains

Customers often face challenges or problems that need solutions. These “customer pains” can include things like not finding a suitable product or service, struggling with unreliable options, or facing high prices.

Understanding these pains is crucial for crafting effective positioning statements. By addressing the specific needs and pain points of customers, businesses can position their products or services as the ideal solution.

This helps build trust and loyalty among customers who are looking for reliable and valuable offerings in the market.

Brand Promise

A brand promise is the assurance a company gives to its customers about the benefits and value they can expect from its products or services. It communicates what sets the brand apart from competitors and why customers should choose it.

A strong brand promise builds trust with customers and helps businesses attract and retain them. For example, Coca-Cola promises happiness in every sip, while Apple promises innovative and user-friendly technology .

Crafting a compelling brand promise involves understanding customer needs, identifying unique selling points, and aligning it with the overall brand identity and values.

Brand Identity and Values

Brand identity refers to the unique characteristics that distinguish a brand from its competitors. It includes elements like logo design, colors, typography, and tone of voice. Brand values are the guiding principles that shape a brand’s actions and decisions.

These values reflect what a company stands for and its commitment to customers.

When crafting a positioning statement, it is important to consider your brand identity and values. Your positioning statement should align with these aspects to create consistency in your messaging.

By incorporating your brand identity and values into your positioning statement, you can effectively communicate what sets your brand apart and why customers should choose you.

For example, if one of your brand values is environmental sustainability, you can include this in your positioning statement by highlighting how your product or service supports eco-friendly practices or reduces carbon footprint.

This will resonate with customers who prioritize sustainability and help differentiate you from competitors.

Tips for Writing an Effective Positioning Statement

To create a powerful positioning statement, keep it brief and memorable, stay true to your core values, and differentiate yourself from competitors. Find out more about crafting an effective positioning statement in our blog post!

Keep it brief and memorable

When crafting a positioning statement, it’s important to keep it brief and memorable. A concise statement is easier for your audience to remember and understand. It should capture the essence of your brand or product in just a few words.

By keeping it simple and straightforward, you make it more likely that people will remember what you have to offer. Additionally, a brief positioning statement allows for greater flexibility in adapting to different marketing channels and platforms.

Remember, less is often more when it comes to effective communication.

Stay true to your core values

When crafting your positioning statement, it is important to stay true to your core values. Your core values define the beliefs and principles that guide your brand. By staying true to these values, you ensure consistency and authenticity in how you communicate with your target audience.

This helps build trust and loyalty among your customers. Additionally, aligning your positioning statement with your core values allows you to differentiate yourself from competitors by showcasing what makes your brand unique and special.

It also helps create a strong brand identity that resonates with the needs and preferences of your target audience. So, when developing your positioning statement, always keep in mind the essence of who you are as a brand and let it shine through in every word you choose.

Differentiate from competitors

Positioning statements are crucial for standing out from competitors in the market. It’s important to highlight what makes your product or service unique and different from others.

By emphasizing your competitive advantage, you can attract customers who are looking for something distinct. This could be through showcasing a specific feature or benefit that sets you apart or by addressing a pain point that your competitors don’t address.

Differentiating from competitors helps establish your brand as trustworthy and reliable, giving customers a reason to choose you over others in the market.

Examples of Successful Positioning Statements

HubSpot positions itself as an all-in-one inbound marketing software, helping businesses grow and scale by attracting, engaging, and delighting customers.

HubSpot is a well-known company that provides marketing and sales software for businesses. Their positioning statement focuses on helping service businesses grow and scale. They offer a variety of products and services to meet the needs of their target audience.

HubSpot’s brand promise revolves around trustworthiness and reliability, which sets them apart from their competitors. Their positioning statement plays a crucial role in guiding their marketing strategy and communicating their value proposition to potential customers in the technology industry.

Coca-Cola is a well-known beverage brand that has successfully positioned itself in the market. With its wide variety of products and strong brand identity, Coca-Cola has gained the trust of consumers around the world.

The company’s positioning statement focuses on providing refreshment and happiness to people of all ages. By understanding customer needs and differentiating themselves from competitors, Coca-Cola has become a leader in the industry.

Their marketing and sales strategies are guided by their positioning statement, which helps them create effective advertisements and reach their target audience effectively.

Amazon is a well-known online marketplace where you can buy all sorts of products. It offers a wide variety of items, from books and electronics to clothing and household goods. Amazon has positioned itself as a convenient and reliable platform for customers to find whatever they need.

With its vast selection, quick delivery, and trusted reputation, Amazon has become a go-to destination for online shopping.

What sets Amazon apart from other e-commerce platforms is its focus on customer satisfaction. The company strives to provide excellent service and make the shopping experience as seamless as possible.

Its commitment to delivering quality products quickly has earned it the trust of millions of customers around the world.

Whether you’re looking for everyday essentials or unique tech gadgets, Amazon aims to meet your needs with its extensive product range. By constantly innovating and adapting to customer demands, Amazon continues to grow and scale its business while maintaining its position as an industry leader in online retail.

Nike is a well-known brand that has crafted a strong positioning statement. Their statement focuses on their target audience, which includes athletes and fitness enthusiasts. Nike positions itself as a provider of high-quality athletic apparel and footwear that helps customers achieve their goals.

They emphasize the importance of performance and innovation, highlighting how their products can enhance athletic performance. By addressing the specific needs of athletes and promoting trustworthiness and reliability, Nike stands out from its competitors in the market.

Their positioning statement showcases their commitment to excellence and appeals to individuals who value sports and fitness.

Apple is a well-known technology company that has a strong positioning statement. Their statement focuses on their target audience, which includes people who value sleek design and high-quality products.

Apple’s products fulfill the market need for user-friendly technology that seamlessly integrates with other devices. The brand purpose of Apple is to create innovative and aesthetically pleasing products that simplify people’s lives.

They differentiate themselves from competitors through their dedication to product excellence and customer experience. Apple’s positioning statement guides their marketing and sales strategies, ensuring they communicate the unique benefits of their products to customers effectively.

McDonald’s

McDonald’s is a well-known fast food chain with a strong market positioning. Their target audience includes people looking for quick and convenient meals. McDonald’s fulfills the market need for affordable, consistent, and fast food options.

They differentiate themselves from competitors by offering a wide variety of products, including burgers, fries, and milkshakes. With their brand promise of delivering tasty meals at affordable prices, McDonald’s has become a trusted name in the fast-food industry.

They have successfully built their brand identity around providing enjoyable dining experiences for customers of all ages.

How to Write Your Own Positioning Statement

To craft your own positioning statement, start by creating a vision board to visualize your brand’s identity and values. Next, make sure the statement is unique and simple, capturing the essence of your brand in a memorable way.

Additionally, don’t hesitate to consult with a colleague for their input and ideas to refine the statement further.

Create a vision board

To create a vision board, gather images and words that represent your goals and aspirations. This can be done using magazines, printed materials, or online resources. Arrange these items on a board or poster in a way that visually appeals to you.

By creating a vision board, you can have a clear visual representation of what you want to achieve and stay motivated towards reaching your goals. It serves as a constant reminder of what you are working towards and helps keep you focused on your desired outcomes.

Many successful individuals use vision boards as part of their goal-setting strategies because they provide a tangible visualization of their dreams and help them stay committed to achieving them.

Make it unique and simple

Crafting a unique and simple positioning statement is crucial for effectively communicating your brand’s purpose to your target audience. By making it unique, you set yourself apart from competitors and create a distinct identity in the market.

Keep it simple so that it is easy for your audience to understand and remember. A clear and concise statement will resonate with customers and make a lasting impression. Don’t be afraid to showcase what makes your product or service special, highlighting its unique features and benefits.

This will help differentiate you from others in the market and attract customers who have specific needs that only your brand can fulfill. Remember, simplicity is key when crafting your positioning statement!

Consult a colleague

If you’re struggling to craft your own positioning statement, it can be helpful to consult a colleague. Getting another person’s perspective can provide valuable insights and fresh ideas.

They may have a different viewpoint or expertise that can contribute to creating an effective positioning statement. By collaborating with a colleague, you can refine your ideas and ensure that your positioning statement accurately represents your product or service.

Whether it’s brainstorming together or seeking feedback on drafts, involving others in the process can lead to a more impactful and successful positioning statement for your brand.

Crafting an effective positioning statement is crucial for building a strong brand and standing out from the competition. By understanding the core elements and learning from successful examples like HubSpot, Coca-Cola, Amazon, Nike, Apple, and McDonald’s, you can create your own unique positioning statement.

Remember to keep it brief and memorable while staying true to your core values. Consult with others and take inspiration from a vision board to make it simple yet impactful. With these tips in mind, you’ll be well-equipped to craft a powerful positioning statement that resonates with your target audience and sets you apart in the market.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a positioning statement.

A positioning statement is a concise description that communicates the unique value your product or brand offers to its target audience.

Why is a positioning statement important?

A positioning statement helps differentiate your product or brand from competitors and guides your marketing strategies by defining your target audience, their needs, and how you fulfill those needs.

How do I craft my own positioning statement?

Crafting a positioning statement involves identifying your target audience, understanding their needs and desires, pinpointing key benefits of your product or brand, and crafting a clear and compelling message that resonates with them.

Can you provide examples of positioning statements?

Examples of positioning statements include: “The safest car on the market for families,” “The luxury skincare brand trusted by celebrities,” “The affordable yet high-quality smartphone for budget-conscious users.”

What are some tips for creating an effective positioning statement?

To create an effective positioning statement, focus on highlighting what makes your product or brand unique, emphasize the benefits it provides to customers, use simple language that is easy to understand, and make sure it aligns with the values and aspirations of your target audience

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Anisha Jain

Anisha Jain, a dynamic professional in the sports SaaS industry, transitioned from economics to digital marketing, driven by her passion for content writing. Her tenure at TBC Consulting culminated in her role as CEO, where she honed her skills in digital strategy, branding, copywriting, and team management. Anisha's expertise encompasses various aspects of digital marketing, including 360-degree marketing, digital growth consulting, client communication, and business development, making her a versatile asset in the SaaS domain.

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What is product positioning? Examples, strategies, and template

Editor’s note> : This article was reviewed on 16 August 2024 by Daniel Schwarz and updated to include information such as how product positioning differs from brand positioning, what a product positioning statement is, specific product positioning strategies such as price-based positioning and how they compare to other strategies like quality-based positioning, and more.

The right positioning can transform a struggling product into one that flies off the shelves. That’s because positioning is about perception; calibrating the right perception of your product is paramount to conveying the value it brings over its competitors.

What is the definition of product positioning?

Product positioning is the act of defining where your product fits in the market relative to its competitors as perceived by your customers.

Let’s break down this definition of product positioning:

• “… where your product fits in the market …” — What is your product and what is it not?
• “… relative to its competitors …” — Who are your competitors and how does your product compare to theirs?
• “… as perceived by your customers …” — This last one is particularly important; product positioning is much more about the perception of your product than any kind of physical differentiation

Product positioning vs. differentiation

Product positioning is not differentiation. A product’s positioning must work with its differentiation, but they are not the same thing.

Here’s simplest way to describe the distinction between product positioning and differentiation:

• Differentiation is tangible
• Positioning is perceptual

In other words, a product’s differentiation is (more often than not) the tangible difference. For example, does your product offer better features than your competitors?

Let’s say you’re comparing the features available in a Toyota Camry versus a Ferrari:

As you can see, the Toyota is superior if you’re solely concerned about functionality and practicality.

Positioning, on the other hand, is perceptual. It has little to do with the actual features and functionality.

How is your product perceived? Is it seen as a luxury? High-end or budget? Is it seen as being of higher quality than your competitors? Or, is it perceived as fun and more innovative?

Let’s look again at the example of the Toyota and the Ferrari:

That’s product positioning — how your product is perceived by the market relative to your competitors.

Now that you’ve determined your product positioning, you can use it to differentiate your product. The two need to go hand-in-hand, but the crucial difference is that positioning is about perception, not physical differentiation.

Product positioning vs. brand positioning

Product positioning and brand positioning are two marketing strategies that can help your company differentiate itself from its competitors in the eyes of your customers.

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Product positioning can motivate your target customers to choose your products by framing the product’s qualities and benefits in a way that appeals to them specifically. This not only leads to more conversions, but also higher retention rates (i.e., less buyer’s remorse) as long as the product messaging meets reality.

Brand positioning is very similar and applies to your brand as a whole. The messaging should convey that your brand holds the same values as your target customers, as a result making them think highly and feel positively towards it, while also conveying how it stands out from its competitors.

So while you obviously want to convey how good your products are and how good your brand is, product positioning and brand positioning both go a step further by helping you to convey suitability — that is, how good your product is for your customers specifically, especially in the ways that rival products and brands aren’t.

Good products can be owned by bad brands and vice-versa, therefore crafting your product positioning and brand positioning are two different ventures, although you’ll likely do so at the same time, using the same research and research participants for both.

Quality-based vs. price-based positioning

Sometimes, quality isn’t as important as price (and vice versa). This is why Scoot and Singapore Airlines are two separate brands, despite being the same company. I probably don’t need to tell you which one markets itself as low-cost and which one markets its ranking as a 5-star airline.

In cases like this, where messaging is used to position multiple brands of the same company, each brand’s negative qualities (in the eyes of customers) are separated so as not to be associated with the other brands.

Quality-based positioning is more associated with brand positioning, whereas price-based positioning is more associated with product positioning. However, the concepts are closely related in many ways; for example, high quality is often associated with high price, which is why brands tend to target a specific quality.

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There are also many other types of positioning, which provides more ways to craft a message that appeals to your target audience. For example, other forms of product positioning include:

• Price (or value)-based positioning — Offering the best value or lowest price in comparison to competitors
• Lifestyle-based positioning — Aligning with what customers consider their “ideal selves”
• Benefit-based positioning — Think in terms of, “How many boxes does the product check?”
• Characteristics-based positioning — Providing the features/usability that customers are looking for

Why is product positioning important?

Product positioning is important because, while physical differentiation is good, decisions are often made based on how a product is perceived.

For example, purchasing a luxury car or handbag is emotional — not because of how it looks or its design or size, but because of how it’s perceived.

After all, nobody decides against buying a Ferrari because it doesn’t have a heads-up display or wireless charging ; they buy it (at exorbitant price points) because it’s a Ferrari!

The product and brand are positioned such that they carry a certain perception, one that is highly desirable regardless of actual physical features. Leveraging the power of perception can reduce the need for physical differentiation and enable you to demand a higher price point.

Defining your product positioning strategy

The following elements should influence your product positioning strategy.

Market analysis

The first and most important step to defining your product positioning strategy is understanding your market.

While there is no single way to conduct market analysis, some core questions you might explore include:

• Who are the core demographics in your market? Are they students? Affluent families? Retirees?
• What regulations and laws do you need to consider?
• What are the market trends? Is the market growing or shrinking? Perhaps undergoing a major transformation or a period of disruption?
• How much is the market impacted by external forces? What are the political, geographical, and economic impacts?
• What are the assumptions, risks, and uncertainties about the market and its future?

Competitive landscape

Product positioning is all about how your products are perceived in relation to their direct competitors. Therefore, it’s paramount to have a good understanding of your competitors.

Of course, you want to build a deep understanding of your competitors, their strengths and weaknesses, and differentiation. Equally importantly, you want to analyze your competitors’ strategy and how they are positioned in the market.

Building a holistic picture of the competitive landscape can help you identify positions in the market that may be saturated or underserved. A great tool for this is perceptual mapping (more on that later) .

Target market segment

Defining your target market segment is core to product positioning. For example, let’s say you want to position your product as a luxury item, but your core target market are teenagers. Needless to say, few of them are likely to be able to afford your product.

Another example would be a B2B product aimed at early-stage startups versus one that targets large enterprises. The latter would be more focused on being perceived as safe, secure, and capable. The former would be more concerned with positioning itself as youthful and fun.

Company and brand values (and positioning)

Your product’s positioning will be heavily influenced by your company brand and its current positioning.

For example, Apple positions itself as innovative and creative and seeks to target that market. For a long time, Apple leveraged this reputation to differentiate itself from other computer brands and capture a customer base of creative professionals, from musicians to artists and the like.

As such, Apple’s products also live and breathe this ethos: they are aesthetically pleasing, often colorful, and carry a design that is unlike any of their competitors.

Product vision and value proposition

Finally, your product vision and value proposition play a key role in product positioning. Understanding the key differentiator — your moat — is core to defining what makes your product unique in the market. An effective product position will hone in on this and amplify it.

What is a product positioning statement?

A product positioning statement is a brief summary of a product’s distinctiveness, particularly in regards to the ways that customers would think of it as not only a good product but a good product for them . For example, if customers don’t care about the price of your product, then you wouldn’t make its low price the focus of the product’s messaging.

The goal of a product positioning statement is to clarify, for yourself and others, how to market to customers in terms of product messaging.

Writing a product positioning statement

To write a good product positioning statement, you first need to be clear about the types of product positioning on which you’re basing your product messaging. For example, you could emphasize price, lifestyle, benefits, characteristics, or anything else that’s relevant.

Product positioning statements are made up of just a few sentences, so as long as they’re clear, you shouldn’t have any issues writing a good one. If you’re having trouble getting started though, write about the product as if you’re the customer, then simply change the language from a first-person narrative to a third-person narrative.

For example, a customer might say, “I want a [cheap] product that helps me to be my [x] self. I want it to do [x] and [x], and it has to have an [x] feature”. To turn this into a product positioning statement, you’d instead say, “Our customer wants…”.

However, you first need to determine what your position is among your competitors. To do that, you’ll need to create what’s called a perceptual map.

What is a perceptual map?

One of my go-to tools for understanding the market to find the ideal product positioning is a perceptual map .

Perceptual mapping, also known as market mapping, is a diagrammatic technique used to visualize the relative positioning of competitive products. Typically in the form of a 2×2 matrix, perceptual maps seek to map out direct competitors’ positioning relative to each other.

Perceptual maps can help you identify gaps in the market, crowded positioning, and when it may be time to reposition:

The axis on a perceptual map will vary depending on your market, products, and customers.

For example, you might map your products based on whether they are perceived as:

• Cheap <> Expensive
• Low-quality <> High-quality
• Youthful <> Mature
• Fun <> Serious
• Small <> Large
• Common <> Rare

There’s no perfect science to creating a perceptual map. However, a perceptual map should be informed by research — namely, competitive analysis and customer research. Using this data, you will need to determine what attributes are important for your customers and how they perceive products in the market.

If you wish, you can also validate your perceptual map through perception-based questions as part of customer interviews.

Examples of successful product positioning

In her book Obviously Awesome , April Dunford shares a personal story about the impact that the right positioning can have.

Dunford was working at a startup for a B2B database product. The company was struggling with sales. Although the product was superior to its competitors, the company found that customers often did not understand the value the product would bring over their current database solution.

Finally, Dunford’s team met with a prospect who argued that the product was not a database at all, but a business intelligence tool.

By repositioning the product as a business intelligence tool, the sales team saw immediate results. Once prospects stopped comparing the product to their existing database, they began to understand the problem the product was designed to solve and the value it could bring.

As you can see, positioning your product correctly can be a game changer. Apple , Nike , Lush , and Patagonia are all examples of companies that have done product positioning exceptionally well.

Let’s dive a bit deeper into each product positioning example.

Apple (MacBook)

Apple positions itself toward creative individuals by leveraging its reputation as an innovative company. It dominates this position in the market so well that you would be hard-pressed to find a designer who doesn’t use a MacBook .

This positioning translates into all aspects of the MacBook — from the applications aimed at creative industries, such as Final Cut Pro for video editing and Logic Pro for music, to its sleek design and unique features that challenge the norm.

Nike positions itself as a brand for elite athletes. Its tagline, “Just Do It,” models its positioning to push the limits of human performance. The products themselves emphasize quality and are frequently the go-to choice for athletes.

Lush is famous for their handmade, animal- and chemical-free products. They position themselves as a sustainable and ethical company that does not do animal testing and creates products that are not only good for you but for the environment too. This translates to Lush’s unique shop designs and the products themselves.

For example, you will find no packaging in a Lush store besides being wrapped in recycled paper at payment. The products themselves are imperfect and fragile, often sporting blemishes. This doesn’t detract from the product; in fact, it plays nicely into its positioning, promoting the fact that products are handmade and chemical-free.

Patagonia made headlines a couple of years ago when they launched an ad campaign Black Friday titled “don’t buy this jacket.” The campaign was a lobby against fast fashion and to promote sustainability.

Patagonia’s company mission leads the company to participate in activist and sustainability work. This translates into their products and services, from 100-percent recycled material to their free repairs service.

Disney+ streaming service

Unlike Netflix, which appears to focus very little on product positioning these days, Disney+ caters to a family lifestyle, targeting looking for value — i.e., who would be happy to pay more since it benefits the whole family. So, their product positioning covers lifestyle, price (value), and benefits.

Product positioning template

Defining your product positioning strategy starts with critical consideration around the following elements:

• What is the long-term vision for your product?
• What is the frame of reference for the product?
• What industry does it belong to?
• In what category within your market/industry does it sit?
• Who are your direct competitors?
• What are their strengths?
• How are they perceived?
• Who is your target market segment?
• What are some key attributes of that segment that your product will tap into?
• What attributes are unique to your product?
• What is your product’s value proposition?
• How do you intend to differentiate your product?
• What is your company known for?
• What are the key attributes that your brand is associated with?

Download a customizable Google Sheets version of the product positioning template below:

Keep in mind that not all of these questions need to be answered in a positioning statement though. You can treat them more like thought exercises to help you figure out how to think about and position your product accurately in a way that appeals to your target audience.

Product positioning can make or break your product. If your position is poor in the market, your product will sink.

Remember that to obtain the right positioning, you need to have a good understanding of your market, customers, and competitors. A great tool to help you visualize this is known as perceptual mapping. It can help you identify saturated positions in the market and underserved ones, helping you find the ideal positioning for your product.

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Positioning statement how-to with 22 examples

Jun 1st, 2021

What is a positioning statement?

Examples of positioning statements, how to write a positioning statement.

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The positioning statement serves as a roadmap for your brand. It is a foundation for the marketing efforts and the way the brand presents itself. The positioning statement provides uniqueness and consistency. It helps understand what sets your product apart from the competition and creates a strong brand identity that allows you to take your business to the next level. Consistency is crucial for your brand as it enables you to build customer awareness and trust. The positioning statement directly influences your strategy , product design, marketing, and sales efforts. All these components within your company work together towards the common objective.

Developing a positioning statement will come in handy early in your brand development when you make decisions regarding the future of your product, create marketing materials to support it, and design additional products to complement it. Creating a positioning statement encourages you to ask questions about your product and brand that you might not have thought about before. You might have an understanding of the reason you created the product and who would benefit from it. However, the positioning statement will define why your product exists, why it will succeed in the market, and what it will take to make it work.

A positioning statement is a one- or two-sentence description that expresses the distinctive value of the product or service to clients in comparison to the primary competitors. The positioning statement is usually built based on four key elements. The first component is the target audience or the group of people with common features, such as psychological characteristics and behavior. The second element is the frame of reference or the market segment in which the brand competes. The third component is your competitive advantage. The fourth is the reason to believe or the most persuasive evidence that the brand fulfills the customer needs as promised in the statement.

Differentiation statements or unique selling points are other terms for positioning statements. The positioning statement responds to the question: “How does the brand want to be viewed by the audience?” The purpose of the positioning statement is to establish a specific niche for a product or brand in the minds of your consumers. Although the brand may offer different advantages targeted at various market segments, the customers would remember the one differentiating benefit, which would be supported with the other positive distinguishing features. 

A positioning statement usually outlines the essential points of the value proposition . For this reason, a positioning statement is often created after the value proposition. The positioning statement is the internal tool that helps marketing teams ensure that their activities for consumers are consistent and match their efforts with the value proposition and the brand.

The positioning statements can take various forms, such as vision mission, value proposition statement, slogan, brief company description, etc. Thus, we will analyze the positioning statements of well-known brands from the consumer perspective, taking into account slogans, visions, and mission statements. We will list some examples of brand statements by prominent companies to provide you with an idea of developing a powerful positioning statement for your brand.

Apple positioning statement

Apple strives to bring the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals, and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software, and internet offerings.

The company releases the most innovative products for people looking for the best mobile device or personal computer. Apple prioritizes technological progress and applies the creative approach to best corporate practices, considering the impact of its products on customers all over the world. The central company’s principles are creativity, simplicity, and humanity.

Nike positioning statement

Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world.

*If you have a body, you are an athlete.

The positioning statement to which we refer is Nike’s mission . It also clearly states their positioning on the market, which is to drive every person to become a better version of themselves. Nike offers top-performing sports clothes and shoes made of the finest materials to athletes and sports fans who need trendy and high-quality sportswear. The brand invests in cutting-edge technologies, so the company’s products are the most innovative in the athletic clothing industry.

Tesla positioning statement

Tesla is accelerating the world's transition to sustainable energy with electric cars, solar and integrated renewable energy solutions for homes and businesses.

Tesla produces long-range electric vehicles for drivers who not only seek performance but are also ecologically conscious. Tesla’s positioning statement highlights the shift towards innovative and futuristic business approaches. Besides electric vehicles, the company also develops infinitely scalable products for clean energy generation and storage.

Starbucks positioning statement

To inspire and nurture the human spirit — one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.

Starbucks is a client-centric company that is known for the best customer service. The company aims to create a feeling of connection, warmth, and comfort at each location. The brand presents its coffee shops as cozy and welcoming places where the customers can relax and have a good time. Starbucks is selling not only coffee. It is selling an atmosphere.

Coca-Cola positioning statement

Refresh the World. Make a Difference.

Coca-Cola offers a wide choice of refreshing, high-quality beverages which create an enjoyable experience for customers. In contrast to the other drinks, Coca-Cola strives to make a positive difference in the consumers’ lives by satisfying the customers’ needs and wants.

BMW positioning statement

Sheer driving pleasure.

The company emphasizes the fact that it provides the most enjoyable products. The brand created the positioning statement for young to middle-aged people with a steady income who genuinely care about their driving experience and buy a high-performance automobile that would be enjoyable to drive. 

Uber positioning statement

We ignite opportunity by setting the world in motion.

Uber provides a wide range of transportation and logistic services, including ride-hailing, food delivery, freight services, package delivery, and others. Uber allows customers to find a local ride for a reasonable price using a smartphone and credit card. Besides this, due to the delivery options, the company helps make orders and deliver food faster and at a lower cost. The customers receive many benefits, such as handy application, non-cash payment, driver rating, and short wait times.

Google positioning statement

Our company mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. 

 The positioning statement by Google highlights excellence and innovation. Google enables people to learn more about the surrounding world and provides access to any required knowledge. Even though the brand does not create and publish the information, understanding the user’s intentions and providing reliable data sources helped Google build customer loyalty and trust.

Netflix positioning statement

Unlimited movies, TV shows, and more.

Watch anywhere. Cancel anytime.

The company claims that the customers will get access to as much content as they are capable of consuming. Unlike the TV, they can watch Netflix anywhere. Also, the subscribers can unsubscribe at any time, but the offer is so attractive that they probably would not.

Lululemon positioning statement

Our products create transformational experiences for people to live happy, healthy, fun lives. 

Lululemon is a company that produces high-quality athletic wear for an active lifestyle. It encourages the customers to be physically fit and live a longer, healthier, and more enjoyable life. The brand produces premium-priced sportswear for yoga, running, and gym, mainly targeted at women with high income. 

Under Armour positioning statement

Under Armour's mission is to make all athletes better through science, passion and the relentless pursuit of innovation.

At first, Under Armour positioned its products as performance-enhancing activewear for professional sportspeople. Although it was a narrow customer base, it demonstrated the advantages of the unique material utilized in Under Armour clothes. Once the brand had established its image in the consumers’ minds, it expanded the customer base to amateur athletes.

McDonald’s positioning statement

Our mission is to make delicious feel-good moments easy for everyone.

McDonald’s is the leader in the fast-food industry, providing excellent and friendly customer service throughout thousands of convenient locations and at affordable prices. The brand emphasizes its commitment to customer satisfaction and desire to improve operations constantly. McDonald’s pays attention not only to the quality of food and services but also to the quality of infrastructure to enable amazing experiences.

Walmart positioning statement

Every day low prices on a broad assortment - anytime, anywhere.

Due to service efficiency, supply chain management, and logistic infrastructure, Walmart is known among budget-conscious consumers as a retailer that offers daily-use items and products at the lowest price possible. Walmart’s business strategy includes leveraging pricing as a pivotal point to attract the target audience. The company strives to lower the prices to achieve a competitive advantage.

Gatorade positioning statement

Fueling athletic performance for more than 50 years.

Gatorade is a sports drink for athletes in need of hydration and replenishment of electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and chloride during different sporting events. Unlike the other sports drinks, it absorbs very fast and helps sportspeople improve their athletic performance. The brand emphasizes its long presence and leadership in the sports beverage market.

Spotify positioning statement

Listening is everything.

Spotify positions itself as the brand for millennials that focuses both on the creators and consumers. The platform allows artists to publish their music online and for music fans to enjoy it. The company understands that music follows young people everywhere they go and serves as the soundtrack of their life, so listening is everything for them. In 2020, the company updated the positioning and introduced celebrity podcasts that attracted new listeners and advertisers, increasing the brand’s revenue by 9%.

Pepsi positioning statement

Create more smiles with every sip and every bite.

PepsiCo emphasizes the company’s desire to serve the customers’ needs. The key points of the brand’s positioning statement include customer satisfaction and delicious, high-quality products. The brand claims to make customers happy by providing enjoyable products that will bring joy to their lives. The company targets customers all over the world and seeks to create products that appeal to all consumers, regardless of their backgrounds, ethnicities, or other characteristics. Notice how Pepsi and Coca-Cola target different audiences by focusing on distinct concepts in their positioning. Coke is associates itself with fresh experiences, which help change for the better and make a difference. On the other hand, Pepsi promotes joy and happiness, which their product can bring into your life.

Airbnb positioning statement

Creating a world built on connection and belonging.

The brand strives to empower its customers to live and feel like locals anywhere instead of just traveling as tourists. Airbnb positioning also highlights service reliability. Many security risks may arise due to their business model’s focus on inviting strangers into their houses. However, due to the appropriate positioning, the brand managed to build customer trust. Moreover, due to the orientation on the niche market, the company reinforced its place in the hospitality industry hierarchy.

Harley-Davidson positioning statement

More than building machines, we stand for the timeless pursuit of adventure. Freedom for the soul.

Harley-Davidson is one of the most well-known motorcycle manufacturers. The brand creates bikes that give riders a feeling of independence and freedom. The company positions its motorcycles as premium products for people of any age and gender who are looking for liberation in their lives. The brand emphasizes the customers’ wish to realize the goal of personal freedom. In addition, the brand has the highest level of consumer loyalty compared to any other motorcycle manufacturers. The customers perceive Harley-Davidson more than a brand. It is both a way of life and experience.

Dove positioning statement

When it comes to your body, love the one you're with.

The brand’s positioning is to help women feel more confident and beautiful regardless of parameters, skin tone, or physical shape. Dove demonstrates the real women in its advertising campaigns instead of models, highlighting its desire to redefine the unrealistic beauty standards. Due to the positioning strategy aimed at building confidence and self-acceptance, the brand managed to differentiate from competitors and attract the target audience, which believes that supporting the brand endorses natural beauty.

Red Bull positioning statement

Giving wings to people and ideas.

Red Bull managed to position itself as the alternative for coffee and other drinks containing caffeine. Moreover, the brand developed a new product category, being the first energy drink of its kind. The positioning statement focuses on the benefits of the product, which provides energy and refreshment. Red Bull’s consumers purchase the beverages to boost energy, improve performance, and increase attention, which is reflected in the positioning statement.

Adidas positioning statement

Impossible is nothing.

Adidas aims to provide the best shoes and apparel for athletes to improve their results. Doing sports with Adidas means transforming your body, finding added energy, added drive, and inspiration in it. The brand also emphasizes its constant commitment to staying on top of market demands due to the high-quality products. 

Samsung positioning statement

On the basis of human resources and technologies, create the best products and services and contribute to society.

 The brand emphasizes the excellence of its products and demonstrates faith in the ability to affect change in society. Samsung indicates that it is concerned with more than simply the consumer who benefits from its products. The major focus is made on social conditions by providing products and services that satisfy the customer needs and involve global issues, such as environmental protection.

Before creating a strong positioning statement, you need to develop a value proposition and ensure you have identified your customer pain points and target audience. The next crucial step is to determine what features differentiate you from the competition, what promise you would provide to the consumers, and how you would fulfill their expectations. Once you have answered these questions, you can start writing the positioning statement.

Identify the industry category

Start with your industry category to let the customer know what your target market is. Consider what individuals say about your market segment when they're thinking about it. Further, you can use these terms to describe the industry category.

Pin down the unique value

Consider your company's services that you are most proud of and what unique value you can deliver to your customers. It is better to choose one central point, with the other brand’s characteristics reinforcing that feature.

Demonstrate your value

You have already identified the target audience and the unique value, so it is time to provide evidence that persuades your customers in your brand’s capacity to demonstrate its worth and deliver on its marketing promises. Try to avoid unrealistic or exaggerated assertions.

Mind the simplicity

Your positioning statement should be concise and easy to understand, targeted at the average reader. It should contain the primary value of the product or service for the target audience. Your company’s marketing decisions should correspond and support your positioning statement.

Make it memorable

This statement should be tailored to your business and the issues you want to address. Focus on the distinctive features of your brand.

Bring everything together

Now you can combine the previous points that you learned above in one or two sentences. Due to the earlier steps, you have all of the necessary components of the positioning statement, including the target audience, frame of reference, the benefit, and the proof.

Check the result

Analyze whether your positioning statement corresponds to the values of your brand . Make sure the resulting concept and phrase comprise the primary values, such as excellent customer experience, global animal welfare, or a desire to innovate.

A solid positioning statement conveys a feeling or experience you want your customers to have and serves as a guiding light for your team responsible for delivering it. Consider the unique points of your brand and the benefits you can offer to your customers. The key to success is authenticity and your ability to keep promises.

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Market Positioning – Definition, Types, Benefits, Examples & How-to

Imagine you want to be, let’s say,  a detergent manufacturer, and there are thousands of other detergents in the market.  Why do you think customers will buy your detergent from a cluster of “million options”?

However, if your detergent has unique features that can give your customers unique benefits, then that is a different story. People don’t want to buy a product that claims to do “everything.” Instead, they want a better solution that can tackle at least “something.” You just need to show them that your detergent can specifically do “this.”

 To cut it short, you need to position your product or service uniquely. In marketing terms, this is called market positioning. Why is market positioning important, and what are your options regarding market positioning? Let’s find out.

Table of Contents

What Is Market Positioning?

Market positioning, in simple words, is a marketing strategy that focuses on creating a unique image or perception of a brand, product, or service in the customer’s mind. A business can create that unique image by any means.

For instance, the four Ps of marketing (promotion, product, price, and place) are important factors in market positioning. The more a business focuses on these 4 Ps, the will better will be its positioning in the market. Still not getting a clear picture of market positioning? Here are some examples for basic understanding:

• A shoemaker specializes in making formal shoes for highly sophisticated or formal events.
• A fast-food franchise that makes unique grilled beef burgers.
• A car manufacturing company specializes in manufacturing luxury cars with unparalleled features.

So, what was the basic theme in these examples? The sellers in these examples are focusing on a specific niche rather than catering to a general audience.

Types Of Market Positioning

Different businesses use different techniques for market positioning. However, here some of the most common types of positioning in the market.

Quality of A Product or Service

Amidst the fearsome price wars, many brands strive hard to provide quality. Yes, when you please your customer with unparalleled quality, price becomes a less-concerned issue.

Example. Chipotle has quickly gathered immense fame and climbed to the 14 th spot in the list of top 50 fast-food franchises in the USA (ranking from QSR magazine). This quality-oriented brand has already captured a significant market share and causing trouble for “big boys.”

Innovation and Uniqueness

Many brands focus on providing innovation and uniqueness. If you can bring something new and fascinating, you can charge higher prices and people will pay for it happily.

Example. What would be a better example of innovation than Apple? The electronics industry’s juggernaut has captured a massive global market just because of its mind-blowing and surreal innovations.

Price of A Product or Service

When a brand is not enriched with innovation or superior quality, then pricing is an excellent option to challenge your competitors. Whether you accept or not, price is still one of the most critical factors that affect many consumers’ purchase decision.

Example. Dollar Shave Club has proved to be a nightmare for Gillette because they offer the cheapest razor cartridge refilling (20 cents) while Gillette was doing it for $2-$5. Due to this massive difference, Gillette has seen a decreasing market share.

Product Differentiation

Similar to innovation, product differentiation is another excellent marketing strategy to take the lead. A different product or service can easily kill the competition.

Example. Tesla has revolutionized the automobile industry with its electronic cars. This has sidelined many economic cars such as Toyota Prius.

Customer Service

Customer services , if appropriately managed, can create a massive and defining image in consumers’ minds. In fact, this category is fundamental in specific industries such as banking and restaurants.

Example. Zappos, an American online shoe company, has unique customer service practices. They respond to every single email they get, even if the email is directly for the company’s CEO.

Niche Segregation

Targeting a micro-level market segment is another super-effective way of market positioning.

Example. Axe, also known as Lynx, is a famous British brand that focuses on male grooming products such as body sprays, deodorants, etc., for young males.

Advantages of Market Positioning

Market positing can help a brand in “countless” ways but here top five of them:

Increase in Revenue

Marketing positioning is purely dedicated to creating a unique image of any specific brand. When a brand succeeds in creating a unique market position, its revenue increases due to a boost in sales volume.

Built A Competitive Edge

Market positioning also helps brands to create a competitive edge. Either you are following a pricing strategy or focusing on providing quality products or services, you develop a competitive advantage when you position your brand in the market. Everything your competitors don’t have is a competitive advantage, whether it is your offering’s price, uniqueness, or quality.

Easy to Promote A New Product

A company that has already positioned itself in the market can launch a new product and penetrate the market easily. This significantly reduces marketing costs as well.

Create A Brand Identity

Brand identity is highly dependent on market positioning. Only proper marketing positioning can develop an image or perception in a customer’s mind.

Marketing Positioning Simplifies the Purchase Decision for Customers

Customers want easy options and solutions while making a purchase decision. Positioning allows them to determine what kind of benefits they will get from a specific product or service. It ultimately simplifies their buying process.

How To Create A Successful Market Positioning Strategy

The market positioning strategy of any brand should be based on its core objectives. Companies should be clear as to how do they want their customers to perceive them. Here are some “must-do” practices to develop a thriving market positioning strategy.

Identify Your Strengths Through Competitor Analysis

Identifying the differences between you and your competitors is mandatory. This ultimately helps you to determine your strengths and how you can use them to take advantage of opportunities.

Analyze the Current Market Position

Before you decide to position yourself in the market, it is better to evaluate your current position. This will assist you in differentiating yourself from your competitors.

Detailed Competitor Positioning Analysis

Apart from identifying your strengths, it is equally important to analyze your competitors’ strengths and how they can challenge you.

Create Your Market Positioning Strategy

Once you have examined the factors mentioned above thoroughly and understand your position, strength, and opportunities, develop your positioning strategy accordingly.

Positioning Errors That A Company Should Avoid

Excess of everything is bad, and the same is the case with market positioning. If a brand makes too many “promises” and claims to be the best, things may go south easily. So, here are some of the common mistakes marketers commit while developing positioning strategies:

• Confused Positioning. Making too many claims and frequently changing the product features can make the customers confused about brand image.
• Over Positioning. Over positioning means that a firm has gone way too specific in niche selection that only appeals to very few customers. It becomes challenging for a company to achieve its sales target with such a low number of potential customers.
• Under Positioning. Under position, in simplest terms, means that a brand has failed to create a unique or differentiated image in customer’s mind.  That said, the customer fails to differentiate a specific brand from others.
• Doubtful Positioning. Doubtful positioning can be best described as “it’s too good to be true.” That said, it is a situation where customers become doubtful about the claims made by the brand because they look suspicious or unreal. This usually happens when a product’s price, physical features, etc., fail to match with the company’s claim.

Examples of Market Positioning

It will be an injustice if we don’t talk about Tesla as one of the best market positioning examples. The company has taken “price” out of the equation and only focuses on providing unparalleled quality to its customers. Tesla is more of a luxury brand, and its vehicles are:

• Eco-friendly
• Large-ranged

One of the best and globally admired brands, Nike has positioned itself in the market as an innovator with a high focus on performance. The waffle shoes from Nike have become the most expensive sneakers in the world. After bossing the “shoes” category, Nike is now offering performance-boosting sports attires.

The finest portrayal of “inbound marketing,” HubSpot developed a huge customer-oriented platform by offering helpful content to its readers. HubSpot is:

• User-friendly
• Customer-centric, and

Which makes it an automatic choice of many consumers around the globe. Apart from that, HubSpot has become an “all-in-one shop” that deals in:

• Marketing automation
• Sales and service

It won’t be wrong to say that Starbucks has revived the tradition of coffee consumption in the USA. That is because the country had witnessed a decrease in coffee consumption since 1960. Starbucks, therefore, carefully targeted office workers who were interested in purchasing a high-quality product.

Coffee is considered as a soothing and relaxing beverage in the US, and Starbucks has always been vigilant to live up to the expectations.

About The Author

shaharYar Ahmad Ranjhaa

13+ Examples of Positioning Statement (Creative & Text) For 2024

According to top branding professionals, brand authenticity and brand identity are two of the most important and challenging aspects of building a brand.

That’s where your positioning statement comes in.

In a few concise sentences, you can let your target audience know exactly who you are, what you do, and how you do it better than anyone else.

But, how do you carry that across into your email campaigns and various email clients?

Read on to find out more about creating your own killer positioning statement and how to cleverly inject into your email campaigns to boost your brand awareness, authenticity, and identity.

What is a Positioning Statement?

Formal written positioning statements are rare these days. Often brands tend to position themselves with slogans, mission statements, and brand identity signals. If you’re at a company that has hosted a webinar recently, you’ve probably inserted your positioning statement within the first couple minutes of the presentation. Remember that for a comprehensive brand positioning, you also need a logo. Create a logo that aligns with the slogan and add the logo to the presentation

A concrete positioning statement can help to inform brand decision-making to keep your whole team on track. It solidifies expectations, both regarding what the customer will get and how the brand should perform.

Simply put, a positioning statement defines your position in the market. It outlines the services you provide and the target audiences for which you cater.

Your positioning statement also sets out your unique slant, showcasing how you’re different from your competitors.

In general, a positioning statement explains:

• Who you are
• What you do
• How you do it
• Why you do it
• How you compare to others

Why Include a Positioning Statement in Your Email Campaigns?

Firstly, it’s about brand authenticity.

According to one in five branding professionals, brand authenticity is now the key differentiator between brands.

While written position statements aren’t that common anymore, including one in your email campaigns can help improve brand authenticity.

Not only that, but a positioning statement is a quick way to raise brand awareness — the number one concern for 43% of branding professionals.

Using just a few sentences in your email, you can get across exactly who you are, what you’re about, and what you stand for.

80% of branding professionals agree that social and cultural issues play a big role in a company’s branding strategy. Your positioning statement provides you the perfect opportunity to delve into where you stand on these topics and how they drive your brand’s promises and practices.

It’s an immediate hook for your target audience and a way to weed out those who’ll never buy.

Another reason to broadcast your positioning statement in your emails is to differentiate yourself from your competitors.

One in five branding experts admit that it’s a real challenge to stand out from competitor messaging. A positioning statement is a concise way to do this.

Equally, it helps to keep your brand consistent.

The number one fear for 12% of branding experts is an inconsistent brand.

When you have a positioning statement, it’s easier to combat inconsistency. You’ll have a consistent brand voice in your emails if you’re using the tone and language of your position statement as a guide.

You’ll also find your position statement helps you to make brand decisions that align with your values and mission.

Whenever you’re in two minds about whether to go ahead with an email outreach strategy or particular style of messaging, you refer to that statement. Which campaign aligns best with the values, expectations, and promises in that statement? That’s the email campaign to choose.

What Are the Four Elements of a Positioning Statement?

To keep your positioning statement brief and to the point, it’s smart to use the tried-and-tested format.

The best positioning statements include the following elements.

1. Target audience

Who does your brand cater to?

Most companies target a specific niche because it’s easier to market to a niche audience than to try and determine what works for everyone.

As Zach Pentel, the Head of Global Brand Strategy at Spotify explains , “If you make something for everyone, it won’t really appeal to anyone.”

Your positioning statement should immediately appeal to your target audiences or personas so that the prospective customer reading it can say, “ Oh look, they’re talking to me. This must be a product for me.”

Let’s take the product lifecycle management platform, Propel, for example.

( Image Source )

See how the positioning statement points out exactly who the platform is for: product creators and manufacturers. If you’re not a product creator or a manufacturer, this platform probably won’t be useful to you.

Also notice how Propel points out that it’s a platform for product creators and manufacturers ‘everywhere’. This shows that the product isn’t just limited to the United States. Instead, it can be used by internationally distributed teams and remote workers.

Alternatively, check out Simple Money Lyfe .

The financial advice website has no qualms stating exactly who they cater for — Americans in the Generation Z age group.

They also give a little detail about the types of Gen Z audience they’re speaking to, such as those looking to repair their credit or invest in the stock market.

Or how about EarlyBird ?

Rather than positioning itself as an app to simply help parents save for their kids’ futures, Earlybird positions itself as a service for parents, friends and family.

This widens its target market.

2. Frame of reference

In your positioning statement, you’ll need to give your prospective customers a frame of reference. This means you need to point out the market category in which your brand operates.

There’s a whole world of different market categories, for example, food and beverages, hair and beauty, apparel, finance, SaaS, automotive, professional cleaning, real estate , construction, education, and so on.

By giving a frame of reference as your market category, you give prospective customers a way to compare you to the competition.

It’s no good simply saying you’re the best at what you do. Customers want to know that you’re the best compared to who.

While this might be obvious for some companies, other brands may need it to clarify their purpose and identity.

Check out GoAura , for instance.

When you first hear the name ‘GoAura’, it’s not obvious what the company does or what market they operate within.

Even if you understood that GoAura could ‘maximize Amazon sales’, you’d still want to know if it’s the best tool for the job.

To understand how GoAura compares to other similar tools, you need to know what market it’s in. By highlighting that it’s the best ‘Amazon Repricer and Revenue Analytics’ tool, you can now set out to see how it fares against its competitors.

Or, look at how Havoc Shield does this with a subtle dig.

By implying that your old cybersecurity practices aren’t safe enough, Havoc Shield positions itself in the cybersecurity market while also inferring that its software is better than comparable products.

Similar to the ‘GoAura’ example, one wouldn’t know what Genbook as a company does, but a quick look at their website and it becomes clear that they are an all-in-one appointment booking software for small businesses. A swift glance at the image on the right and it further becomes clear who it will benefit the most from this tool— hair and beauty entrepreneurs.

So when you’re creating your website , landing page, and copy, make sure you point out your targeted niche market and add a statement on why you are better than other resources.

3. Point of difference

The point of difference is your chance to explain what sets you apart from your competitors.

This is usually worded as a compelling benefit for the customers — what will they get if they come to you instead of another brand?

Let’s look at invoicing software , Wave Apps.

Wave Apps is a free invoice software that’s designed to make accounting easier. The position statement conveys this by listing the benefits: “saves you time, gets you paid, and makes managing customer information stress-free” .

To a potential new customer, not only will they save time , the platform is easy to use so the experience will be hassle-free. This infers that other softwares are more stressful to manage.

Before we move on to the next core element of a positioning statement we should mention that if you aim to stand out and point out what distinguishes you from all your competitors consider creating content as one of the tactics. Let’s say you can make up an article on your blog, in which you draw a certain comparison between you as a service provider and one or several of your competitors and sort out features in a way, making your product more beneficial to your customers. For instance, take Ringblaze – a VoIP business phone system provider and their blog article RingCentral vs Vonage, where they personally tested and then compared on several points the two alternatives their potential clients can use by giving an example of another major competitive VoIP service.

Lastly, you should include a reason for your prospective buyers to believe in what you’re saying.

Your point of difference promises a particular return for your customers. Your proof section should show them why they should believe you.

Take Savvy Sleeper .

To boost credibility, this sleep advice website explains how its team is made up of qualified experts, coaches, and researchers.

To stress this, it clarifies that all team members are qualified in the specific areas that the brand provides advice on.

Alternatively, look at Best Value Schools’ positioning statement.

Helping prospective students find the best online universities and on-campus schools, the brand proves its value through its thorough research.

Positioning statement template

To develop your message carefully and successfully, use an email service that has the features you’re looking for to optimize your statement.. That may be a gmail desktop app paired with gmail templates.

If you’re unsure how to roll this all together to create a coherent brand positioning statement, try one of these formulae:

For (audience), (your company name) is the (frame of reference) that provides (point of difference) because (proof).

For Registered Nurses looking to complete a BSN degree, Best Nursing Programs is the leading nursing school comparison site that provides in-depth reviews of the top schools by highly experienced nurses.

(Proof), (Your company name) is the (frame of reference) that provides (audience) with (point of difference).

Founded by highly experienced nurses, Best Nursing Programs is the leading nursing school comparison site that provides Registered Nurses in-depth reviews of the top schools providing BSN degree programs.

Key Tips for Creating a Killer Positioning Statement

1. be concise.

If your positioning statement is too long, nobody is going to read it.

What’s more, if you can’t express who you are and what you’re about in a couple of quick sentences, you’re not clear about these things.

On the one hand, that makes it difficult to communicate your brand identity to your customers in your content. On the other, it makes decision-making harder as you don’t know the values that underpin your direction.

Take a look at how this Toronto Home Care Services achieve this:

Using just a few simple words, Toronto Home Care Services manages to convey exactly what they deliver, to who, and how.

2. Show your brand’s identity

The tone and language you use in your positioning statement will communicate your brand identity .

Your brand identity is the image you convey to your potential buyers about who you are as a company.

For example, some brands may want to indicate that they’re an authority on a particular subject. These firms would use an authoritative tone coupled with language that incites trust and establishes expertise.

Look at Medical Alert Buyers Guide , for example.

Medical Alert Buyers Guide pitches itself as the authority on medical alerts.

Notice how the review website uses terms like ‘industry expert’ and ‘research and data’ to help build trust with its users and prove its expertise.

Alternatively, imagine you want your brand identity to revolve around empathy.

You’ll use a compassionate tone with soothing language that conveys a sense of caring.

Check out Better Addiction Care , for instance.

Helping those suffering from drug and alcohol addiction, Better Addiction Care uses a compassionate tone that tries to empathize with its target audience.

The positioning statement uses language that shows addicts that they’re there to help and understand, while providing the best care possible.

Phrases like ‘just as it is yours’ and ‘work with you’, show that Better Addiction Care’s identity is rooted into empathetic care.

3. Communicate your values

Your brand values align you with your target audience. Customers tend to shop with brands that have the same values as they do.

In fact, 72% of buyers say that it’s important that a brand aligns with their values , while nearly 60% of buyers say they’ve boycotted a brand due differing stances on an issue.

As noted above, 80% of brand professionals agree that social and cultural issues are a significant part of branding, meaning that the values that underpin your brand will drive the customers who buy your products.

Be aware that the importance of values is inflated among younger audiences. 83% of millennials say it’s important that a brand aligns with their values. Likewise, 63% admit that they like buying products that show off their social or political views.

In this respect, it’s smart to embed your company values within your positioning statement. After all, your positioning statement shows where you’re positioned in the market. Since the market isn’t isolated from political, social and cultural issues, it’s wise to express your position on these factors too.

However, don’t just focus on societal values. You can also express the general values that make your company a cut above the rest.

For example, you may pride yourself on high-quality products, low prices, friendly services, and so on.

Take a look at Excel Builders , for example.

Notice how this construction firm puts a special emphasis on the fact they were founded to provide energy-efficient building services. This appeals to an environmentally-conscious audience.

Beyond that, Excel Builders also make a point of highlighting other important values such as providing high quality and maximizing value for the customer.

4. Make your promise deliverable

Your positioning statement is a chance to promise something to your target audience. This promise shows off the benefits your customers receive from choosing your brand.

However, if your promise is unrealistic, customer expectations won’t meet reality. This can lead to poor reviews and a breakdown of your reputation.

For example, if your brand promises super-fast delivery, but you don’t have the capacity to scale order fulfillment, you’re likely to have problems delivering on this promise when your company grows. It’s essential for businesses to not only make bold commitments to customers but also to invest in the necessary infrastructure and logistics to guarantee efficient delivery , ensuring that as demand increases, the service quality remains consistently high.

Look at how business process automation software , frevvo, makes attainable promises.

Providing workflow software for small businesses , frevvo positions itself as an affordable option that makes it business process automation easier.

Let’s break down its promises.

Firstly, frevvo infers that it’ll be easier to automate and manage processes with its workflow software. It knows it can deliver on this as it has a plethora of customer success stories to prove it.

In terms of reasonable costs, frevvo will have compared itself to its competitors. Based on the going market rate, it knows it offers top-notch software at an acceptable price.

Lastly, frevvo promises there will be no coding or I.T. required. Given the nature of the product, this is part-and-parcel of its design, so it’s inherently simple for the software firm to deliver on this benefit.

5. Check it sounds credible

Credibility goes hand-in-hand with deliverability. If you’re not sure you can deliver on your promises, they certainly won’t be credible.

More than this though, your claims need to seem believable. If customers feel like your business proposal or proposed returns are unrealistic, they’ll be turned off.

Think of those adverts you see to make tons of money from home for no work at all.

Why don’t you immediately switch jobs? Because you know they’re too good to be true. While you might be able to earn those high wages, it just doesn’t seem credible that it’s really viable.

Now let’s consider how brands reduce their credibility with unrealistic offers.

Let’s say you offer a content service that helps websites get more traffic .

On several occasions, you’ve helped firms with 10 monthly visitors boost that to 100 monthly visitors simply by starting a blog and adding a couple of posts.

While, technically, you’ve 10xed their traffic, could you do this with a firm that gets 100K monthly visitors?

If you’re not sure you can, don’t claim you can increase their traffic by tenfold.

Put simply, if it sounds too good to be true, customers will think that it is and will go elsewhere.

Take Legacy Healing , for instance.

The addiction treatment center makes very credible claims about what it’ll deliver without promising unrealistic results.

For example, the company states that they will help you get better with a “second chance in life”, but also says that it will not be an easy process.

6. Make sure it enables growth

Some companies limit their capacity for growth by positioning themselves too small, too locally, or too specifically.

While it’s good to target a niche audience, if you’re planning to expand, don’t narrow down too far, or you’ll find it hard to branch out later as you grow.

Take DCIM software firm, Nlyte Software as an example.

Nlyte could have chosen to limit its services to particular devices and platforms or particular locations.

Instead, Nlyte offers its services on all networks, servers, and devices, across all facilities, data centers, collocations, and cloud setups.

That way, Nlyte offers its services to whichever client needs them, whether it’s a small business or a huge enterprise firm. They’re not limiting themselves, but instead, getting ready for growth.

7. Write it to inform brand decision-making

Your positioning statement serves as a blueprint to brand decision-making.

Whenever you have tough choices about the direction you plan to take your brand, your positioning statement should help you to decipher the answer.

Let’s look at The RealFx Group as an example.

This real estate company positions itself as the real estate leader for customers looking to buy and sell the finest properties in Austin.

Notice how the Austin-based real estate firm puts an emphasis on ‘experience, professionalism, and detailed analysis’. This insinuates that they’re experts in their field.

Now, let’s imagine there’s a question about what should be included in the brand’s content strategy.

A team member wants to know if it’d be smart to create a guide to private mortgage insurance.

Looking to the positioning statement for direction, it’s clear that a private mortgage insurance guide would demonstrate ‘experience, professionalism, and detailed analysis’. In this sense, it’s a smart move that aligns with the company’s position.

This doesn’t just apply to B2C markets like mortgage insurance, either.

In the world of B2B, business phone service Phone.com positions itself clearly as a low-cost, no-commitment business phone service—in an industry that’s full of options.

From Phone.com’s homepage :

“Users start as low as $12.99 per month. Feel free to mix and match. There’s no contract and no commitment.”

For a brand like Phone.com, it may be easier to incorporate humor and even casual phrasing like “mix and match” into brand content than it would be for a brand like The RealFX Group, which touts its “professionalism” as a value.

Whenever hiring writers especially, make sure to communicate your brand’s positioning upfront. Your web copy needs to stay consistent.

3 Powerful Examples of How to Insert Positioning Statements into Your Email Campaigns

Looking for ideas to inject your positioning statements into your email campaigns to tell your fans what you’re all about?

Get inspired by these brilliant examples.

Cosmetics brand, Wearth, positions itself as a leading eco-conscious brand with this email to encourage new readers to buy:

Notice how Wearth pinpoints its target audience by referring to the ‘conscious consumer’ and highlighting its ‘vegan’ features.

The brand also includes its values, referring to the fact its products are ‘cruelty-free’ and ‘ethically made’.

Lastly, take note of how Wearth positions itself against its competitors who include ‘harsh chemicals’ and ‘dodgy ingredients’ in their competing products.

2. The Telegraph

The Telegraph newspaper positions itself as the ‘clarity provider’ with this email to sell readers on its 3-month deal:

Playing on the concept of unprecedented times, The Telegraph positions itself as the leading newspaper that brings ‘clarity’ to its readers by offering ‘hand-picked stories’.

Notice how the online newspaper provides evidence of its market prestige by referring to its ‘award-winning team’.

Also, note how it compares itself to its inferior competitors with the term ‘unrivalled journalists’.

3. Coschedule

Look at how Coschedule gives a frame of reference to exacerbate its points of difference in this email:

CoSchedule is a marketing calendar that positions itself as a simple solution that provides instant visibility so you can focus on being productive.

By comparing it to the act of ‘slogging through tons of spreadsheets, apps, emails, and notes’, Coschedule makes itself seem far more appealing than comparable options. A similar option is google sheets integration , which also helps you increase your productivity and not waste your time unnecessarily.

To double down on this, Coschedule adds social proof to the email:

Using a customer testimonial that talks about financials, Coschedule also positions itself as a money-saving option. They could also use a customer testimonial video here and embed the video in the email instead.You can even use videos to get more email subscribers .

When it comes to email campaigns, think of your positioning statement as your blueprint. In a few short sentences, it guides you on what your customers expect and how you promise to meet those expectations using email marketing .

Use your positioning statement to inform the content, tone, and language of your emails. Make sure you’re always targeting the right audience, giving a frame of reference, pointing out your benefits, and offering up proof.

If you need more help creating positioning statements to guide your email campaigns, simply contact the experts at Voila Norbert .

About the Author

Name – Vikas Kalwani

Vikas Kalwani is a product-led growth hacker and B2B Marketing Specialist skilled in SEO, Content Marketing, and Social Media Marketing. He is a mentor at 500 startups and Newchip Accelerator. You can connect with him on LinkedIn .

Hi, I'm Norbert! when I'm not searching for 10+ million email addresses per month, I'm writing articles that help sales, marketers, and recruiters help get their emails read and increase their response rate.

What Is Positioning in a Marketing Plan?

Positioning is a marketing concept that outlines what a business should do to market its product or service to its customers. In positioning, the marketing department creates an image for the product based on its intended audience. This is created through the use of promotion, price, place and product.

The more intense a positioning strategy, typically the more effective the marketing strategy is for a company. A good positioning strategy elevates the marketing efforts and helps a buyer move from knowledge of a product or service to its purchase.

Target Market Analysis

The best start for any positioning analysis is gaining a thorough knowledge of a product or service's target market. This is the group of people or businesses that will best benefit from the use of the product or service. With a good idea of the wants, needs and interests of a product or service's target market, a good marketing team can help develop a positioning statement to help reach as much of the target market as possible.

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Pricing strategy methods to influence competitive behavior, sales & marketing promotion strategy, ad position strategies, transference marketing techniques, marketing concepts & strategies, positioning in advertisements.

Advertisements are usually the first places businesses position themselves. A cosmetics marketing department, for example, must determine who they are targeting and what consumer need is being met. If the intended target is African American teenagers, what type of need should the cosmetics fill?

If the cosmetics line is trying to help teenage girls overcome acne issues, the person in the ad might be one of a younger African American physician who teaches girls how to battle acne with the use of these cosmetics. To note the importance of positioning, this same type of advertisement might not work if the intended audience of the cosmetics line was older Caucasian women trying to look younger.

Positioning in Sales Locations

Reaching the customer is not simply a matter of advertising, it is also a matter of choosing the right channels for distribution. If a majority of your target market lives in an urban area with only public transportation available to them, having your product in rural areas where a private automobile is needed for transport would not equal sales success. Place or position your product or service as close to the target market as possible. Create similar advertisements in store as the ones seen out of store to create an overall identity for your brand.

Positioning through Price

It should be noted that there is a large amount of research on the psychology of pricing in marketing. Simply put, the price of an item tells the buyer more about the item than most realize. Many associate a higher price with higher quality and the opposite with a lower price. Additionally, if a product is positioned as a good alternative to high-priced brands, the marketing department must price it in the middle of the market to avoid a comparison to the cheapest end of the spectrum.

• Innis Maggiore: How to Develop an Effective Positioning Strategy
• Enterpreneur: Positioning
• USC: Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning

Lynn Lauren has been a professional writer since 1999, focusing on the areas of weddings, professional profiles and the banking industry. She has been published in several local magazines including "Elegant Island Weddings." Lauren has a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Business Administration, both with marketing concentrations from Georgia Southern University and Mercer University, respectively.

Positioning in Marketing: Carving Out Your Business Niche

by Cydney Hatch • October 3, 2018

No matter what sector you’re in, it’s a safe bet that you’re facing stiff competition these days. The reality of today’s competitive online marketplace means that most businesses now compete with one another on a global scale. That means that to succeed, you need to differentiate yourself from every other company in your sector. 

Does that sound like a tall order? It all comes down to learning how to define your business and carving out a unique niche for yourself. That’s all part of a process known as positioning marketing — and it is very much within your reach.

Intrigued? This article will explain exactly what you need to do to make a name for yourself, establish your brand  in your given industry, and set up positioning strategies. Keep reading to find out how to successfully use positioning in marketing to grow your business and stand apart from the competition.

What is Market Positioning?

Market positioning is the process of defining your business’s brand and associating that brand with a particular set of values. The goal behind market positioning is not only to increase sales but also to create a clear public perception of what your brand stands for.

This isn’t just a matter of creating positive associations with your brand. It’s a matter of creating highly specific, unique associations. You want to ensure that whenever consumers see your logo, they think about what differentiates your company from the rest.

Think about what happens, for example, when most people see a Rolls-Royce logo. They immediately think of luxury, high quality, and status. They may picture themselves behind the wheel of a Rolls-Royce and think, with pleasure, of what they’d do and how they’d feel. It’s not just a positive connection — it’s a very unique set of associations.

In contrast, think about what happens when people see a McDonald’s logo. They might think about fun, flavor, and low-cost relaxation. They may remember all the times they’ve visited McDonald’s throughout their lives and think fondly about the good times they’ve had there with their friends. 

The McDonald’s logo brings up very different associations from the Rolls-Royce logo. But both are positive and strong, and both create connections between consumers and the brand. That’s the goal of market positioning. 

What Are the Key Elements of Market Positioning?

An effective market positioning strategy will use what are known as the four P’s — promotion, price, place, and product. Here’s how those P’s operate.

This is where consumers can buy your products or services. Most businesses will benefit from making their products available in several different places. Ideally, your customers should be able to buy products from you in-store, at trade shows, and in a variety of online locations. You can sell your products through apps, affiliate marketing, and third-party vendors.

Remember that the places your products are sold should reflect positively on your brand. If you’re using a third-party vendor, make sure that their website or store shares the same values as your business does. You want to create a consistent image of your brand. Imagine how confusing it would be to find your favorite fast food hamburgers, for example, being sold in an upscale French restaurant. Go for a coherent, reliable market position that sends a clear message to consumers.

This refers to the cost of your product. Ideally, your price should remain fairly stable across different locations. There may be some fluctuation, but you’ll want consumers to associate your brand with a certain price range. If customers think of you as an affordable brand, for example, you’ll want to make sure that you maintain that image. 

Your price is a key aspect of your brand positioning effort. This does not necessarily mean that you need to offer low-cost products; as we saw with the Rolls-Royce example, some consumers place a high value on luxury goods. However, it does mean that your pricing should be consistent and clear.

This includes all of the products your company provides. A fast food company like McDonald’s or Burger King, for example, provides hamburgers, chicken nuggets, French fries, and a range of other foods. An automotive business like Ford provides cars, trucks, and other motor vehicles. 

Typically, each company has a few stand-out products that consumers associate closely with their brand. They then build on those core products over time. McDonald’s may be best-known for their hamburgers and French fries but they are becoming known for their salads and coffees, as well. 

Your business’ products should be recognizable and reliable, but you should never let your offerings grow stale. Keep an eye on the market as demands change so that you’ll have the flexibility to meet demands without losing your brand positioning.

This covers all of the marketing efforts that a business uses to inform connect with consumers. Everything from social media marketing to billboards falls into this broad category.

Promotion doesn’t just inform consumers about your new products — it also helps to achieve brand positioning. Your promotional style, the visuals and the language that you choose, and even the medium that you use for advertising, all help to establish a clear brand voice.

How to Apply Market Positioning Strategy

The more narrowly you can define how each of the four P’s apply to your brand, the better. After all, the overarching goals should be to stand out from the competition and present a clear, consistent image of your business. Let’s look at how some leading brands do this.

Audi and Tesla

Audi and Tesla both position themselves as high-priced, luxury status symbols. Beyond this similarity, though, the two brands differ significantly. Audi is a long-standing luxury auto brand, while Tesla is a trendy and sometimes rowdy upstart. Tesla’s products are designed to be eco-friendly, whereas Audi’s are not.

The cars will appeal to a different clientele, and this difference will be reflected in their promotional material.

Wendy’s and Starbucks

Wendy’s positions itself as an affordable place to get cheap meals. Starbucks positions itself as an upscale coffee shop and purveyor of beverages and snacks. As far as pricing and products, the two businesses are far from each other.

Their promotional materials are, likewise, very different from each other. They are designed to appeal to different consumers. Wendy’s advertisements usually promote the company’s new hamburgers, emphasizing their low price and their intense flavor.

Starbucks, in contrast, stresses the company’s luxurious offerings. One typical advertisement contains the following value proposition statements:

• The best coffee
• Rich & smooth flavors
• The finest milk used
• Natural and clean
• 100% recycled paper use

The message is clear: Starbucks is promising customers that they will receive high-quality, eco-conscious, and upscale products which they will thoroughly enjoy. In contrast to most Wendy’s ads, the Starbucks ad does not advertise low prices or talk about good deals. Instead, it focuses on the quality of the products and the value that the product will contribute to your life.

The places where Starbucks products are sold are usually upscale, while Wendy’s could be less so. Even though both companies provide food and beverages, they have effectively positioned themselves very differently and each has a very different target market , so much that they are not competing with each other.

Building a Market Positioning Strategy

Positioning your brand is not a one-time proposition. It takes constant energy and effort. Every business will need to create  ongoing marketing initiatives so that consumers retain their impression of the company and the brand. Ideally, you should be constantly reinforcing your target market’s impressions of your business and brand.

How, exactly, does that work? We’ll get into the steps to building an effective market positioning strategy below.

What Is a Market Positioning Strategy?

The purpose of a great market positioning strategy is to take your marketing efforts  to the next level and educate consumers about your products and services. We’ve seen how Starbucks uses its marketing to sell its products and its overall ethos. Every business can similarly use market positioning.

Successful brand positioning will entail using the correct brand values, messaging, and outreach. Market positioning is a complex process, and it will look slightly different for each business. Here are some of the key elements that should be involved in the process.

Steps to an Effective Marketing Position Strategy

It’s impossible to overstate the fact that each business is different. There is no simple, one-size-fits-all approach to market positioning strategy. Nevertheless, some basic steps apply to most businesses. Keep reading for our step-by-step guide to crafting the best possible market positioning strategy for your business. 

Step One: Create a Positioning Statement

Your positioning statement defines the brand identity that your business aims to present. In short, it is the center of your business’s identity, setting out your values and your overall ethos. 

Your positioning statement also sets out a plan for winning over consumers. It identifies who, exactly, your target audience is. At the same time, it identifies their major pain points and then explains how they will be resolved by your business.

Several key elements are involved in creating a great positioning statement. That includes:

• Deciding on your target audience
• Determining where your target market should be
• Crafting a unique value proposition statement
• Create content  to support your value proposition statement

It can be helpful to see what a business  like Amazon presents as a value proposition statement: “For internet users who want things fast and easy, Amazon.com is a retail database that provides instant access to millions of items. Unlike traditional retailers, Amazon.com provides a combination of extraordinary convenience, low prices, and comprehensive selection.”

Your positioning statement is going to be your guide, going forward, for all of the  key marketing and advertising decisions  that your business is responsible for making. It will continuously inform every choice that you make to positively impact your potential customer’s perception of your brand. 

How can you tell whether you’ve effectively created a market positioning strategy? Here’s how you’ll know if you haven’t done it right. One of the biggest red flags to watch for, indicating that you have neglected your market positioning strategy, is that there is a disconnect from your target audience. If your audience is confused by you, there’s a good chance that you misunderstand yourself on some level.

If you are struggling to figure out what your positioning statement should look like, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you have a clear definition of your business?
• Have you clearly explained how your company is differentiated from other companies in the same sector?
• Does your positioning statement contain a unique value proposition?
• Does your positioning statement define the people in your target audience and explain their most relevant needs?
• Can you apply your positioning statement consistently across all of the areas of your business? 
• Is your positioning statement clear and easy to understand for your target audience and other consumers?
• Can you deliver on the promises made in your positioning statement?

Hopefully, you should be able to answer the questions above in a positive manner. If not, they should give you a roadmap to the areas that require improvement. It can be difficult to solve all of these issues alone, of course. Sometimes, it’s a good idea to consult with experts who can offer their know-how in the field.

Step Two: Simplify and Tagline

Once you have a strong brand positioning statement you can then create a tagline, or better known as a slogan, to use externally for potential customer messaging. Instead of using the positioning statement, this is a shorter, snappier version of what you want your customers to know.

For example, here are some business taglines:

• Home Depot: “You can do it. We can help.”
• L’Oreal: “Because you’re worth it.”
• Nike: “Just do it.”
• Southwest Airlines: “The short-haul, no-frills, and low-priced airline.”
• State Farm: “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.”
• Target: “Expect more. Pay less.”
• Walmart: “Always low prices. Always.”

By simplifying your positioning statement, you can easily use these in other marketing efforts to get your business point across a lot sexier than an internal, longer, and detailed positioning statement.

Step Three: Competitor Analysis  

Investigating and analyzing the competition helps to determine the strengths and weaknesses of your own business but also helps you carve out your positioning in the market.

Understanding the differences between a business and its competitors is central to finding gaps in the market that can be filled. So, when you are looking at your competitors consider the following:

• Competitor objectives: Market share and growth rate
• Competitor history:  Past marketing efforts, cultural factors, market trends, messaging, and engagement
• Competitor strategy:  White papers, promotional campaigns, advertisements
• Competitor audience:  Engagement, social media, features, collaborations

By understanding where your competition stands, you will better know the direction you need to go to make yourself stand out. Why be like everyone else when you can construct a positioning strategy that does things better than your competition?

Step Four: Find Current Position

After you figure out where your competition is, you might want to then understand where your business currently stands. When you understand this, you can properly compete for your market share. You cannot grow without a starting point, so define where you are with the same competition analysis questions we discussed earlier.

Step Five: Develop Your Unique Position

Since you have all the data ready to have a holistic understanding of your market, audience, and competition, you should have a better idea of who you are, who you are not, and who you want to be to the best target audience. At this point, you will be able to create strong marketing plan strategies that can effectively position your business in the market.

Make sure your marketing efforts and messaging are always reflecting your mission and positioning statement.

Step Six: Positioning in Advertisements

Advertisements  are usually the first and most impactful places businesses position themselves.

Again, when creating advertisements and other content, ask yourself: Is my business and value proposition being shared clearly? If you are a facial skincare business, for example, you must determine who you are targeting and what customer needs are.  If the intended target is trying to help teenage girls overcome acne issues, the content in your advertisements might need to include:

• Value statements: We help acne — easy use, customer testimonials, and success stories
• Young design: Feminine, bright, youthful, possible influencer they would recognize
• Young female models: Personal connection so they can see themselves in the product
• Comparison statements: We are different from St. Ives or other over the counter scrubs, we use different technology
• Quick usage: Text us at 1888ACNE to get 10% off, manage your mobile-friendly account online

To note the importance of positioning, this same type of advertisement might not work for a skincare company that wants to help women’s skin look younger.

Every marketing effort you make needs to intimately be a part of your positioning statement and mission.

Test Your Market Positioning

At Disruptive, we truly believe  you should test everything  and continue to do so throughout your business career. Testing includes qualitative and quantitative data gathering that can include focus groups, surveys, and  laddering interviews .

Based on the findings of these tests, you can solidify your positioning in marketing and transform your marketing efforts. When you have a strong internal message, it can become the blueprint for the development of all that’s creative.

Now, if you find that your positioning in marketing is a bit off, you can always reposition. Let’s take a look at that process in the next section.

What Is Market Repositioning?

Unfortunately, no matter how beautifully craft your marketing positioning, people will have their ideas of what your business is. Positioning is not something you do, but rather, is the result of your customer’s perception of what you do.

So, like any marketing effort, you should be prepared to adapt and change your market position as needed. By examining the essence of what you are and comparing it with what your customers want, things might need to change. Hence, repositioning.

Market repositioning is when a company changes its existing brand or product status in the marketplace. Repositioning is usually done due to declining performance or major shifts in the environment.

It is best to see what worked and what did not work in your previous marketing efforts to best reposition yourself in the market. It also be might that you do not need to rehaul all of your positioning in marketing. Many companies, instead of repositioning, choose to launch a new product or brand because of the high cost and effort required to successfully reposition a brand or product.

By examining the essence of what you are and comparing it with what your customers want, the doors open to building a business with a strong positioning in the mind of the customer.

Positioned for Success

Positioning is often used nowadays as a broad synonym for marketing strategy, but positioning in marketing should be thought of as an element of strategy, not as the strategy itself.

Positioning is — and should be — intimately connected to the concept of “target market.” With the above elements and a solid understanding of positioning, you should be able to carve a strong place out for your business! If you focus on the potential customer, target market, and put in the efforts to see how they work together for your positioning, you will come out on top!

Working With the Experts

By now, you should have a good sense of how market positioning works. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re ready to carry it out on your own.

Ideally, business leaders should have a solid understanding of marketing strategies but should also feel comfortable outsourcing the research, pricing, and nitty-gritty implementation to others. That’s why so many businesses are turning to Disruptive Advertising to perfect their market positioning strategy. Get in touch today to start a conversation about what we can do for your business.

Cydney Hatch

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Positioning

By Entrepreneur Staff

Positioning Definition:

How you differentiate your product or service from that of your competitors and then determine which market niche to fill

Positioning helps establish your product's or service's identity within the eyes of the purchaser. A company's positioning strategy is affected by a number of variables related to customers' motivations and requirements, as well as by its competitors' actions.

Before you position your product or service, you should answer the following strategic questions about your market and your products or services:

• What's your customer really buying from you? Remember that McDonald's isn't just selling burgers and fries. It sells fast food that tastes the same, no matter when or where it's ordered, in an environment that's clean and friendly to families.
• How's your product or service different from those of your competitors? A cheeseburger is a cheeseburger, you may think. But look how McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's differentiate their fast food. They offer different side dishes (onion rings at Burger King, french-fried potatoes at McDonald's), different toys with kids' meals (a big incentive for the under-age-10 set), and different ways of cooking their burgers (Burger King's are broiled, McDonald's, grilled).
• What makes your product or service unique? In New England, McDonald's is the only fast-food chain to offer lobster rolls (a lobster salad sandwich served in a grilled hot-dog roll) in the summer.

Once you've answered these strategic questions based on your market research, you can then begin to develop a positioning strategy for your business plan. A positioning statement for a business plan doesn't have to be long or elaborate, but it does need to point out who your target market is, how you'll reach them, what they're really buying from you, who your competitors are, and what your USP (unique selling proposition) is.

Remember, the right image packs a powerful marketing punch. To make it work for you, follow these steps:

• Create a positioning statement for your company. In one or two sentences, describe what distinguishes you from your competition.
• Test your positioning statement. Does it appeal to your target audience? Refine it until it speaks directly to their wants and needs.
• Use the positioning statement in every written communication to customers.
• Create image-marketing materials that communicate your positioning. Don't skimp.
• Include your team in the image-marketing plan. Help employees understand how to communicate your positioning to customers.

More from Marketing

Competition.

Rivalry in business, as for customers or markets

Competitive Analysis

Identifying your competitors and evaluating their strategies to determine their strengths and weaknesses relative to those of your own product or service

Competitive Intelligence

The process of gathering actionable information on your business's competitive environment

Competitive Matrix

A chart that compares your product or service to your competitor(s)

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Segmentation, Targeting, & Positioning (STP Marketing): The Marketer's Guide

Published: December 06, 2023

As a content strategist, I like to ask my clients a lot of questions, starting with, "Who’s your target audience?"

But do you know what answer I always dread hearing? "Everyone"

While it’s nice to believe that everyone would be interested in purchasing your product or service, this definition (or lack thereof) creates way more work for you and also does a disservice to your actual target market. This is where segmentation, targeting, and positioning come into play.

We developed this guide to help you understand how and why you should invest time into STP for better, more effective marketing. Let’s dive in.

What is segmentation, targeting, and positioning (STP Marketing)?

Segmentation, targeting, and positioning (often referred to as segmentation-targeting-positioning or STP marketing) is a consumer-centric approach to marketing communications. The STP model helps deliver more relevant, personalized messages to target audiences.

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At its core, STP marketing helps you to better target your marketing messages and better serve your customer base.

Here's an example: I once created a marketing strategy for a fitness apparel brand. Rather than appeal to all fitness enthusiasts across the board, the brand wanted to target a specific segment within their target market: female yoga fans in their 30s and 40s. 

Ultimately, our marketing campaign was much more efficient and cost-effective since we knew our audience, where to reach them, and what messages would resonate.

Conducting an STP Marketing Analysis

STP allows you to take a large, anonymous audience and define how your different products (or different components of the same product) relate to specific consumer segments within that larger audience — thus understanding how to position your product(s) and messaging to grab the attention of each segment.

Let’s unpack each part of the segmentation-targeting-positioning model.

1. Segmentation

Segmentation refers to the process of dividing your audience into smaller groups based on certain characteristics. This process allows you to group your individual audience members into similar groups so you can better communicate your products, features, and benefits that may be most relevant to them.

You can segment your audience based on one or more of these criteria:

• Demographics , which typically answer the question of who your buyer is (e.g. age, gender, education, location, and profession)
• Psychographics , which answer the question of why your buyer buys (e.g. priorities, personality traits, and beliefs and values)
• Lifestyle traits , such as hobbies, entertainment preferences, and non-work activities
• Behavior , such as brand loyalty, channel preferences, and other shopping habits

Segmentation may sound a little familiar to another process we often discuss here on the HubSpot blog — creating buyer personas .

While the two are very similar, buyer personas help you create a handful of customer profiles that represent your broader audience. Segmentation allows you to split your audience into countless groups, each of which you can uniquely target.

For example, let’s say Paws & Tails is a Chicago pet-sitting company that offers pet-sitting, dog walking, and boarding services. Given the vast number of pet owners in the city, they need to segment their audience into smaller groups to better understand how to position their services.

Based on their research and current customer base, they split their audience into three main segments:

• Segment A is made up of high-income pet owners who work often and need daytime dog walking and pet pop-in visits.
• Segment B is made up of middle-class individuals and families who travel and need overnight boarding or pet-sitting services.
• Segment C is made up of older pet owners and retirees who need help caring for their pets.

2. Targeting

With your audience segments in hand, it’s time to move on to the targeting phase. First, however, you must decide which segments are worth targeting with your marketing. To decipher this, I like to ask myself the following questions about each segment:

• Is this segment composed of enough potential customers to justify targeting? Would it yield enough profits if the segment were to convert?
• Is it measurably different from the other segments?
• Is it accessible by all members of Marketing and Sales?
• Is your company equipped and able to serve the segment? Are there any physical, legal, social, or technological barriers that could prevent that?

Choosing what segments to target is a strategic decision. Thankfully, certain strategic planning models — the PESTLE analysis is a personal favorite — can help you better understand the viability of each segment.

It takes a lot of work to successfully target a segment of your audience. But from my experience, whether you’ve identified two segments or ten, don’t feel the need to target more than one segment at once. In fact, I've found that targeting one at a time can help you better position your marketing for each specific segment.

Following our example from before, Paws & Tails conducts research to better understand its Chicago audience. Paws & Tails finds that Segment A makes up 60% of its market size, Segment B makes up 30%, and Segment C makes up 10%. Moreover, Segment A has a higher average income and is willing to pay more for pet-sitting and walking services. Because of this, they choose to focus on Segment A.

3. Positioning

At this point, you should understand the demographics, psychographics, motivations, and pain points of the segments you’ve chosen to target, which can provide a place to start when it comes to positioning your product or service.

First, take a step back and examine your product or service through the perspective of your chosen segment. If you were in their shoes, why would you choose your product over a competitor’s? What features or benefits are most relevant to you, based on the motivations and pain points you’ve identified?

This information is important to defining your brand positioning and understanding how it stacks up next to your competitors. One way to understand where you, well, stand is by building a positioning map , which is “the visual plotting of specific brands against axes, where each axis represents an attribute that is known to drive brand selection.”

The segment you choose to target should dictate what two attributes you plot on your positioning map. For example, let’s say Paws & Tails decides Segment A selects pet-sitting brands based on two attributes: service area and reliability.

By understanding 1) what the target segment deems most important for brand selection and 2) where its competitors succeed (and fall short), Paws & Tails is able to identify an open market opportunity and position its marketing to best fit the needs and goals of its audience.

Using Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning in Marketing

The STP model is a priceless addition to any marketing strategy, regardless of your industry, product, or audience. It prioritizes efficient and effective marketing and ensures you’re delivering only the most relevant, targeted messaging across the board.

It also plays an important role in developing other strategies, such as your buyer personas, customer lifecycle stages, and core brand proposition.

By leading with a consumer-centric approach like STP, you can be sure that every inch of your marketing is relevant to your audience — thus, increasing the likelihood that they convert, purchase, and become lifelong customers.

Examples of Great Market Segmentation and Positioning

Brands are segmenting, targeting, and positioning their audiences and marketing constantly, oftentimes without us (consumers) even noticing. Ever seen a brand or product and thought “Huh, that’s perfect for me” or “Wow, right place at the right time”? Yeah … you’ve been subject to the STP model.

Let’s review a few examples of great marketing segmentation and positioning.

1. Panera Bread

Panera has successfully cornered the “health-conscious” and “ climate-conscious ” segment of the fast casual dining industry. Is Panera’s food so different from other fast casual options? Not entirely.

But by branding themselves with the perspective that “we believe that good food, food you can feel good about, can bring out the best in all of us”, Panera remains top-of-mind as a place to get high-quality food, fast.

2. AllBirds

How did AllBirds position itself to set itself apart from the competition? By elevating its eco-consciousness and placing that front and center in its marketing. According to the AllBirds website, the brand “crafts with planet-friendly natural materials, like merino wool and eucalyptus trees, because they're our best chance for a sustainable future.”

At first glance, AllBirds shoes don’t look too terribly different from other running or walking shoes. However, its audience segment that cares about sustainability and earth-conscious products knows the difference.

No longer can businesses simply segment their audiences by “men” and “women” — the individuals within each broad gender group vary too much, and razor brand Billie took note of this.

In an effort to extinguish the “pink tax,” Billie markets cost-friendly razors and associated products. Moreover, they work to normalize body hair and other forgotten or shamed parts of women’s bodies.

Through this positioning, Billie is able to set their products apart from competitors and create a strong, positive community around their brand.

The world of online dating is a busy, strange place. From Tinder to FarmersOnly.com, there seems to be a place for everyone to meet, well, anyone. Hinge came on the scene only a handful of years ago, yet it has skyrocketed to the top of the list of the most popular and reliable dating app.

Time and time again, I’ve heard that Hinge is a favorite because it works — meaning it helps people meet people and make real relationships. You wouldn’t think a dating app would position themselves to eventually be unnecessary, but that’s exactly what Hinge has done. In fact, its mission statement is to “[build] an app that’s designed to be deleted.”

By putting the needs and desires of its audience front and center, Hinge has created a more trustworthy, in-demand online dating experience and set itself apart from its competitors.

The Case for Using STP Marketing

The segmentation-targeting-positioning model is designed to help you better target your marketing messages and better serve your customer base. It’s a win-win for you and your customers!

This article was originally published October 29, 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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