Are you looking for ways to leave a lasting impression of your brand on the minds of your target audience, so they can distinguish it from the competition? Ascent’s brand identity development work is built around exactly this question.
However, you recognize that you cannot expect your audience to figure out why they should choose your brand over a competitor’s on their own. As a result, you must assist them in making that decision, which is where a brand positioning strategy comes into play.
This article will talk about brand positioning, its importance, and how to create a strong brand positioning strategy.
So let’s get started.
What is Brand Positioning?
[Image: A visual representation of brand positioning, showing a brand mark placed at the center of overlapping customer and competitor circles]
The process of positioning your brand in the minds of your customers is called brand positioning. It is a strategy for setting your business apart from the competitors.
Effective brand positioning should be appealing, specific, obvious, and distinct from the competition, as it allows a company’s brand to stand out in the marketplace, highlighting superiority along with one or more distinctive qualities that consumers appreciate.
The brand can be distinguished from other brands based on user benefits, linked brand qualities, and market segment emphasis, among other things.
Now that you understand what brand positioning is, let us move ahead and look at the importance of brand positioning before covering the steps for creating a brand positioning strategy. If your brand’s positioning needs a deeper reset rather than a refresh, our strategic marketing consulting services are designed to support that work end to end.
Importance of Brand Positioning
Sets you apart from the competition
[Image: An illustration of a brand standing out distinctly from a row of similar competitor brands]
Brand positioning lets you carve out a unique zone for your business that no competitor will easily enter, since doing so would mean visibly following in your footsteps.
If your company competes in a competitive market, you must provide the best possible experience. This ensures that your products, services, and company provide a distinct value proposition while also allowing you to explore niche prospects. When it comes to developing a brand positioning strategy, defining your uniqueness will help you stand out from the crowd.
Assist you in concentrating on a certain target market
[Image: A brand icon at the center of a defined target market, surrounded by rings representing audience segments]
Companies that define themselves as specialists tend to grow faster than companies that describe themselves as generalists. A company determines the qualities of the consumer who would be interested in its products or services when it targets a market. It also gathers data on the tastes, preferences, and requirements of these customers.
You will be obliged to tailor your services suitably if you stake a claim to a specific feature or advantage through positioning. Brand positioning is purposefully tailored to the interests, needs, and preferences of the target market’s consumers. As a result, you will be seen as an expert in your category, increasing your worth to potential customers. Our brand identity development process starts with exactly this kind of audience definition work.
Encourages more efficient and innovative decision-making
[Image: A decision-making framework diagram anchored around a central brand positioning statement]
You will have the insight to make more effective decisions throughout the creative process once you have defined the fundamental message required to communicate your brand positioning. Clear positioning is the foundation for clear communication.
Your brand elements and messaging will stay on target and support your positioning if you are clear on where you stand. It becomes easier to take control of your market position when you are consistent.
Adds to the creativity of your brand
[Image: A side-by-side comparison of two similar products, with one clearly differentiated through distinctive branding]
Although many brands offer products and services that are highly similar within the same target market, brand positioning is what distinguishes them. As a result, your brand’s placement can make or break it. Customers will return for more if you combine a unique, inventive approach with excellent execution.
Writing copy is not enough if you want to connect meaningfully with your audience. That is why using visuals is a good option in this scenario. Brand positioning can help you identify the fundamental story that becomes the starting point for engaging your target audience, supported by the right visual language and colors. This is an area where our design services work closely with positioning strategy to keep messaging and visual identity aligned.
Aids in the justification of your pricing strategy
[Image: A pricing comparison chart showing a brand positioned at a premium relative to competitors]
Brand positioning aims to identify and compare your company to the competition. Understanding a competitor’s specific product will help you determine whether your price point is strategic, or help you explain why it is set where it is.
As a result, you will be able to justify why your prices are higher or lower than those of your competitors. Brand positioning can be used to support a pricing strategy. In other words, when a product’s price is high due to its quality and rarity, and the brand positioning reinforces these aspects, the cost becomes acceptable in the eyes of customers. The same principle applies to more economical products, where positioning can justify value-driven pricing.
Steps for Creating a Brand Positioning Strategy
Developing your own brand positioning strategy entails delving into the specifics of your business and figuring out what you do better than anyone else.
The following are the steps for creating a brand positioning strategy.
Determine the company’s distinct characteristics
[Image: A brand audit worksheet listing core values, strengths, and differentiators]
The first step in creating a brand positioning strategy entails an in-depth examination of the brand from within, to determine the core values, fundamentals, strengths, long-term vision, value propositions, attributes, and features that distinguish the brand from others in the market offering similar products and services.
Is your product or service being marketed as just another commodity, or as something distinct? Your current brand positioning can help you figure out where you should go from here. To examine your competition more thoroughly, you will first need to know where you stand today.
Determine your direct competitors
[Image: A competitive landscape map placing several brands relative to one another]
Identifying the brands in the marketplace that pose a direct threat to your brand is the next phase in the positioning process. You must examine and understand competitive brands’ core values, strengths, the nature of their products and services, and their overall approach. You must also identify their unique selling propositions and the characteristics that distinguish them in the market and in customers’ minds.
Examine the market for your products and services and determine which other companies are selling something similar to yours. Ask your sales team which competitors they encounter most often during the sales process.
Your customers are the key to uncovering your direct competition. They frequently mention competitors you were previously unaware of. You can learn more about your competition by reviewing conversations your customers are having on online platforms.
Identify your unique value proposition
[Image: A value proposition canvas showing the intersection of customer needs and brand strengths]
Your value, who you deliver it to, and what sets you apart from the competition are all described in your unique value proposition. Your target market should be able to relate directly to it.
To come up with a proposition that builds this relationship, you must first figure out who your target market is. Knowing your competitors can help you determine what sets you apart and what value you can offer that other businesses cannot. Consider your audience’s pain points in relation to your competitors. Consider the problems your audience faces that your competitors are not solving. Look for the gaps you can fill.
Choosing the right unique value proposition is a process of trial and error. Still, with the appropriate method, you can develop a proposition that clearly demonstrates the value you offer.
Develop your messaging statement and framework
[Image: A brand messaging framework showing mission, vision, and tagline arranged hierarchically]
When determining how to create a brand positioning strategy, it is critical to focus on messaging statements such as the mission statement, vision statement, and tagline. Taglines communicate who you are and what you stand for to the rest of the world.
Although they may sound simple, your brand messaging entails much more than stringing together a few memorable words. Always aim for messaging that speaks directly to your audience’s needs, desires, and pain points.
Your mission and brand positioning statement should adopt a forward-thinking approach. What do you want to achieve? What do you want to accomplish in the end? In line with the brand’s attributes and inherent nature, all messaging should be clear, concise, and distinct. Our go-to-market strategy work often begins at exactly this stage, translating a positioning framework into a launch-ready message.
Build a solid relationship with potential customers
[Image: A brand representative engaging directly with customers in a conversational setting]
Connecting with your customers on a human level before making the hard sell builds trust and helps them have a better experience with your brand. It is one of the important elements of a brand positioning strategy. Communication is an integral part of any good relationship, and it is also a necessary part of building strong customer relationships.
Rather than merely telling each potential customer about your business, have conversations with them. Understand your consumer’s perception, identify what they require, and then demonstrate that you offer a solution to their problem.
Customers can be reached through a variety of online tools and social media platforms. Make sure you are not having a one-way conversation with your customers when interacting with them online. Customers will appreciate it when you take the time to ask them questions and respond to their concerns. Make sure your website is up to standard, and maintain a blog to keep your customers and prospects engaged.
Ascent Case Example: Positioning Awkira Around Five Key Attributes
As a brand consultant, Ascent recently developed the brand identity for PI Industries’ “Awkira” brand, successfully establishing a positioning that resonated with wheat farmers and gained quick acceptance in the market. The approach drew a parallel between the qualities of a diamond and the attributes of Awkira. Just as a diamond is evaluated on its “5 Cs,” meaning cut, color, clarity, carat, and certificate, Awkira was positioned around five key attributes that mattered most to wheat farmers.
This example illustrates the same principle covered throughout this article in practice. Rather than listing generic product benefits, the positioning built a simple, memorable framework that farmers could immediately relate to and recall. It reinforced the brand’s distinct characteristics, spoke directly to a defined target audience, and gave the sales and marketing teams a consistent message to work from, which are the same outcomes a well-built positioning strategy should deliver for any brand. Read more about how this kind of work comes together through our brand identity development services.
Conclusion
[Image: A brand strategy roadmap concluding with a clearly positioned brand at the center of its market]
Without a doubt, strong brand positioning is one of the most important aspects of a brand strategy.
Whatever business you are in, it is likely to be a noisy environment filled with competitors vying for the attention of the same audience. By following the steps outlined above, and by learning from real positioning work like the Awkira example, you can build a strategy that your audience associates with your brand and only your brand. If you would like support building or sharpening your own positioning, our strategic marketing consulting team can help.
