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The Branding Process - Positioning

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By Roger Griffin, Associate Partner
FOCUS Business Marketing Intelligence

3 Keys to Successful Brand Development: Segmentation, Differentiation & Positioning

In the last issue we looked at Differentiation - one of the 3 most important considerations you will need to explore and define in your development of a successful brand. Today, we look at the third key factor:

Brand Positioning

Brand Positioning is important in deciding where you want to position your brand within its category and relative to the competition, e.g.:

• Eatzi's Market and Bakery sells itself as the "leader in fine quality take-home food" - a good example of market positioning that clearly addresses a different position in customers' minds and in a rapidly growing market segment.
• Christie's Great Estates sells itself as "your best source for international luxury real estate" - further reinforced by Christie's "brand" as an auctioneer of fine art, furnishings, and more.

Positioning your Brand: What You Do & What Your Customer Does:

You position your Brand in the marketplace;
Your Customer positions your Brand in his/her mind; and
The difference between both roles is very important.

Your challenge is to position your Brand by steering it in the right direction;
i.e., by controlling all the elements which impact the Brand's image in a focused and controlled way in order to influence the customer.

You do this in large part by picking the marketplace segment where you have the best opportunity for undisputed leadership and top-of-mind awareness. Then, you use all the marketing and communications elements at your disposal to influence the customer to position the brand in their mind as unique and special:

• Marketing
• Advertising
• Packaging
• Store Design
• Promotions
• Special events
• Web site / Internet
• POP (Point of Purchase)

N.B. Owning brand superiority in your customer's mind for an important and meaningful customer benefit is your most enduring form of competitive advantage.

Examples:

Costco is positioned as the leader in the discount segment in the groceries category.
Home Depot is the store of choice in the home improvement category.
Whistler Resort is 'your ultimate Winter destination!'

In the branding process, market positioning is not a fixed, inflexible or static process. It is a dynamic activity that constantly changes. It must be reviewed regularly, relative to changing competitive set and new changing customer attitudes and beliefs.

Remember, when you move from your existing branding position to a new position, be sure you do so from a position of strength - in other words, don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

In the next issue, we'll take a look at another key aspect of building a winning brand. I hope you will join us.

Special thanks to John Torella of the J.C.Williams Group for his pioneering work in the art of retail branding.

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