Positioning• Positioning can involve brand name, image, packaging,

the way it is delivered but is usually a combination of these

- A stance

- An attitude

- A perception

- A point of view

Businesses position themselves in various ways in the eyes of the consumer.

Creates an image people associate with the product or service.

Businesses customize their positioning in order to be accepted by the consumer.

Certain positioning will always appeal to some consumers and not others.

Jones Soda has positioned themselves as a young, hip, urban soft-drink company.

BMW has positioned themselves as a luxurious, exclusive, rare car company.

IKEA has positioned themselves as a modern, everyday, practical furniture company.

Customers buy for benefit

Customers expect benefit

Competition tries to offer products with more features

e.g. Maple Syrup

Benefits:

Great Taste

Authentic Canadian

treat

Outdoor association

Memories of past

pancakes

EXAMPLES OF BENEFIT POSITIONING

Double sleeping bag, or a single

Hair straighter but can also curl

Pants that can be zipped to shorts

Orange juice in a reusable bottle

Calls, internet, texting and camera

To gain an effective target-market position, there must be focus on specific consumer segment

Most Expensive

• Luxury good or service

• High-quality item

• Exclusive product or

service

• Marketers try to

educate consumers

about product/service

Least Expensive

• Product seems

inexpensive

• Must maintain some

quality standard

Marketers have two options:

Companies use unique distribution to position themselves

i.e. Jones Soda varies from the usual and sells its beverages in clothing stores. Husqvarna and John Deere don’t sell

their products in Canadian Tire, Home Depot, or Walmart. Why?

Service is the major focus when marketing

Once a service is offered, it must be maintained

A convenience store open 24hrs

A welcoming atmosphere: such as soft music, scented candles, comfortable dressing rooms

An electronics company’s: return policy, guarantee, installation support

Questions

Text Question:Pg. 241 (#8)