The Positioning Statement Debriefed
An overview of a positioning statement.
Rules of a Positioning Statement
Your posi)oning statement should be your internal marke)ng guideline for: • Who your primary market is • What you want to communicate to your primary market • How you want to position your brand • The Value you want your customer to see in your brand over other
brands Think of a positioning statement as the nucleus for all that is marketing. Develop first to help guide marketing messaging and creative efforts. It is the uniqueness to which you can standup and shout. The greatest outcome for creating a positioning statement is to give FOCUS to your message, and attract customers who understand precisely what they are buying into. The language is not catchy, it’s plain and simple.
The Nucleus
Positioning Statement
Strategy
Goals
Tactics
Tagline
New Product Developments
Messaging
Communication
Mission/Vision
Brand Identity
Everything marketing should revolve around the Positioning Statement.
Common Mistakes
Here are some common mistakes when wri)ng a posi)oning statement. • Writing the language to be “target audience-‐ready”, like an elevator
speech • Not defining the audience specifically enough • Not identifying benefits that are unique • Using reasons to believe that are too soft or are not verifiable before
purchase
Attributes of Positioning Success
The posi)oning statement should be: • Relevant • Unique • Credible • Clear • Stable If your posi+oning varies too far within the communica+on channels, you will confuse your audience about your brand’s context, promise, personality or values; this is catastrophic.
Q&A
What if customer “B” likes some of our other product/service features? That’s great! But ultimately know who is your key customer. Most customers will appreciate that you have clarity in how you’re the best, and that the language says something different than everyone else.
How does this relate to the vision and mission statements? The vision and mission statements primarily guide the company’s direction as a whole. The positioning statement supports these statements in how it guides the branding and marketing messages. The Mission statement is primarily used to guide employees and how they fit into the business’s core purpose. A Vision statement is where you want the organization to be in the future. A positioning statement is how you want your brand/product/service to be perceived by prospects and customers, so you can create strategies to achieve it.
Can I change the words? Yes, you should tailor words for each communication channel.
Q&A
What if we want to expand our product line into areas that don’t relate to our posi)oning statement?
If you diversify into new territory, then that product line should get it’s own positioning statement with separate marketing messages, strategies, and tactics
Do we have to use these exact words that are in the posi)oning statement? EXTERNALLY -‐ No Use it as a tool to guide your marketing communications to your key customer. It’s okay to mention other features as long as people first clearly understand your uniqueness. Keep statement in mind when developing your marketing messages and choosing images INTERNALLY -‐ Yes Maintaining the exact words of the positioning statement provides clear direction and internal understanding.
Positioning Case Study Example
Brand: Volvo Automobile Posi)oning Statement: Best in Safety Target: upscale, between 25 and 40, well educated, family oriented, motivations include safety, reliability, functionability, fun, style Suppor)ng components of posi)oning statement: Logo represents steel and strength Consumer Reports says that consumers think of Volvo when they think of car safety. Coverage plan – “Safe + Secure. Feel as secure purchasing a new Volvo as you do driving one.” Promotes results in crash tests. Video title -‐ Volvo Car Corporation improves safety with communicating cars Club – Volvo Saved My Life Club World first Pedestrian Detection feature Other secondary benefits: innovative technology, beautiful design, environmental care and quality of life Conclusion: You can state other features and benefits within various communication challenges. The goal is for everyone to know your positioning first, foremost, and top of mind. As an example, Volvo describes their S60 on the website, “Discover the high standard of performance, design and safety of the 2013 Volvo S60 sports sedan, now available with All-‐Wheel Drive. On top of its sleek design, you'll feel the power of its turbocharged engine and advanced stability traction control.”
Volvo Online Support
Volvo Online Support
Positioning Template
Your posi)oning statement should be your internal guideline with a format such as follows: For (target audience) (Brand X) is the only (market context) that (unique benefit delivered) because (reasons to believe -‐ proof that the brand can deliver the unique benefits by items such as suppor+ng features or tes+monials. These proofs should be verifiable before purchase by a prospect; in other words, you shouldn’t have to already be a customer to verify the reasons to believe.)
WORKSHEET Use the next few slides as a guide to create your positioning statement.
Proposed Positioning for __________
We believe that the proposed positioning statement promotes your primary benefit to support your primary features. For (target audience) For _______________________________________________________ Brand X is the only (market context) __________________________________________________________ that (unique benefit delivered) __________________________________________________________ because (reasons to believe) because ___________________________________________________
Benefits to the Primary Target
Here are some examples on how the posi)oning statement will work once it’s seeded into the marketplace: • Insert list on how the primary target may react. __________________
Supporting Features
These are some of the primary features that appear to support the recommended posi)oning statement: • Write down list. ____________________________________
Supporting Messaging
Here are some examples of suppor)ng messages that relate to and strengthen the posi)oning statement, thereby strengthening the mindshare of consumers. Write down list of poten+al messages. ______________________________
Good Articles to Help Understanding
http://www.formalifesciencemarketing.com/newsletters/crafting-‐a-‐clear-‐effective-‐positioning-‐statement/ http://darksidemarketing.com/2009/10/07/practical-‐examples-‐of-‐a-‐positioning-‐statement-‐in-‐action/
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Contact Nicole at 262.289.9210 x215