Boiled down into its simplest terms, brand positioning is the place that a brand occupies in the minds of its audiences and how it is differentiated from its competition. A successful positioning helps a brand to establish a clear and memorable identity in the marketplace.
So in other words, this is basically the fundamental principle which underpins most decisions made in branding and marketing! Every choice you make when creating, building and managing a brand should be, at least in a large part, with the intent of maintaining and enhancing how it is perceived by audiences.
It has been said that Coca-Cola’s brand is recognised by 94% of the world’s population, this doesn’t just happen by accident. (Although we’d love to know just how far these marketing statisticians ventured into the Amazon rainforest contacting local tribes to give everyone their say). Ultimately, Coca-Cola’s ongoing legacy has been achieved through decades of nailing and evolving their positioning strategy.
In today’s blog we will explore 10 such brand positioning strategies that help to make brands more memorable, increase awareness and communicate their value to audiences.
- Customer-Centric Positioning: Focuses on delivering an exceptional customer experience every time your audiences purchase from or interact with your brand. Customer-centric brands are also widely known for listening to and values their customers, this strategy is fundamental in building customer loyalty. – Example – Disney
- Quality and Premium Positioning: Emphasises the superior quality and positions the brand as a premium or luxury option. This strategy often involves using high-quality materials, craftsmanship, and premium pricing to reinforce the brand’s image. Premium brands are strategic in their distribution and often avoid promotional discounts. – Example – Channel
- Differentiation: Highlights all of the unique features or attributes that set the brand’s products or services apart from competitors, this could include innovation or distinctive design features. The goal is to create a perception of distinctiveness in the minds of consumers. – Example – Apple
- User Convenience: Positioning the brand as the most convenient and user-friendly option on the market. Brands using this strategy prioritise ease of use, accessibility, and a seamless customer experience, whilst communicating these benefits throughout their messaging and identity. – Example – Amazon
- Price-based Strategy: Positioning your brand as a leader in offering the best value or the lowest prices in the market. Brands using this strategy often emphasise affordability and may focus on cost-saving measures in production and distribution. – Example – Aldi
- Cultural and Emotional Connection: Building a brand that connects with consumers on a cultural or emotional level. This can involve aligning the brand with values, lifestyles, or cultural trends that resonate with the target audience. – Example – North Face
- Niche Positioning: Targeting a specific niche or segment of the market that is unoccupied or has unique needs. Niche positioning can be effective in building a loyal customer base within a specialised market. – Example – Dollar Shave Club
- Local or Global Positioning: Brands can be positioned as a local, regional, or global player, depending on the market and consumer preferences. Local positioning may emphasise community ties, while global positioning highlights a brand’s international presence. – Example – Walmart
- Heritage and Tradition: Leveraging a long history and tradition to create a sense of trust and authenticity. Brands using this strategy often celebrate their long-standing presence in the market. – Example – Levi’s
- Partnerships and Alliances: Collaborating with other brands, organisations, or influencers to enhance the brand’s positioning and reach. Partnerships can help a brand align itself with a complementary image and to tap into existing, overlapping audiences. – Example – Supreme
It’s worth noting that these strategies are not all mutually exclusive, brands often employ more than one positioning strategy at once to give them a more rich, complex and unique makeup.
However, brands obviously wouldn’t use two conflicting strategies at the same time, i.e price leadership whilst also trying to achieve a luxury positioning, as this inconsistency would confuse audiences.
Keep your eyes peeled for more Notepad content on positioning strategies in this series, where we’ll be delving into how to create a comprehensive strategy for your brand. Thanks for reading!
