What Is the Value and Purpose of a Marketing Positioning Statement?
An effective positioning statement is an extremely valuable element of a company's market positioning strategy, in which it outlines its offering to each market segment. The statement specifically identifies the specific and valuable benefits offered by the brand to the market being targeted by the company.
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Positioning Basics
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Distinct market positioning is essential to long-term business success. It involves communicating marketing messages to a particular target market that show how the advertiser's brand delivers the best value to address the needs or concerns of target customers. Positioning is a relative concept. For it to work, the company needs to show how its product or service is distinct from, or better than, other brands in what it offers.
Differentiation
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Integral to positioning is differentiation. This means distinguishing a brand or its product or service from others. Companies do this by establishing their brand as different and better in the delivery of certain tangible or intangible benefits. Common traits that companies use to create a distinct position include quality, service, unusual design features and lower prices. Consistently reinforcing a distinct message through marketing repetition and product performance helps establish and maintain differentiation.
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Statement Example
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As noted, the offering and the target customers served by it are key in positioning statements. Some companies focus on one customer market while others target several individual market segments and position differently to each. "Company X offers the most advantages in a quality all-in-one mobile entertainment device through which young, cutting-edge tech-savvy buyers can watch TV and movies, listen to music or play video games," is a sample positioning statement. It identifies the company, who it targets and what makes it different and better. This statement should guide the creation and placement of ad messages.
Positoning Themes
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To get the most value from positioning, the company must select the appropriate positioning theme. User, benefit and competitiveness are three common themes. Inherent to success with any is the creation of a specific and valued brand perception in the mind of consumers. User positioning works best when a company makes a particular type of customer the central focus of its operation and product development. Benefit positioning is common when a brand has a very different and highly valued benefit desired by the target market. Competitive positioning is used in competitive industries to show how the advertiser's brand is different and better than the other top brands.
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References
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