Brand Positioning Simplified – Positioning is Branding, Branding is Positioning

A photographer requires finding the best angle of a shot. – to show the actual message of the imagery A bartender needs to hit the right blend of the coffee. – to give the actual flavor  A real estate seller should offer the most significant quality of the property. – to present the uniqueness  I can list down more, but I think you got my point.  Like these individuals, entrepreneurs like you must also do things to highlight your message, flavor, and unique qualities.  So, were you able to find the best angle, the right blend, and the most significant quality of your brand?  Here’s what we are digging with today.

What is Brand Positioning?

Brand positioning is a way of building a mental position and recognition to your audience. An effective brand positioning leads the audience to identify you immediately.  One picture 🖼️, one song 🎶, one idea 💬…  Anything that connects your brand, they quickly remember your company.  One best example? Apple. As you heard their brand name, your mind instantly remembers iPhones, MAC laptops, AirPods, and other high-tech products! 🤳 Nope, it’s not magic… It is what you call successful “positioning.”  Apple has made a tremendous positioning of their brand, highlighting the best angle, right blend, and most significant quality through their cool gadgets and devices. One more example? Tesla. Did your mind imagine self-driving cars? 🚗  Right, you are good with this. Tesla positioned their luxurious cars with eco-friendly, long-range, and electric vehicles. They hit the “uniqueness level” as they differ from various gas-powered luxury cars. Excellent positioning, huh!

Why Positioning is Branding and vice versa?

Brand positioning is sufficient to build your brand, and so you must align your branding to your desired position. If you aim for a specific position and it does not really reflect on your brand, it could lead to confusion. In an instance, you might like to highlight simple and inexpensive products as your company positioning. In this case, you want people to remember your business suitable for the middle-class audience featuring very affordable products.  But then, your branding covers grand, wild, and even expensive-hitting appeal to the people.  Outcomes? Bad! It is totally unclear for everyone what your business really portrays! 🤯 That is why positioning is as important as associating with your branding. Remember, biz people, if you miss either of these, you will most likely fail in both.  So what should you do? 🤔 Start Positioning NOW.  Here are the things I am thrilled to share with you to bring out the best angle, the right blend, and the most significant quality of your brand.

What?

Consider WHAT you are offering to the market. List down the categories that you would like to focus on. Through this, you couldThis company rocked its position by balancing where they want to belong.

Who?

The brand positioning also aims to have a precise and accurate target audience. If you get lost with this, you will also mislead by your track of branding, marketing, advertising, and finally… bankruptcy. Nike never failed to this part. How? They positioned their company with the right audience. The brand says, “Nike is a brand for winners.”  Very clear, right? They aim to target people who are competitive in sports. They maintain their super sports kicks and attire for their people. 

How?

Don’t just sit and wait for a positioning idea. Conduct both quick and extensive research. Make it simple but accurate. Through this, you will hit the best angle of your brand.  Another tip is to check out your competitors’ positioning. Sometimes, their inverse position is perfect for you. Surprise!  Let’s see JetBlue. They made an incredible positioning while Delta focused on removing peanuts and reducing airplane legroom. While JetBlue concentrates on providing a fun, valuable, and comfortable airplane experience. How? Unlike Delta, JetBlue added more snacks, carries excellent friendly service, and an expansive leg room!  They did their research well!

When?

Do positioning before marketing! Don’t flaunt your “unpositioned” brand in the market yet. That would be a disaster.  Remember how Dove released a limited edition abstract shapes bottles to reflect on female body shapes? It sent a wrong message to people, which causes self-consciousness and sensitivity to all body images.  Lesson: prepare your positioning first before showing your brand. Go back to the “How” part and see how you can improve it.

‘Til When? 

Yup, this part is still included. You need to continuously improve your positioning as time goes by.  Amazon is very intimidating with this part. Why? They are really great at maintaining and improving their brand positioning!  Did you know that they have a new shopping technology while still keeping their classic advanced and comfortable shopping experience? They use Amazon Go. It is a shopping place without cashiers, so people don’t need to wait in line. They can also just slid items into their pockets and leave the store right away. They positioned it as “Just Walk Out Shopping.”  And automatically, you are paying for the products through your Amazon account.  No social interactions or so on… perfect for pandemic!  Like Amazon and their new Amazon Go, you need to continue positioning your brand.  But for now, take one step at a time.  Schedule a call and let me know what’s your favorite company showcasing the best positioning… and why.