Positioning as the Foundation for Great Messages

Positioning is a strategic process that helps companies create associations in customers' minds by providing what they want better than competitors. A tagline, brand name, or logo are not a position, and choosing a position without segmenting the market and targeting a specific segment is just a message. To create a positioning statement, you must include customer benefits and ensure you can provide them better than competitors.

Positioning is not just a tactic, but also takes into account how to purposely migrate your position over time. New competition typically enters by providing different benefits or enhanced amounts of the current benefits. Segmenting the market is a must to create a defensible position, as it helps to avoid being blindsided by new competitors and substitute products.

The foundation of a positioning statement starts with customer benefits and a focus on benefits also helps to extend products into new growth areas. Positioning statements aren't attractive, but they provide something to build on and create a powerful message that connects with customers and remains defensible against competitors.