Positioning Strategies

The goal of product positioning is to keep your product on top of your customers’ mind when they’re considering a purchase. To be successful, product positioning must achieve three objectives:

• Differentiate your product from the competition’s
• Address important customer buying criteria
• Articulate key product (or company) characteristics

Marketing messages and positioning have a lot in common. During the process of generating product positioning strategies, periodically review each one against the following list of characteristics. Is your product positioning strategy:

• Single-minded—does it convey one primary message at a time?
• Meaningful—will it connect with the target audience?
• Differentiating—does it contrast your strengths against the competition?
• Important—is it pertinent and significant to the target audience?
• Sustainable—will it resonate with the target audience well into the future?
• Believable—will it ring true with the target audience?
• Credible—can you clearly substantiate your claims?

“The goal of product positioning is to keep your product on top of your customers’ mind when they’re considering a purchase.” 

Positioning Strategies

The following is a list of some established product positioning strategies. Think about your product in terms of each one and see how they fit.

• Against a Competitor: Positioning your product directly against a competitor’s typically requires a specific product superiority claim. A memorable example is Avis Rental Cars’ We’re #2. We try harder.
• Away from a Competitor: Positioning yourself as the opposite of your competitor can help you get attention in a market dominated by some other product. A famous example is 7-UP calling itself the Uncola.
• Benefits: This strategy focuses on a benefit your product provides to your target audience. Examples include Volvo’s emphasis on safety and Crest toothpaste’s focus on reducing cavities.
• Product Attributes: Highlighting a specific attribute of your product can also be compelling. For example, Ritz Carlton hotels focus on luxury; Motel 6 focuses on economy.
• Product Categories: Comparing your product to a product in a different category can be an effective way to differentiate yourself. In a soap-compares-itself-to-lotion example, Palmolive dishwashing liquid claims that it softens you hands while you do the dishes.
• Usage Occasions: This kind of positioning stresses when or how your product is used by your target audience. Jeep’s focus on off-road driving is an excellent example.
• Users: Focusing on the unique characteristics of specific users can also be effective. The …For Dummies series of instruction books are attractive to people who want to learn about a topic from a source that doesn’t assume any prior knowledge on the reader’s part.