|
|
A Primer on Positioning: Five Key Steps
By Deborah Henken
Marketing is about providing a selected
set of customers the products and services they want and need. Positioning
is a valuable step in understanding the strategic decisions that will
need to be made to be successful. A successful company considers the
customers they are serving, what is the value they can bring to the
customers, and how they can differentiate themselves from other companies,
and then creates the products, services and delivery channels which
provide more value than any other company. By successfully thinking
about positioning, companies can distinguish themselves in ways meaningful
to their target customers. There are five steps to positioning starting
with understanding customer needs and leading to building your brand
equity.
- Define target customers and market segment to dominate
The first step in positioning is studying potential target customers.
Companies must understand the needs of targeted customers and
determine which segments make the most business sense to target
based on the opportunity uncovered. After carefully understanding
the target market and segments, including their spending patterns,
needs, demographics, and other information about them, specific
industries, functions and even specific titles of customers can
be selected to target.
- Develop compelling value proposition
Once the needs of the target are understood, companies can determine
what value can be created for the target. It is important to develop
a value proposition that is compelling to the target, whether
it is a product, service, the way the product is delivered, or
even the way the customer is treated.
- Differentiate from competitors
Once deciding on the target, understanding their needs, and determining
how to create value for them, a thorough competitive analysis
must be undertaken. To be successful in the business opportunity,
companies must make sure they are differentiated in the customer's
mind. To win in a competitive business market, companies must
make sure the position they take is clearly different from the
other competitors in the market.
- Develop positioning statement and messages
Once you are clear as to what your customers want, what you can
deliver of value to them, and how to differentiate from your competitors,
write it down. Your positioning statement should become the foundation
for you and your employees to use when making business strategy
decisions, so that all decisions support and strengthen your positioning
in the market. By writing a clear positioning statement, you can
then develop the messages you need to convey to each of your audiences
to create awareness and demand. Of course, your messages must
be based on the real, valuable and differentiable product, pricing,
and distribution strategies you have developed.
- Build your position.
By creating a positioning statement, you've gained understanding
of what the market needs and how you can fill a gap with a valuable
solution. Now is the time to communicate about your company and
products, using the positioning statement as a guide. Communicate
your strengths and benefits and supply the evidence, not only
in what you say, but what your company produces and how it acts.
Communicate though an integrated marketing program to all your
audiences, including customers, prospects, industry analysts,
the press, the community.
Positioning Statement Template
To: _________________________ (Target)
Who:________________________ (Have this problem)
Our Product/Service is a: _________ (category)
That: ________________________ (Fill in the value proposition
)
Unlike:________________________ (competition, or way of doing
it now)
Our Product____________________ (fill in the key differentiation)
|
|
