Brand positioning sets the tone for your business model and marketing plan, guiding your:
Competitive advantage
Product offerings
Visual identity
Messaging
Ultimately, it gives you an edge in the market and shapes the way your target audience perceives and connects with your brand.
The big brands have mastered this.
But in working with small businesses over the last few years, I've found many don't have a positioning statement at the helm, which leads to: → Lack of market differentiation → Inconsistent messaging → Missed opportunities → Vanilla marketing
*Been there*
So today I'm breaking down the steps to creating a brand positioning statement for your business [with big brand examples for inspiration]
Let's get into it ↓
Step 1: Define your ideal customer
Narrow down your target market and define your ideal customer. Consider these factors:
Demographics
Income
Location
Challenges
Interests
Goals
This will help tailor your positioning statement to speak directly to your ideal customer.
Example from Amazon:
Brand positioning statement: "Amazon strives to be the world's most customer-centric company, offering an unparalleled selection of products, services, and convenient shopping experiences, guided by its commitment to innovation, convenience, and low prices."
Notes: → Ideal customer is defined through their goal of being "the world's most customer-centric company" → Catering to a broad range of consumers seeking convenience, a vast selection of products, and competitive pricing
Step 2: Set your UVP
UVP = Unique Value Prop
Why should customers choose your business over your competitors?
What unique features, benefits, services, or value do you offer that sets you apart from the rest?
Write this out.
Keep it concise, relevant, compelling, and easy for your ideal customer to understand.
Example from Warby Parker:
Brand positioning statement: "Warby Parker is a socially-conscious eyewear brand that offers fashionable, high-quality, and affordable glasses through a convenient online platform, with a commitment to giving back through its 'Buy a Pair, Give a Pair' program, revolutionizing the eyewear industry."
Notes: → Emphasizes fashionable, high-quality, and affordable eyewear → Hits on the convenience of an online platform → Commitment to social responsibility through the "Buy a Pair, Give a Pair" program
Step 3: Audit your competition
Create a list of your direct and indirect competitors and assess their offerings (quality, price, customer service, innovation, etc.)
Understand how they're positioning themselves in the market and evaluate how you stack up in terms of product, quality, pricing, service, and overall brand positioning.
Example from Dollar Shave Club:
Brand positioning statement: "Dollar Shave Club is a subscription-based grooming brand that delivers high-quality razors and personal care products directly to consumers' doors, simplifying the grooming experience and disrupting the traditional retail model with affordable pricing and a customer-centric approach."
Notes: → Addresses clear target market focused on consumers seeking a hassle-free, cost-effective solution with high-quality products for grooming → Highlights the unique value prop of the subscription-based model, simplifying the groom experience by delivering products right to customers' doors → Underlines affordability with competitive pricing, appealing to price-sensitive customers → Showcases a customer-centric approach → Makes positioning statement easy, concise, and memorable
Step 4: Position your offering in market context
While we understand that context is important, we generally fail to deliberately choose a context because we believe that the context for our product is obvious. - April Dunford, Author of Obviously Awesome
Start by identifying the market category your business fits into and determine how you can differentiate your offering within that context.
Example from Nike:
Brand positioning statement: "Nike is a global leader in athletic footwear, apparel, and equipment, empowering athletes of all levels by delivering innovative, high-quality products and inspiring them to achieve their goals with the motto 'Just Do It'
Notes: → Establishes its role as a global leader in athletic footwear, apparel, and equipment for athletes of all levels → Highlights innovation and product quality → Underscores its connection to athletic motivation and achievement with its iconic "Just Do It" motto
Step 5: Write your positioning statement
Make your positioning statement a reflection of your brand's value proposition, target market, and competitive advantage.
Keep it:
Clear
Simple
Concise
Customer-focused
And use it as the filter to help guide your product and marketing efforts - ensuring consistency across your brand identity.
Example from Apple:
Brand positioning statement: "Apple designs and creates innovative technology products, providing users with a seamless experience that combines cutting-edge hardware and software, inspiring creativity and enhancing daily life for a global audience of diverse consumers."
Notes: → Highlights its focus on designing creative & innovative tech products → Continues to set itself apart as a leader in the tech space → Appeals to a diverse audience → Showcases practical and aspirational benefits customers can expect → Effectively captures the essence of the brand and its UVP in a few words
By following these steps, you'll be well on your way to creating a compelling brand identity that resonates with your ideal customer and sets you apart from your competition.
It's an exercise I continue to do with clients and my own business and use it to inform all my marketing efforts moving forward.
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