In a constantly evolving world, where competition is ever stronger, brand positioning represents a fundamental pillar for the success of any company.
Building a unique and distinctive identity, capable of leaving an indelible mark on the minds of consumers, is essential to stand out from competitors, capture the public’s attention and win their trust. All this is even more relevant when facing corporate internationalization. But what can we do to achieve a successful brand positioning?
Read on to find out how to build an effective brand positioning strategy in six key steps.
Phase 1: target definition
The first step in creating a positioning involves understanding the brand’s target audience, its needs, desires and expectations. It’s about identifying who your ideal customers are, the ones your product or service appeals to the most.
To do this, you will need to conduct market research to acquire in-depth information on your target audience, investigating their preferences, needs, attitudes and behaviors. Probing your ideal audience before going to market allows you to gather quality data which is needed to evaluate your products and your competitors.
Phase 2: market and competition analysis
At the same time, you’ll have to analyze the market and study direct and indirect competitors. Identify their strengths and weaknesses, their positioning strategies, their offers, and public perception.
To make relevant comparisons, you’ll need to know the market size, the number of competitors, your customers’ brand preferences, and your competitors’ products.
This analysis will help you identify your opponents’ distinctive attributes, allowing you to understand what sets your company apart and can become your unique value proposition, to build a strong brand.
Step 3: Defining a unique value proposition
The next step in building an effective brand positioning strategy requires defining your brand’s authentic identity, which includes the mission, values, personality and promise you want to convey to consumers.
To achieve a successful brand positioning, the brand must identify what sets it apart from competitors, the unique value proposition that makes it attractive to the target audience. Find what makes your brand unique from the competition and use this point of differentiation as the basis of positioning: it can relate to product features, a specific benefit, a particular experience or even price.
A value proposition is a summary of the unique value your brand can offer to the target audience and how this sets it apart from the competition. Your value proposition should include your identity, your unique offers, and the benefits they provide for customers.
To define the value proposition ask yourself:
- Which customers do we want to target?
- What needs do we intend to satisfy?
- What pricing structure can be attractive for customers and beneficial for the company?
Step 4: Developing a Positioning Statement
Now it’s the time to summarize your brand positioning in a clear and concise statement that describes your target market, point of differentiation and key customer benefit.
A good positioning statement illustrates the benefits the company offers to customers and how products and services marketed differentiate it from competitors. It should include a unique brand identity, focus, and characteristics. It should also be authentic, concise, customer-focused, and easy to remember.
Once finalized, the positioning statement should be shared at all corporate levels so that all staff are on the same page when speaking about the brand. This is how you can build a strong brand. But remember: change is a constant in business, so the positioning statement is not necessarily definitive, you may need to update it from time to time.
Phase 5: developing coherent communication
At this point, to create a solid positioning it is essential to design a coherent communication plan that conveys the unique value proposition of the brand and is recognizable by the target audience. This will help build a strong brand.
Make sure that all brand messages and communications are consistent with your positioning strategy: from advertising to the website, from social media to marketing campaigns, each element must contribute to strengthening the brand image you want to convey.
Phase 6: Implementation, proof of concept, and adaptation
Finally, the last step in building an effective brand positioning strategy is naturally its implementation through marketing and communication activities, and then measuring the results to evaluate their effectiveness.
In all of this, the experience customers have with the brand plays a crucial role in creating a positioning. In that regard, make sure you offer excellent customer service. Furthermore, as the market is constantly evolving, it is important to constantly monitor consumer feedback, changes in the industry and the effectiveness of the positioning strategy, to make timely changes, if necessary, to remain relevant and competitive.
Building a brand positioning strategy takes time and effort, but if you follow these steps and stay true to your brand identity and promise to your audience, you’ll be able to create a strong and lasting image in consumer’s minds.
Are you planning a successful brand positioning for your business? Then it might be worth talking together!
I’ve been helping for years SMEs to build a distinctive positioning and expand into foreign markets.