Marketing Management

7. Positioning

Meaning


 

Positioning is the act of designing the companys offering and image to occupy a distinctive place in the mind of the target market. Begins with the product, but doesnt concern to what you do to a product, rather is concerned with what you do to the mind of the prospects. The goal is to locate the brand in the minds of the consumers To maximize the potential benefit to the firm. To Successfully create customer-focused value customerpropositions

Determining a Position


Identifying frame of reference

Through understanding target markets and competition. competition. Identifying Category Membership: A set of Membership: products with which a brand compares and which function as close substitutes

Identifying Points-of-Parity (POP) Points-of Associations that are shared with other brands. brands. Category POP and Competitive POP

Identifying Points-of-Difference (POD) Points-of Attributes and benefits consumers strongly associate with a brand. Strong, favorable and brand. unique brand associations. associations.

Establishing Category Membership

 Informing

and iterating the CM of the

brand  Creating awareness about CM before the POD is placed  Three ways to establish CM
Announcing Category Benefits Comparing to exemplary peer brands Relying on the product descriptor

Creating PODs
 Desirability

Criteria

Relevance Distinctive Believable

 Deliverability

Criteria

Feasibility Communicability Sustainability

Positioning Strategies


Differentiation Strategies
Product Differentiation Personnel Differentiation Channel Differentiation Image Differentiation

Communicating Positioning
Clarity Highlighting Value Propositions Including Product Descriptors Identifying a tag

Perceptual / Positioning Maps

  

To perform a market opportunity analysis based on target markets and competition To identify POPs and PODs Perceptual mapping is a graphics technique used by marketers that attempts to visually display the perceptions of customers or potential customers. customers. Typically the position of a product, product line, brand, or company is displayed relative to their competition. competition. Perceptual maps can have any number of dimensions but the most common is two dimensions. dimensions.