Positioning: 

The Battle For Your Mind

Presented by: George Anagnostaros

 The book..

• Written 
o by Jack Trout and Al Ries
o in the 70s
• Published in 1980
• #1 in Amazon's Product Management category
• The concept is "Positioning is what you do to the minds of the
prospects and not what you do to the product"
 ..and the authors

Jack TroutPresident of Al Ries

Trout & Partners Chairman of Ries & Ries
What is positioning and what is not?

NOT BUT
Features Usage
Pay for ads Earn the "Word of
mouth"
Being afraid of Cope with the
large companies mental position of
others
Creating something Manipulating what
new and different is already in the
mind of consumers
 ..Positioning is also..

• Tool to cope with information overload

• A cumulative concept, since successful positioning requires
consistency.
 How to succeed

• Look for available positions

• Identify your ideal client
• Find the pains of your clients
• Understand what the customers really want
• Use oversimplified advertising
 How to succeed
(Look for available positions)

Ad Agencies spend enormous amounts of time and research looking

for positions or holes in the marketplace.
This is required because it is critical to..
 How to succeed
(Identify your ideal client)
Identify your ideal client and claim your niche market..
...in order find what are their pains by...
 How to succeed
(Find the pains of your client)

Answering the following:

• What keep them awake at night?
• What are they missing?
• How can they use your product or service to
eliminate or solve their problems?
 How to succeed
(Understand what the customers really want)

Knowing the problems...

understanding the needs..
finding the solutions!
 How to succeed
(Use oversimplified advertising)
Using oversimplified advertising...
            ...following the k.i.s.s. principle

Note that:
k.i.s.s. stands for..
"Keep It Simple, Stupid!"
Not any sexual activity!
 How to succeed
(Being first leads to be #1)

Being the first who entered the people's mind, 

..and maybe the only one who will remain..
can make you the leader!

...but it is also possible that

just your brand name will
remain, while others will be
the real leaders!
 Coping with position leaders

You should answer the questions:

• Who are your competitors?
• Where are their positions?
•  Is there any free space for our products and services?

Real case:
Honda entered the motorcycle market against Harley Davidson by
introducing off-road minibikes aimed at pre-teens – and being very
patient. Overtime, Harley lost and recouped only by positioning itself
at the “high end” for the serious, adult motorcycle fan.
 There is no panacea!
(Everyone should his own way)

• How do you find an open position in a prospect’s mind? Look for

the hole.
• Low price is a good “hole” for a new, untried product (consumer
electronics for example), but it is not a panacea!

Real cases:
– Volkswagen in the early days preempted the “think small”
position at a time when Detroit was overwhelmingly “big.”
– BMW and Mercedes occupy the “high price, prestige” hole.
– What masculinity did for Marlboro, femininity did for Virginia
Slims.
Repositioning Competitors

• The crux of repositioning is to undercut an existing concept,

product (or person).
• Tylenol: “for the millions who should not take aspirin” Result:
Tylenol is the #1
• analgesic.
• Stolichnaya vodka focused in advertising that all its competitors
were made in the USA.
• Scope repositioned Listerine with “Medicine Breath.”
The Importance Of Names

Name is 
     the shortest advertising message...
    
                    ..but it should be published
                    only when the product is
                    ready for advertising
Rules Of Naming

Name should be 

            Short
                Simple
                    Clear
            NOT just initials
Rules Of Naming (Use house name or not?)

New mass market 

        requires new name.
 
Existing or niche markets 
        prefer the use of company's name.
Rules Of Naming (Use house name or not?)

    Many compatitors?
 Use your company's brand
     
     Few competitors?
Avoid using your company's name
Rules Of Naming (Use house name or not?)

Will you spend a lot in advertising?

 
YES: Use a different name 
 
NO: Keep your house name
Rules Of Naming (Use house name or not?)

If your product is really new..

            then use a new name as well.

If your product is just another one..

            then use your company's name.
Conclusion

Do not stay to 

        the lexicological meaning of the word
 
Try to understand 
        what they really mean to the people
 
Using the right and simple words can 
        make you successful!
 
Thank you!