Writing an efficient brand positioning statement requires a bit of finesse but these steps simplify the process. In just 90 minutes you'll learn the secrets to building, critiquing, and applying a positioning statement to your product and marketing plans. A brand positioning statement is the beating heart of the brand, capturing the reason the business exists and the legacy the brand aspires to be remembered for. It is a one or two-sentence statement defining the company’s approach to their reputation in one or more markets. Your brand positioning statement is the easiest way to identify how you need to promote yourself to others – whether online or face-to-face. A positioning statement describes the customer and paints a picture of how you want the market to perceive your brand. It belongs inside the organization, and it's made evident to consumers in many different ways, not exclusively using marketing tools. A positioning statement is simply a brief description that distinguishes a product, brand, or vendor in the marketplace. If you’ve been playing along, you should have a brand positioning statement drafted up. Every marketing and product related decision needs to be in alignment with the positioning statement. It’s a great tool to help you view your own business strategically, and to explain your strategy to outsiders when necessary. 1) Define the position of the brand. A positioning statement is the “pitch” of your value proposition. Positioning statement vs mission statement A position statement is sometimes confused with mission statements and value propositions, but there are a few key differences: Positioning Statement: Used to align messaging on internal teams, though a good positioning statement is often versatile enough to use externally, too. While that may sound like a mouthful, it’s actually just a really concise way of explaining the benefit that your brand brings to the world. Creating a brand positioning statement might feel like slowing down a little when you're ready to jump in on the more visible aspects of your brand, like building a website or creating a course. What is a Positioning Statement. This persuasive one-line statement is internal-facing, designed to guide the business forward in a purposeful way. It implies strategic focus and a strategic match between target market, market need, and business offering. Positioning statement is a written communication statement which describes a product, brand or service in a way that a perception in created in the customer's mind. A positioning statement is a small but powerful piece of a company’s marketing collateral. Every firm tries to occupy a portion of the mind and heart of their target group using a positioning statement. Well… Your positioning statement will dictate how your business approaches sales, growth, marketing, and even how you build the product(s) or service(s) you offer customers. A positioning statement is ever-changing. A brand positioning statement explains what your brand does, who you target, and the benefits of your brand, in a short, concise statement. Brand Positioning Statement Examples. A bold claim, right? A positioning statement is a statement that summarizes the brand positioning decided by the organization. Your positioning statement might be some of the most powerful sentences you ever write. Think of it as a 15-30 … A positioning statement is an important communication tool you can use in interviews, networking events and social functions. A good position statement will be well-researched and written in a structured manner. It defines how a product or a brand distinguishes itself from the competition, explains how the benefits from the product or brand will help the client, and how these benefits will be communicated to the prospective customers. There are four basic elements or components to a positioning statement: Your position statement should include: But, in the long run, a positioning statement grounds you and leads to lasting success. Positioning Statement Development Both theorists and practitioners argue that the positioning statement should be written in a format that includes an identification of the target market, the market need, the product name and category, the key benefit delivered and the basis of the product's differentiation from any competing alternatives. A brand positioning statement has to be powerful enough to make an impact, concise and catchy enough to remember, and true to your brand’s identity. Brand positioning explains to customers the values, benefits and ideals of your specific brand. It must reflect the present while still having the flexibility to change as your business evolves. The examples show how the positioning statement sets the business and its offering apart from others. Positioning statement is an internal tool for marketers. The positioning statement is a subset of a value proposition that optimizes it for marketing communications purposes. This statement is for employees’ eyes only and is used to ensure all business efforts are on par with your overall brand identity. A positioning statement is a written description of the objective of a specific strategy. Positioning statements, as a genre, are impractical. Positioning is the process of identifying an appropriate market niche for a product (or service or brand) and getting it established in that area. It’s meant for you and you alone. A positioning message is a concise statement about your business, primarily for internal use, that defines how your products, services and/or brand satisfy customers’ needs in a way your competitors just can’t. But in some ways, it’s more important than anything else you do, because it informs everything else you show to customers. It defines how the company perceives itself and interacts with a product, service, or company. Your customers should never see it or hear it. A positioning statement is an expression of how a given product, service or brand fills a particular consumer need in a way that its competitors don’t. A positioning statement is a one or two sentence declaration that communicates your brand’s unique value to your customers in relation to your main competitors. The purpose of writing a positioning statement is to ensure that all of your marketing activities for a customer group are consistent and clear. Although this is the work that happens before the brand positioning statement is written, a statement should not be defined without developing your positioning strategy. We’ve got a winner!” But in real life positioning statements serve nothing except building up illusions. Given the importance of a brand positioning statement, writing one is not a process to be taken lightly. (And it saves you tons of time in the long run.) Before getting started with the statement templates and examples, let’s briefly break down the key concepts above. A positioning statement expresses the essence of a brand with precision. Proofreading Your Brand Positioning Statement. A position statement lets people know where you stand on an issue. A properly-designed brand positioning statement helps to make you distinctive, and ensures that you create a real, lasting connection with your target audience. A brand positioning statement is a sentence or two explaining what your brand does, who exactly your brand is targeting, what benefits your brand brings to the market, and the “proof” you have that you’re the one for the job.. The statement will generally be an internal document, although it should be used as a guide to ensure all content is consistent. A positioning statement is a short, structured sentence that explains who your company is and who you’re talking to, what sets you apart and why someone should care. It identifies the target audience, the product and its category, a specific benefit, and is differentiable from the nearest competitive alternative. Create a positioning statement that will serve to identify your business and how you want the brand to be perceived by consumers. They perplex and confuse. The brand positioning journey A good positioning statement maintains focus on the brand as well as its value proposition and you can easily work on marketing strategy and tactics. A positioning statement focuses more on what your brand delivers to customers and how it's differentiated from your competition. More simply said, a unique positioning statement, is how you stand out and attract customers in a noisy marketplace. It’s the written statement that encapsulates the main value of your product or service. They make you think “Aha! What Is Brand Positioning? A positioning statement—also called a purpose statement—isn’t a tagline, or an elevator pitch, or a mission statement. Initially, focus on writing a positioning statement that’s only used internally. We’ve cracked it! The following positioning statement example was used by Amazon.com in 2001, when it sold books almost exclusively: For World Wide Web users who enjoy books, Amazon.com is a retail bookseller that provides instant access to over 1.1 million books. The brand positioning statement explains how they make this happen. It’s a single sentence stating exactly what your position in the employer marketplace will be. The centerpiece of the position is often a tagline communicated externally, but positioning statement itself is meant for internal purposes only. Who (statement of need or opportunity) (Product name) is a (product category) That (statement of key benefit) Unlike (competing alternative) (Product name) (statement of primary differentiation) Remember that this formula is flexible. The importance of a positioning statement A brand positioning statement is an internal aspect of your overall brand strategy as it … [31] lets look at some good positioning statement examples. 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