Creating a strong and positive brand for your business is essential in today’s competitive market. Not only does it help boost recognition, but brand positioning also helps with customer loyalty by forming an emotional connection. So, why is brand positioning important?
An effective brand positioning strategy can help your business become a market leader. Whether through direct-to-consumer key messages or by leveraging industry influencers, understanding the value of positioning can significantly impact your brand’s growth and success.
This blog post will look at the basics of brand positioning, its importance, and what a brand statement is.
What Is Brand Positioning?
According to The Branding Journal, brand positioning explains how a brand differs from its main competitors and how its target customers perceive it.
Similarly, The Open University quoted Kotler and Keller’s definition of brand positioning as “the act of designing the company’s offering and image to occupy a distinctive place in the mind of the target market.”
In short, when a brand is viewed favorably, meaning it’s perceived as having a unique value and as being credible by the consumer, it has successfully positioned itself in the market. This is an easy way to make your company stand out, which helps you stay at the top of your customer’s minds.
Related: 10 Best Branding Podcasts You Should Listen To
Why Is Brand Positioning Important?
First, if you want to take control of your brand image and reputation, you should develop a brand positioning strategy.
As an example, Coca-Cola’s soda was created in 1886, about a year after Dr. Pepper. But if you were told to think of the top soda company in the world, it’s almost guaranteed that you’d think of Coke. For this reason alone, you’d have to admit that Coca-Cola has effectively established itself as a dominant player in its niche market.
Second, if thinking about soda made you think of Coke, this means that their brand recall is also well-established. Brand recognition is an important driving force to success.
Finally, and still using Coca-Cola as an example, the brand has long evoked an emotional response from its potential customers. Coke ads always focus on celebrations, reunions, and friendship. As a result, the tag “taste the feeling” elicits a unique selling proposition that seems to say you feel happy, safe, and comfortable with Coke.
Essentially, an important aspect of brand positioning is to make sure your customers are left with a positive lasting impression of your products or services. This is because the more positively people relate to your brand, the more inclined they are to choose you over your rivals when it’s time to make a purchase.
Related: Twitter Branding Guidelines
Brand Positioning Statement: What Is It?
In implementing a strategic brand position, you must have a clear brand statement. Your positioning statement, typically just one or two sentences, should highlight the distinctive advantages of your products from similar products.
In writing your positioning statement, you need to think of the following questions:
- Who is your target customer?
- What is your product?
- Why do you do what you do?
- How are you different from your competitors?
For example, Nike’s brand positioning statement is, “At Nike, we’re committed to creating a better, more sustainable future for our people, planet, and communities through the power of sport.” Here, Nike emphasizes its goal of fusing innovation and sustainability into their sportswear. Additionally, it highlights its dedication to helping athletes overcome obstacles.
Related: Branding vs Marketing vs Advertising: What’s the Difference?
Conclusion
All of this probably sounds like a lot of work. And it is!
That’s why it’s important to get help from people like our team of experts at Shelten, LLC. We’re a brand awareness company that knows how to give your brand a competitive advantage when it comes to finding and targeting your consumers.
We pride ourselves on creating an airtight brand positioning strategy for your business that will ensure individuals who need or want your products know precisely who you are and what you have to offer them.
So, if you’ve found yourself thinking about what more you can do for your brand, click here to schedule a free consultation with us. We would be more than happy to discuss strategies with you and we would be thrilled to take your company’s brand awareness to new heights!
Related:
- 10 Best Branding Podcasts You Should Listen To
- Twitter Branding Guidelines
- Branding vs Marketing vs Advertising: What’s the Difference?
References
“A Simple Definition of Brand Positioning” from The Branding Journal
“Positioning my brand” from The Open University
