- Blog Categories
- Software Development Projects and Ideas
- 12 Computer Science Project Ideas
- 28 Beginner Software Projects
- Top 10 Engineering Project Ideas
- Top 10 Easy Final Year Projects
- Top 10 Mini Projects for Engineers
- 25 Best Django Project Ideas
- Top 20 MERN Stack Project Ideas
- Top 12 Real Time Projects
- Top 6 Major CSE Projects
- 12 Robotics Projects for All Levels
- Java Programming Concepts
- Abstract Class in Java and Methods
- Constructor Overloading in Java
- StringBuffer vs StringBuilder
- Java Identifiers: Syntax & Examples
- Types of Variables in Java Explained
- Composition in Java: Examples
- Append in Java: Implementation
- Loose Coupling vs Tight Coupling
- Integrity Constraints in DBMS
- Different Types of Operators Explained
- Career and Interview Preparation in IT
- Top 14 IT Courses for Jobs
- Top 20 Highest Paying Languages
- 23 Top CS Interview Q&A
- Best IT Jobs without Coding
- Software Engineer Salary in India
- 44 Agile Methodology Interview Q&A
- 10 Software Engineering Challenges
- Top 15 Tech's Daily Life Impact
- 10 Best Backends for React
- Cloud Computing Reference Models
- Web Development and Security
- Find Installed NPM Version
- Install Specific NPM Package Version
- Make API Calls in Angular
- Install Bootstrap in Angular
- Use Axios in React: Guide
- StrictMode in React: Usage
- 75 Cyber Security Research Topics
- Top 7 Languages for Ethical Hacking
- Top 20 Docker Commands
- Advantages of OOP
- Data Science Projects and Applications
- 42 Python Project Ideas for Beginners
- 13 Data Science Project Ideas
- 13 Data Structure Project Ideas
- 12 Real-World Python Applications
- Python Banking Project
- Data Science Course Eligibility
- Association Rule Mining Overview
- Cluster Analysis in Data Mining
- Classification in Data Mining
- KDD Process in Data Mining
- Data Structures and Algorithms
- Binary Tree Types Explained
- Binary Search Algorithm
- Sorting in Data Structure
- Binary Tree in Data Structure
- Binary Tree vs Binary Search Tree
- Recursion in Data Structure
- Data Structure Search Methods: Explained
- Binary Tree Interview Q&A
- Linear vs Binary Search
- Priority Queue Overview
- Python Programming and Tools
- Top 30 Python Pattern Programs
- List vs Tuple
- Python Free Online Course
- Method Overriding in Python
- Top 21 Python Developer Skills
- Reverse a Number in Python
- Switch Case Functions in Python
- Info Retrieval System Overview
- Reverse a Number in Python
- Real-World Python Applications
- Data Science Careers and Comparisons
- Data Analyst Salary in India
- Data Scientist Salary in India
- Free Excel Certification Course
- Actuary Salary in India
- Data Analyst Interview Guide
- Pandas Interview Guide
- Tableau Filters Explained
- Data Mining Techniques Overview
- Data Analytics Lifecycle Phases
- Data Science Vs Analytics Comparison
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Projects
- Exciting IoT Project Ideas
- 16 Exciting AI Project Ideas
- 45+ Interesting ML Project Ideas
- Exciting Deep Learning Projects
- 12 Intriguing Linear Regression Projects
- 13 Neural Network Projects
- 5 Exciting Image Processing Projects
- Top 8 Thrilling AWS Projects
- 12 Engaging AI Projects in Python
- NLP Projects for Beginners
- Concepts and Algorithms in AIML
- Basic CNN Architecture Explained
- 6 Types of Regression Models
- Data Preprocessing Steps
- Bagging vs Boosting in ML
- Multinomial Naive Bayes Overview
- Gini Index for Decision Trees
- Bayesian Network Example
- Bayes Theorem Guide
- Top 10 Dimensionality Reduction Techniques
- Neural Network Step-by-Step Guide
- Technical Guides and Comparisons
- Make a Chatbot in Python
- Compute Square Roots in Python
- Permutation vs Combination
- Image Segmentation Techniques
- Generative AI vs Traditional AI
- AI vs Human Intelligence
- Random Forest vs Decision Tree
- Neural Network Overview
- Perceptron Learning Algorithm
- Selection Sort Algorithm
- Career and Practical Applications in AIML
- AI Salary in India Overview
- Biological Neural Network Basics
- Top 10 AI Challenges
- Production System in AI
- Top 8 Raspberry Pi Alternatives
- Top 8 Open Source Projects
- 14 Raspberry Pi Project Ideas
- 15 MATLAB Project Ideas
- Top 10 Python NLP Libraries
- Naive Bayes Explained
- Digital Marketing Projects and Strategies
- 10 Best Digital Marketing Projects
- 17 Fun Social Media Projects
- Top 6 SEO Project Ideas
- Digital Marketing Case Studies
- Coca-Cola Marketing Strategy
- Nestle Marketing Strategy Analysis
- Zomato Marketing Strategy
- Monetize Instagram Guide
- Become a Successful Instagram Influencer
- 8 Best Lead Generation Techniques
- Digital Marketing Careers and Salaries
- Digital Marketing Salary in India
- Top 10 Highest Paying Marketing Jobs
- Highest Paying Digital Marketing Jobs
- SEO Salary in India
- Brand Manager Salary in India
- Content Writer Salary Guide
- Digital Marketing Executive Roles
- Career in Digital Marketing Guide
- Future of Digital Marketing
- MBA in Digital Marketing Overview
- Digital Marketing Techniques and Channels
- 9 Types of Digital Marketing Channels
- Top 10 Benefits of Marketing Branding
- 100 Best YouTube Channel Ideas
- YouTube Earnings in India
- 7 Reasons to Study Digital Marketing
- Top 10 Digital Marketing Objectives
- 10 Best Digital Marketing Blogs
- Top 5 Industries Using Digital Marketing
- Growth of Digital Marketing in India
- Top Career Options in Marketing
- Interview Preparation and Skills
- 73 Google Analytics Interview Q&A
- 56 Social Media Marketing Q&A
- 78 Google AdWords Interview Q&A
- Top 133 SEO Interview Q&A
- 27+ Digital Marketing Q&A
- Digital Marketing Free Course
- Top 9 Skills for PPC Analysts
- Movies with Successful Social Media Campaigns
- Marketing Communication Steps
- Top 10 Reasons to Be an Affiliate Marketer
- Career Options and Paths
- Top 25 Highest Paying Jobs India
- Top 25 Highest Paying Jobs World
- Top 10 Highest Paid Commerce Job
- Career Options After 12th Arts
- Top 7 Commerce Courses Without Maths
- Top 7 Career Options After PCB
- Best Career Options for Commerce
- Career Options After 12th CS
- Top 10 Career Options After 10th
- 8 Best Career Options After BA
- Projects and Academic Pursuits
- 17 Exciting Final Year Projects
- Top 12 Commerce Project Topics
- Top 13 BCA Project Ideas
- Career Options After 12th Science
- Top 15 CS Jobs in India
- 12 Best Career Options After M.Com
- 9 Best Career Options After B.Sc
- 7 Best Career Options After BCA
- 22 Best Career Options After MCA
- 16 Top Career Options After CE
- Courses and Certifications
- 10 Best Job-Oriented Courses
- Best Online Computer Courses
- Top 15 Trending Online Courses
- Top 19 High Salary Certificate Courses
- 21 Best Programming Courses for Jobs
- What is SGPA? Convert to CGPA
- GPA to Percentage Calculator
- Highest Salary Engineering Stream
- 15 Top Career Options After Engineering
- 6 Top Career Options After BBA
- Job Market and Interview Preparation
- Why Should You Be Hired: 5 Answers
- Top 10 Future Career Options
- Top 15 Highest Paid IT Jobs India
- 5 Common Guesstimate Interview Q&A
- Average CEO Salary: Top Paid CEOs
- Career Options in Political Science
- Top 15 Highest Paying Non-IT Jobs
- Cover Letter Examples for Jobs
- Top 5 Highest Paying Freelance Jobs
- Top 10 Highest Paying Companies India
- Career Options and Paths After MBA
- 20 Best Careers After B.Com
- Career Options After MBA Marketing
- Top 14 Careers After MBA In HR
- Top 10 Highest Paying HR Jobs India
- How to Become an Investment Banker
- Career Options After MBA - High Paying
- Scope of MBA in Operations Management
- Best MBA for Working Professionals India
- MBA After BA - Is It Right For You?
- Best Online MBA Courses India
- MBA Project Ideas and Topics
- 11 Exciting MBA HR Project Ideas
- Top 15 MBA Project Ideas
- 18 Exciting MBA Marketing Projects
- MBA Project Ideas: Consumer Behavior
- What is Brand Management?
- What is Holistic Marketing?
- What is Green Marketing?
- Intro to Organizational Behavior Model
- Tech Skills Every MBA Should Learn
- Most Demanding Short Term Courses MBA
- MBA Salary, Resume, and Skills
- MBA Salary in India
- HR Salary in India
- Investment Banker Salary India
- MBA Resume Samples
- Sample SOP for MBA
- Sample SOP for Internship
- 7 Ways MBA Helps Your Career
- Must-have Skills in Sales Career
- 8 Skills MBA Helps You Improve
- Top 20+ SAP FICO Interview Q&A
- MBA Specializations and Comparative Guides
- Why MBA After B.Tech? 5 Reasons
- How to Answer 'Why MBA After Engineering?'
- Why MBA in Finance
- MBA After BSc: 10 Reasons
- Which MBA Specialization to choose?
- Top 10 MBA Specializations
- MBA vs Masters: Which to Choose?
- Benefits of MBA After CA
- 5 Steps to Management Consultant
- 37 Must-Read HR Interview Q&A
- Fundamentals and Theories of Management
- What is Management? Objectives & Functions
- Nature and Scope of Management
- Decision Making in Management
- Management Process: Definition & Functions
- Importance of Management
- What are Motivation Theories?
- Tools of Financial Statement Analysis
- Negotiation Skills: Definition & Benefits
- Career Development in HRM
- Top 20 Must-Have HRM Policies
- Project and Supply Chain Management
- Top 20 Project Management Case Studies
- 10 Innovative Supply Chain Projects
- Latest Management Project Topics
- 10 Project Management Project Ideas
- 6 Types of Supply Chain Models
- Top 10 Advantages of SCM
- Top 10 Supply Chain Books
- What is Project Description?
- Top 10 Project Management Companies
- Best Project Management Courses Online
- Salaries and Career Paths in Management
- Project Manager Salary in India
- Average Product Manager Salary India
- Supply Chain Management Salary India
- Salary After BBA in India
- PGDM Salary in India
- Top 7 Career Options in Management
- CSPO Certification Cost
- Why Choose Product Management?
- Product Management in Pharma
- Product Design in Operations Management
- Industry-Specific Management and Case Studies
- Amazon Business Case Study
- Service Delivery Manager Job
- Product Management Examples
- Product Management in Automobiles
- Product Management in Banking
- Sample SOP for Business Management
- Video Game Design Components
- Top 5 Business Courses India
- Free Management Online Course
- SCM Interview Q&A
- Fundamentals and Types of Law
- Acceptance in Contract Law
- Offer in Contract Law
- 9 Types of Evidence
- Types of Law in India
- Introduction to Contract Law
- Negotiable Instrument Act
- Corporate Tax Basics
- Intellectual Property Law
- Workmen Compensation Explained
- Lawyer vs Advocate Difference
- Law Education and Courses
- LLM Subjects & Syllabus
- Corporate Law Subjects
- LLM Course Duration
- Top 10 Online LLM Courses
- Online LLM Degree
- Step-by-Step Guide to Studying Law
- Top 5 Law Books to Read
- Why Legal Studies?
- Pursuing a Career in Law
- How to Become Lawyer in India
- Career Options and Salaries in Law
- Career Options in Law India
- Corporate Lawyer Salary India
- How To Become a Corporate Lawyer
- Career in Law: Starting, Salary
- Career Opportunities: Corporate Law
- Business Lawyer: Role & Salary Info
- Average Lawyer Salary India
- Top Career Options for Lawyers
- Types of Lawyers in India
- Steps to Become SC Lawyer in India
- Tutorials
- C Tutorials
- Recursion in C: Fibonacci Series
- Checking String Palindromes in C
- Prime Number Program in C
- Implementing Square Root in C
- Matrix Multiplication in C
- Understanding Double Data Type
- Factorial of a Number in C
- Structure of a C Program
- Building a Calculator Program in C
- Compiling C Programs on Linux
- Java Tutorials
- Handling String Input in Java
- Determining Even and Odd Numbers
- Prime Number Checker
- Sorting a String
- User-Defined Exceptions
- Understanding the Thread Life Cycle
- Swapping Two Numbers
- Using Final Classes
- Area of a Triangle
- Skills
- Software Engineering
- JavaScript
- Data Structure
- React.js
- Core Java
- Node.js
- Blockchain
- SQL
- Full stack development
- Devops
- NFT
- BigData
- Cyber Security
- Cloud Computing
- Database Design with MySQL
- Cryptocurrency
- Python
- Digital Marketings
- Advertising
- Influencer Marketing
- Search Engine Optimization
- Performance Marketing
- Search Engine Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Content Marketing
- Social Media Marketing
- Display Advertising
- Marketing Analytics
- Web Analytics
- Affiliate Marketing
- MBA
- MBA in Finance
- MBA in HR
- MBA in Marketing
- MBA in Business Analytics
- MBA in Operations Management
- MBA in International Business
- MBA in Information Technology
- MBA in Healthcare Management
- MBA In General Management
- MBA in Agriculture
- MBA in Supply Chain Management
- MBA in Entrepreneurship
- MBA in Project Management
- Management Program
- Consumer Behaviour
- Supply Chain Management
- Financial Analytics
- Introduction to Fintech
- Introduction to HR Analytics
- Fundamentals of Communication
- Art of Effective Communication
- Introduction to Research Methodology
- Mastering Sales Technique
- Business Communication
- Fundamentals of Journalism
- Economics Masterclass
- Free Courses
Brand Positioning – A Focal Point of All Marketing Efforts
Updated on 26 September, 2022
12.52K+ views
• 8 min read
“The best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing.”
Tom Fishburne, Founder and CEO, Marketoonist
Several times, we come across advertisements which do not sell the product or service directly. For example, soft drinks like Thumbs Up and Mountain Dew sell an idea of being adventurous and fearless instead of the drink itself. Banks like ICICI do not explicitly discuss a range of banking services that they offer but evoke a sense of security, a sense of being cared for through their ad campaigns with taglines like “Hum hain na” (We are there for you) or “Khayal apka” (Care for you). These companies persuasively align their products with ideas, values or emotions. It is a part of their marketing strategy – in the form of brand positioning.
Positioning in marketing is used to place your brand in the minds of the audience in a particular way. It defines the brand and what it does for a customer. It defines what value it offers and what it stands for. In this way, customers slowly and steadily align these values or ideas with a particular brand and connect with it.
Learn How To Use Audience Targeting In Marketing!
It is extremely important to learn about brand positioning to excel in any kind of marketing job. If you want to upskill yourself, check out our digital marketing courses. Positioning in marketing is important as it plays a crucial role in making the product relevant to your target audience. It explains and strengthens the value of a brand i.e. why and how it solves the problems and makes life easier; or simply why every penny spent on buying this product/service is worth it.
Therefore, every business, whether big or small needs to position their product or service in a certain way. To achieve this goal, a marketer should know what exactly is brand positioning in marketing, how it works, how to write a well-defined positioning statement, what are the different types and methods to perform powerful brand positioning, etc. This knowledge will give an insight of how marketing experts strategize their efforts. Overall, it will help you understand the dynamics of marketing, inside out.
The origin of brand positioning in marketing
The concept of positioning in marketing was popularised by Jack Trout, Al Ries and Philip Kotler in ‘Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind’ – a Bible for positioning in marketing. It spelled out the mantra of success in branding through positioning.
Winning the Market with Consumer Journeys
According to these marketing gurus, customers are bombarded with advertisements on a daily basis and they deal with it by filtering the information and discarding useless information that they cannot connect with. To effectively place the brand name in the minds of the target audience in such a ‘media-blizzard’ as they call it, brand positioning is a key.
What does brand positioning mean?
Philip Kotler defines 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 simpler words, brand positioning describes how a brand is different from its competitors and where or how it should be placed in customers’ minds.
Types of brand positioning in marketing
There are various brand positioning strategies at your disposal to achieve your brand positioning goal. The most popular ones are:
Quality positioning
While positioning a product, a company assures a customer of its highest quality. Tropicana Juice – 100% real fruit juice, is an example of quality positioning.
Price positioning
There are two ways of positioning while using price positioning in marketing. High-value positioning and low value (reasonable pricing positioning). For example Big Bazaar positions itself with an idea that customers will get the best products for cheapest rates – isse sasta aur accha kahin nahi (it can’t get better and cheaper than this) while Taj group of hotels’ venture Vivanta’s positioning efforts clearly states that their service is dedicated to a more aspirational consumer. Words like ‘stylish and sophisticated’ used in their positioning statements give us an instant idea about the quality of their services.
Benefit positioning
This type of positioning offers an exclusive benefit of using a product/service that no other brand can deliver. For example, Motilal Oswal Financial Services assure solid research and solid (financial) advice.
Solution (problem-solving) positioning
In this type of brand positioning, a company offers a solution to a problem of the target audience. Like LIC offering the comfort of being secured. It positioned itself as an insurance company that would offer solutions to all your worries related to money management and as a friend that would look after your loved ones in case of a calamity – “Zindagi ke sath bhi, Zindagi ke bad bhi” (With you; for a lifetime, and even after that).
Subjective (competitor based) positioning
Positioning a product in the minds of the audience with respect to a competitor by implying that no other brand can serve them better. For example, Malayala Manorama, a newspaper in Kerala, sets itself apart by assuring, “Nobody Delivers Kerala Better”.
Why Brands Need To Do More: Lessons from Google, Airbnb & Uber
How to strategically design your positioning statement
A key to robust positioning in marketing lies in writing a strong, well-defined positioning statement. The following steps will definitely help a marketer to write a fitting positioning statement:
Identify the target audience
A thorough understanding of how segmentation and targeting work in marketing will help identify a target market. A target market is essentially a segment or group of people who are most probable to be your customers. It can be the urban youth, the middle-class segment or even population belonging to a particular geographical region.
Read the signals through research
Understand what the target market wants to hear, define its needs and wants, the communication method it is most comfortable with and then prepare your plan.
Communicate the value that the brand aims to create
Deliver a message in a way that it assures the customers that this is all they have been looking for. Make a promise of quality, most reasonable price, benefits that none other can offer or value addition over and above what a rival company is offering based on your assessment of the product/service and a USP (Unique Selling Point) based on which you are selling this product.
Design-Thinking in Content Marketing: Some Ideas and Tools
Examples of noteworthy positioning statements
Amazon for its books segment:
“For World Wide Web users who enjoy books, Amazon.com is a retail bookseller that provides instant access to over 1.1 million books. Unlike traditional book retailers, Amazon.com provides a combination of extraordinary convenience, low prices, and comprehensive selection”.
Zipcar:
“To urban-dwelling, educated techno-savvy consumers, when you use Zipcar car-sharing service instead of owning a car, you save money while reducing your carbon footprint”.
Notice how both of these businesses define clearly the target segment, what their company does, how it helps you and what is the value that it promotes, and the range of benefits that it offers.
Such well-defined positioning statements, in fact, such remarkable positioning in marketing has multiple benefits. First and foremost, it makes every department of an organisation, market-oriented. It becomes a part of organisational philosophy and value.
It creates loyal customers. It helps you stand out in stiff competition. And most importantly, it attracts your target audience in a very powerful way. It helps them remember your brand a certain way, a way you want them to remember it.5 High Impact Digital Marketing Strategies to Win the Market
How to learn about positioning in marketing?
You cannot master marketing without a profound knowledge of brand positioning. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that it is a focal point of all marketing efforts. Reading books and online articles won’t take you too far. For a deep insight into how positioning in marketing works, you should undergo formal training and educate yourself thoroughly.
If you wish to explore and become an expert in Digital Marketing, check out upGrad & MICA’s Advanced Certificate in Digital Marketing & Communication. Become an expert in social media marketing, content marketing, branding, marketing analysis and PR. This course helps you to not only understand brand positioning but gives you an opportunity to apply learnings from real-time case studies and industry projects to create a robust marketing strategy and scale new heights in your career.
Learn Online MBA Courses from the World’s top Universities. Earn Masters, Executive PGP, or Advanced Certificate Programs to fast-track your career.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What are the three Cs in brand positioning?
The three Cs are Consumers, Competitors, and Company.
Consumers are those whom you choose to serve and focus on their needs and desires. In return, your brand becomes desirable for those consumers.
Competitors are those who are focusing on your competition in the market and trying to distinguish their brands from your brand products. Here, the manager needs to keep a regular check on the market position of the brand whether it has a favourable position or not.
The company is important as it ensures the position statement is realistic and there is reliable interaction with customers.
2. How to improve brand positioning over time?
Some tips will help you to improve your brand positioning over time. The first tip is to understand your customers closely. The second thing is to know the personality of your brand that is defined by the website's design, graphics you use, product description, etc. The third thing is to come up with such a brand that creates buzz in the market. To combat intense competition, most of the brands are coming with their products. So, the fourth point is you have to focus more on your core product. Last but not least, you should be consistent in your business so that you can maintain your brand position and add up in that.
3. How can we overcome similar brands and establish a strong position?
You should have a strong understanding of competing brands that have similar positions. In this case, a competitive brand may be large and we'll establish a brand. So, if you want to overtake it then your cost will be higher. In this case, you have to focus on your customers' expectations and work on satisfying their needs. You should fix a growth target and make all efforts to achieve that goal.
RELATED PROGRAMS