What is Positioning?

What’s the first word that comes to mind when you think of a cola drink? Is it Coca-Cola or Pepsi? 

The answer you give will highlight how that company has positioned itself within your mind. 

But what is positioning, and why is it important?

To make it simple, positioning is what you do to the mind of the prospect, meaning, how do you position your product in the mind of the prospect in such a way that you are the first thing they think about when someone says a particular word, such as cola. 

There are four types of positioning:

• Customer needs: Knowing your prospect and how you can fulfil their specific needs.
• Product price: Positioning your product as competitively priced.
• Product quality, use and application: Giving your product a specific use and a high quality.
• Competitors: Positioning your product as better than that of your competitors.

Positioning matters because it is the process by which you communicate your uniqueness and how that uniqueness allows you to meet the customer’s needs. Positioning is meant to ensure that your marketing stands out from the crowd and plants you firmly in the mind of the customer compelling the customer to take action.

As Trout and Ries said, it is crucial that a business is first in the mind of a customer. Positioning is the way to achieve this. 

Of course, before you can do any of this you need to know four key things:

• Who is your target customer?
• What category does your product belong in?
• What is the biggest and unique benefit your product offers?
• Can you prove that benefit?

Once you know the answer to these questions, you can get started on crafting a positioning strategy to make your rivals weep.