How to Develop a Strong Brand Positioning Strategy

With ever-increasing competition, growing consumer scepticism, and shortening attention spans, business growth is a challenge.

However, brand positioning can have a great impact, shaping not just how your brand stands out, but what it stands for.

Brand positioning is an effective means of building trust, driving loyalty, and ensuring long-term relevance. 

Going beyond the creation of a logo or tagline, it’s about creating a meaningful difference for your customers. 

Read on as we explore the benefits and the brand positioning approaches taken by De Bono Marketing Communications.

Why Brand Positioning Matters

Brand positioning has various emotional and practical benefits. 

Focused on the development of an instantly recognisable presence, it makes for resonance and connection beyond price or convenience.

If you don’t take an active approach to brand strategy and positioning, then there’s little chance of differentiation or recognition. 

You’ll struggle to meet changing customer expectations and overpromise on values that aren’t backed up with real-life experiences.

On the other hand, clearly thought-out and effective brand positioning can help your brand connect and grow.

Indeed, studies have shown that well-differentiated brands have two to three times the market share of the less well-defined competitors. 

Consumers prefer such strongly positioned brands due to their relevance, credibility, and general alignment. 

These positive associations make for lasting loyalty.

Building Blocks of a Strong Brand Position

Having explored the meaning and benefits of brand positioning, let’s take a look at the models and frameworks to support its definition and refinement.

The Positioning Statement

People must see your brand as different from the rest, with easily relatable objectives and values. 

If these aims are to be met, then you’ll need to establish a unique and engaging brand identity. 

This can be compared to a personality, with the kinds of traits that your ideal customers respect and admire.

The first step in the development of your brand identity will be to home in on your objectives, who you’re serving, and what you’re offering. 

There should also be some consideration of the values that you’d like people to associate with your brand. 

These values should be reflected in your communications, with a unique selling proposition that highlights the main reason for buying.

You can summarise your brand positioning in a short statement, using this formula:

For [target audience], [brand] is the [category] that [unique benefit], because [reason to believe].

Clear and easy to remember, such a positioning statement should be applied consistently across all your promotions.

The 3Cs

The 3Cs model can also be used for brand positioning, as follows:

Your company - focusing on your brand’s internal strengths, purposes, and values

Your customers - considering the needs, desires, and emotional drivers of people you serve

Your competitors - focusing on the rival’s claims and the gaps that your brand could fill

Strong brand positioning will rely on striking a balance between all three.

The Brand Onion

Also referred to as brand architecture, the brand onion is a layered approach that begins with your brand’s purpose, expanding to the personality, values, and expression. 

Each of the layers should be clearly connected, with the internal truths being easily recognisable in the brand’s communications.

Layers of the brand onion include:

• The core (reason for the brand’s existence)

• Values and personality traits

• Emotional benefits

• Practical benefits

• Reasons to believe (features, standards, testimonials, etc.)

Generic language and shallow claims must be avoided in the outlining of the brand onion. It should give a clear and definite idea of the brand’s purpose.

There might be an opportunity for brand positioning in terms of:

• Quality (focusing on excellence, craftsmanship, and performance)

• Price (appealing to budget-conscious audiences)

• Customer service (building strong relationships through empathic connection)

Setting You On The Path to Success

Promising a structured, insight-driven approach, De Bono Marketing Communications can help in setting your brand apart.

This all begins with the gathering of insights and research, enabling us to build a complete understanding of your target audience. 

Considering every touchpoint, our experts can provide guidance on how to build the emotional connection for lasting loyalty. 

We’ll find the market gaps and promotional opportunities to help your brand stand out.

The next phase will involve the presentation of a collaborative workshop to define your brand purpose, values, and differentiators. 

Our marketing experts will work with you to identify storytelling angles and brand voice opportunities.

Moving on to strategic development, we’ll translate the insights into a clear positioning statement and brand framework. 

These key brand assets should be shared with your teams for the consistency of communications and delivery of customer promises. 

From your website to social media channels, it should be possible to build a strong and distinctive presence.

Having decided on the ideal positioning, we can help you to test and assess the impact of different approaches. 

This might involve the sharing of positioning statements and creative directions with your ideal customers. 

Feedback can then be gathered and improvements made for greater clarity and emotional connection. 

Taking a story-led approach, we’ll bring your positioning to life and make genuine customer connections.

Supporting Automate UK for a Real-world Impact

The benefits of brand positioning support are reflected in the example of Automate UK. 

Realising that continued relevancy called for more than a fresh lick of paint, we helped the leading trade association to redefine its identity and build a stronger presence.

This included the development of a clear brand positioning and messaging framework, with updates across all customer touchpoints. 

It made for stronger alignment, market differentiation, and relevance.

See the results of the Automate UK campaign:

• Increased brand visibility and recognition, with a 604% increase in website impressions and lower bounce rates

• A 40% average increase in click rates on key channels from relevant audiences

• A 23% increase in member sign-ups in the first 3.5 months post-rebrand.

Would you like to achieve similarly outstanding results, with positioning for true customer connection?

Get in touch and discuss the ideal branding services with our expert team.