Putting Your Brand on the Map: What is Brand Positioning and What Does It Do?

There’s a misconception that branding is a simple matter of creating a logo and choosing a colour scheme. However, there’s a great deal more to be done to stand out in a crowded market. After all, the purchasing motivation of your audience depends on much more than appealing aesthetics. As highlighted in the seminal book by Jack Kotler, The Battle for the Audience’s Mind can only be won through effective brand positioning in marketing.

This blog will answer the key question of “What is brand positioning?” before exploring its role in marketing. We’ll also examine how tools like the brand positioning map can enhance strategies.

What Is Brand Positioning?

Brand positioning is the strategic process of influencing how your audience perceives your brand in comparison with the competition. While you can’t control people’s thoughts, you can guide them by showcasing what makes your brand unique. This is particularly true for those looking to enter saturated markets with established brands. To achieve growth, you must communicate why consumers should trust and choose you.

This process should begin with audience research – looking into their pain points, preferences, and aspirations. Such groundwork will be vital if your brand is to stay relevant and resonate with the customer’s needs. It’s paramount that you clarify the positive change that customers can expect when engaging with your brand.

The benefits of effective brand positioning for your business include:

• Being seen as unique within your sector.

• Staying on brand in your communication.

• Connecting with your target customer’s emotions.

• Showing how you meet consumers’ needs.

• Reflecting your and your audience’s values.

• Gaining trust and long-term loyalty.

The Role of the Brand Positioning Map

The brand positioning map is a powerful visual tool that identifies  what differentiates your brand. This can take the form of a simple graph, highlighting the key qualities of your brand as opposed to those of the competition. It can aid in establishing your current market position and identify the strategies you could adopt for greater customer engagement.

These stages should be followed in the development of your brand positioning map:

• Choose Two Key Attributes: Identify two qualities you want your brand to be known for—e.g., affordability and reliability.

• Assign Axes: Plot one quality on the X-axis and the other on the Y-axis.

• Map Competitors: Add your competitors to see where they stand.

In completing the positioning map you might identify the opportunity to stand out for high-level reliability at a very low price point. Alternatively, the map might confirm your suspicion that it would be best to enter a different market or segment. It can also be used to inform the development of focused marketing and product positioning strategies.

These steps should also be taken for the creation of an effective brand positioning strategy:

• Researching and identifying the preferences, behaviours and pain points of your target audience.

• Developing a unique sales proposition for use in brand promotion.

• Creating and executing plans for consistent communication across all marketing channels.

Challenges in Brand Positioning and How to Overcome Them

Crowded Marketplaces

Few businesses will be standalone players in their industries. New entrants must communicate their USPs if they’re to compete against competitors with high levels of brand awareness. By articulating how you innovatively solve your target audience’s problems, you’ll increase your chances of being chosen.

One solution is to regularly conduct competitor analysis. This helps your decision-makers gauge the competitive landscape and their place within it.

Confused Brand Messaging

As you scale your marketing strategy, more employees may be involved with brand messaging. You must communicate your point of difference consistently across various marketing channels. Think social media, websites and marketing materials.

Tone of voice guidelines can be a great help in ensuring promotional consistency. Efficient and explanatory, this practice will reinforce your brand positioning.

Changing Values

Your target audience will resonate with different products and services over time. For example, vegan and vegetarian foods were once in niche demand. Yet, in recent years, the public’s desire for ethically sourced, cruelty-free ingredients has soared.

To remain relevant, we’d recommend revising your brand positioning map in conjunction with consumer trends and feedback. This will help you to identify new product marketing and content strategy opportunities.

Examples of Successful Brand Positioning

We’ve worked with a variety of companies to develop compelling brand positioning strategies, galvanising their popularity.

For instance, there was a need to redefine the identity and solidify the market position of Automate UK. The goal was to conceive and execute an end-to-end rebrand launch strategy involving the development of uniquely focused marketing assets.

Working with De Bono Marketing, they identified three brand pillars (Human, Trust and Dynamic) to help them stand out. Connecting with its target audience in this way led to significant improvements in brand visibility, including:

• A 604% increase in website impressions.

• A 40% average increase in click rates from relevant social media audiences.

• Ranking on the first page of Google SERPs for 600 more targeted keywords.

Forest Holidays also came to us after realising the need to improve their online booking process. The goal was to reproduce the same “warm, fuzzy feeling” guests experience in their holiday cabins.

Thanks to our research consultation, strategic thinking and creative expertise, they’re now thriving with:

• 67.2% more mobile traffic.

• 48% more bookings.

• 19.9% more time spent online per website session.

Find Direction with Brand Positioning Maps

Defining your brand positioning in marketing can shape how you’re presented within already-saturated markets. With the assistance of brand positioning maps, you’ll also discover potential new opportunities for growth.

De Bono Marketing is here to support your brand’s ambition. Call +441789 632932 or contact us to speak to a dedicated marketing professional.

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