Brand Positioning

Course Instructor: Ms.

Shyama Labh
Email:
shyama@asiapacific.edu
 Positioning
 Positioning refers to ‘how organizations want their
consumers to see their product’

 Positioning = Segmentation + Differentiation

 Slotting your product in the consumer’s mind.
 Who am I? Why buy me?

“Positioning starts with the product….But Positioning

is not what you do to the product. Positioning is what
you do to the mind of the prospect” - Ries and Trout
 Positioning

Act of designing the company’s

offering and image to occupy
a distinctive place in the mind of
the target market.
 Brand Positioning
 Define competitive frame of
reference
 Target market
 Nature of competition

 Define desired brand knowledge

structures
 Points-of-parity
 necessary
 competitive

 Points-of-difference
 strong, favorable, and unique brand
associations
 Defining Associations
Points-of-difference Points-of-parity
(PODs) (POPs)
 Attributes or  Associations that
benefits consumers are not necessarily
strongly associate unique to the
with a brand, brand but may be
positively evaluate, shared with other
and believe they brands
could not find to the
Example:
sameCase
extent with aThe Ultimate Driving
of BMW:
competitive brand
Machine
Created a Category called “luxury
Issues in Implementing
Brand Positioning
 Establishing Category Membership
 Identifying & Choosing POP’s & POD’s
 Communicating & Establishing POP’s
& POD’s
 Sustaining & Evolving POD’s & POP’s
 1. Establishing Category
Membership

 Product descriptor –
Follows the brand name.
Compact means of conveying
category origin.
Example: US Airways; Jet Airways

 Exemplar comparisons – Well known,

noteworthy brands in a category
 2. Identifying & Choosing POP’s and
POD’s

 Desirability criteria (consumer

perspective)
 Personally relevant
 Distinctive & superior
 Believable & credible

 Deliverability criteria (firm

perspective)
 Feasible
 Profitable
 Pre-emptive, defensible & difficult to
 Major Challenges in Positioning

 Find compelling & impactful points-

of-difference (MacMillan & McGrath, HBR,
‘97)

 How do people become aware of their need for

your product and service?
 How do consumers find your offering?
 How do consumers make their final selection?
 How do consumers order and purchase your
product or service?
 What happens when your product or service is
delivered?
 How is your product installed?
 How is your product or service paid for?
 Find compelling & impactful
points-of-difference (cont.)
 How is your product stored?
 How is your product moved around?
 What is the consumer really using your product
for?
 What do consumers need help with when they
use your product?
 What about returns or exchanges?
 How is your product repaired or serviced?
 What happens when your product is disposed
of or no longer used?
3. Communicating & Establishing POP’s
& POD’s
Create POP’s and POD’s in the face of
attribute & benefit trade-offs:
 Price & quality
 Convenience & quality
 Taste & low calories
 Efficacy & mildness
 Power & safety
 Ubiquity & prestige
 Comprehensiveness (variety) & simplicity
 Strength & refinement
 Strategies to Reconcile
Attribute and Benefit
Trade-offs
 Establish separate marketing
programs
 Leverage secondary association (e.g.,
co-brand)
 Re-define the relationship from
negative to positive
 4. Sustaining & Evolving POP’s
and POD’s
Core Brand Values & Core Brand
Proposition
 Set of abstract concepts or associations
(attributes & benefits) that characterize
the 5-10 most important dimensions of a
brand.
 Core brand values can be identified
through a mental map of the brand being
perceived by the consumers.
 Relate to points-of-parity and points-of-
difference
 Brand Mantras
 An articulation of the “heart and soul”
of the brand
 Short three- to five-word phrases that
capture the irrefutable essence or spirit
of the brand positioning and brand
values
 Considerations
 Communicate
 Simplify

 Inspire
 Designing the Brand
Mantra
 The term brand functions describes
the nature of the product or service
or the type of experiences or benefits
the brand provides.
 The descriptive modifier further
clarifies its nature.
 The emotional modifier provides
another qualifier—how exactly does
the brand provide benefits, and in
what way?
 Designing the Brand
Mantra
Emotional Descriptiv Brand
Modifier e Functions
Modifier
Authentic Athletic Performance
Nike

Fun Family Entertainment

Disney

Fun Folks Food

 Positioning guards
 Should not be over positioned
 Should not be under positioned
 Should not be ambiguous
 Should not promise irrelevant
benefits
 Promise should be credible
 Positioning Strategies
 Product Attribute or Benefit approach
 Price-Quality approach
 User approach
 Product category approach
 Competitor approach
 Product Attribute or Benefit
approach
 Volvo stands for ‘safety’

 BMW for ‘performance’

 Mercedes for ‘luxury’
 Dermi Cool (prickly heat powder that cools)
 Positioning Strategies
USER APPROACH PRICE_QUALITY
APROACH
 Loreal with Aishwarya
 Baja Auto:
Rai, Revlon with Cindy
Crawford etc. “Value-for-money, for
 The Marlboro Man, years”.
Thums up is also trying to  Zenith Computers:

reinforce its ‘for grown “MNC quality, Indian

ups’ image by using a price.”
‘macho’ celebrity route
(Salman Khan).
 Positioning Strategies
PRODUCT COMPETITOR
CATEGORY APPROACH
APPROACH
 Diet beers (from
 Captain Cook (free flow
kingfisher) and ice beers vs. Tata Salt)
(from United Breweries)  Savlon (does not sting vs.
as against the regular Dettol)
beer.
 Laddering Theory
 Laddering in­volves a tailored interviewing
format using primarily a series of directed
probes, typified by the “Why is that
important to you?”.
 Goal of determining sets of linkages be­
tween the key perceptual ele­ments across
the range of attributes (A), consequences
(C), and values (V).
 These association networks, or ladders,
referred to as perceptual orientations,
represent combinations of elements that
serve as the basis for distinguishing
between and among products in a given
Benefit ladder: Salty-
snack study
(A) flavored chip

(A) strong taste

(C) eat less

(C) don’t get fat

(C) better figure

(V) self-esteem
Positioning Research: Benefit Laddering
Product
Attribute
Level

LIRIL LUX

Cleans my skin So what? Cleans my skin

Feel & smell fresh So what? Fair, glowing skin

Active, positive Look more beautiful

So what?
energy
Refreshes mind Attract others’
So what?
attention
Feel free,
Independent & Feel more acceptable
happy So what?
and appreciated

Higher
Emotional
Benefit Level