The 5 Commandments of Brand Positioning: A Framework for Becoming Known

Jul 25

Brand positioning strategy refers to your plan to become known for a specific thing by a specific audience segment within your industry in order to distinguish yourself from competitors. In this blog post you’ll find a brand positioning framework to help you do exactly that.

You invest in branding to be known and remembered.

That way when it’s time for your target audience to buy, they think of you. And not your competitor.

But the world is noisy. With countless products and services vying for consumers’ attention, distinguishing your company from competitors and leaving a lasting impression is no easy feat.

That’s where brand positioning strategy comes into play.

Brand positioning strategy is the deliberate and strategic process of becoming known for a specific thing by a specific audience segment within your industry in order to distinguish yourself from competitors.

The ultimate goal with brand positioning strategy is to assign to your brand a simple, memorable, and compelling definition. One that’s easy for your target to file away in their memory banks, and then recall upon quickly when it’s time for them to purchase in your category.

Who owns brand positioning?

Brand positioning conversations are typically led by marketing leaders. But positioning efforts cannot fall to marketers alone to accomplish.

Marketers can help brands build the narratives and funnels required to attract and convert customers. But it’s up to the rest of the business operation to keep those customers.

Because you can’t become the go-to choice in your market if you’re unable to deliver on the promise of value established in marketing materials.

Not delivering on your promise of value is the fastest way to lose customers and brand equity.

What this means is that brand positioning should be considered a business foundation upon which all business decisions are made.

That includes decisions about business infrastructure, product development, success metrics, brand culture, and most importantly, customer connection and satisfaction.

This is the only way to transform a brand from being just another option in the market to becoming a trusted, preferred choice for consumers. Without it, you’ll quickly become eclipsed by more strategically positioned competitors.

The good news is that brand positioning isn’t especially complicated when you stick the basics.

I created the 5 commandments to help you do exactly that.

How to use the 5 commandments

Whether you’re launching a brand or working to reposition it, the following commandments provide a tried-and-true framework for imprinting a lasting impression on the minds of prospects.

The commandments are tech-agnostic, future-proof, and fully transferrable between roles and industries.

Learn them once, use them again and again.

Best of all, these brand positioning commandment can be incorporated into your marketing plans any time, in any number of ways.

Start by assessing which commandments your company is already abiding by and doing well.

Then isolate the commandments where additional work needs done.

Commandments 1, 2, and 3 will help you develop the strategic foundations of a well-differentiated brand–including what you offer, who you’re selling to, and how to stand out from competitors.

Commandments 4 and 5 will guide your everyday tactical work.

Happy brand positioning!

The 5 Commandments of Brand Positioning

1. Thou Shall Provide Differentiated Value

The baseline requirement for establishing a strong market position is to consistently deliver specific and differentiated value to your target audience. Do this by developing and leveraging a brand value proposition that (1) fills a consumer need that competitors have overlooked, and (2) aligns with your brand’s purpose, mission, values, and personality. This synced approach ensures that you’re working to imprint your name on available mental real estate, and showcases an authentic desire to create value. When you consistently commit to solving real-life problems for customers, they’ll remember you when it’s time to buy—and reward you with long-term loyalty.

2. Thou Shall Know Thy Audience

Understanding your markets’ mental landscape is the only way to successfully stake a claim there. Begin by analyzing first-party customer data, and second-, and third-party audience data. But don’t stop there! Embrace the role of brand anthropologist. Go where your customers are, watch what they do, see what they see. Ask them questions. Listen to the language they use when they talk about the problems you can help them solve. You will be surprised and delighted by the insights you uncover—and the competitive advantages they might yield.

3. Thou Shall Know Thy Competitors

Establishing your position requires understanding how and where competitors are already stationed. As you assess the competitive forces vying for your customers’ attention, look beyond the products and services they offer. Delve into their owned, earned, and paid media strategies. Where are they engaging with customers, and what’s being communicated? Account for primary, secondary, and tertiary competitors as you investigate. By knowing who and what you’re up against, you’ll always know the differentiated value you bring to the market, and how to leverage it for maximum memorability.

4. Thou Shall Stay on Message

Establishing a strong market presence hinges on the consistency of your brand message. Consistency is what forms the foundation of a memorable brand identity. Start by developing a primary brand message that encapsulates your unique value proposition. Before rolling it out widely, test its effectiveness. Once validated, craft supporting sound bites, phrases, proof points, and stories that amplify your message. Inject them into everything you do. Through repetition, customers will develop a clear understanding of who you are and what you offer, making it easier for them to categorize and recall your brand when it’s time to make a buying decision.

5. Thou Shall Consider Context

Culture, consumerism, and politics. Each has the ability to impact your relevance and staying power in the market. Ignore market influences and you risk alienating customers with an ill-timed message. Pay close attention on the other hand–and you’ll find even more ways to plug into their world and connect. To navigate your market landscape successfully, start by determining where your brand fits into their story. Contribute to the conversations they care about, and do it authentically. When you get this right, that’s when you become top of mind and part of their daily life.

Getting started

If you need guidance or help getting buy-in on new brand positioning efforts, check out 10 Proven Reasons to Build a Brand Positioning Strategy.

If you’re looking for someone to jump into the ditches with you and sort things through, I can help with that.

Contact me on LinkedIn or send an email to ashley@peoplethebrand.com.

We’ll set up some time to connect and I can learn more about what you’re trying to accomplish!

Ashley Rutter