How brand positioning is determined

Brand positioning is determined by finding a distinct place for your brand within the marketplace. This process involves internal analysis, market research, and customer insights. It’s important to note that brand values and personality play a significant role in determining your position, as they should be genuine and resonate with customers. Customers can quickly identify disingenuous brands. Even in businesses with multiple owners, shared values are often present. However, following the loudest voice regarding brand personality is always the wisest choice – give the brand its own traits!

To effectively position your brand, it’s crucial to understand the problem your business solves for customers or prospects. Market research helps uncover their needs, desires, and pain points. Analyzing competitors is also essential to assess their target audience perception, identify strengths and weaknesses, and discover market gaps for differentiation.

Swyft Sofas provides a notable example by offering 24-hour delivery as a differentiating factor. Their “The Next Day Sofa Company” tagline embodies this positioning strategy.

Sometimes your business may not be the first to do something, but you can still claim ownership of a space through clear messaging. Your positioning should be defined in your proposition, positioning statement, story, and messaging. Consistency across messaging, visuals, brand voice, and customer touchpoints helps reinforce your brand positioning. It’s not unusual for a brand to claim that they were the first to do something – when the truth is they weren’t they were just able to position themselves better than their competitors.

This leads to a crucial point: being the first to claim a position makes it challenging for competitors to take over that space. However, it’s important to note that you cannot become complacent because markets are constantly evolving. When determining your brand positioning, consider where you can occupy first.