Brand positioning answers the question “How are we different?” As a core component of brand strategy, it helps to define and clarify your brand and align your organization. And, there are myriad brand positioning frameworks, the classic being:
To [target audience, or WHO]
BRAND is the only [category, or WHAT]
That [differentiation, or HOW]
So you can [benefit, or WHY].
While the components of this classic brand positioning remain relevant in answering the key question “how are we different,” which is core to carving out a market leading position, we’ve moved away from having a box that’s separate for differentiation.
Two reasons:
- Separation of “how” can often lead to four disconnected statements all mixed as a “kitchen sink” kind of positioning, that means nothing to anyone because it is just a wish list of a who, a what, a why, and a how, and not a real singular idea. Market leadership requires focus on a single idea that you own inside and out. Kitchen sinking is the enemy of good brand positioning.
- Including a separate “how” often leads folks to get very functional, fast, over focusing on a single capability, which often can be outdone by competitors in a matter of months (or in the case of high-tech categories such as AI, in a matter of days). Market leadership happens over time, and staking out a single idea that you own and build equity in is a year’s long process – so hinging your positioning on something that will be outdone in a matter of months is a recipe for surrendering leadership.
The entirety of brand positioning should be about how you’re different – not just one piece of it. In fact, it should underpin all three of the other pieces:
WHAT
How you are different changes how you define what business you’re in. If you’re a challenger, it will lead you to reframe your category as something new. If you’re the leader, you’ll want to double down on the category you own.
- For example, if you’re a pain medication brand you might be in the business of safety – not pain relief – because that’s what you’re selling vs. alternatives that are less safe for the body. You ARE a pain medication brand, but you’re in the business of SAFETY, and that’s what makes you different.
- Or, if you’re an EV brand, you might be about all-terrain rugged driving experience, which your audience can’t get from other EVs. You ARE an EV brand, you’re in the business of ALL-TERRAIN RUGGEDNESS, and that’s what makes you different.
WHY
How you’re different also changes how you define your benefit to your target audience. What makes you different should be the exact thing that delivers your benefit. They aren’t separate elements – they are two different expressions of the same idea.
If you’re the leader in your category, reinforcing your ownership of the category benefit, and then driving it further and further up the benefits ladder to the most emotional or aspirational benefit you can credibly claim (and no one else can claim because they are not the leader), is the way to go.
- For that pain medication brand in the business of SAFETY, their benefit is the category benefit – so you can FEEL BETTER. They are the only pain medication that helps you feel better safely.
If you’re a challenger, you’ll want to explore benefits that ladder from your differentiation and that are meaningful to the category and to your target audience.
- For that EV brand in the business of ALL-TERRAIN RUGGEDNESS, their benefit is to EXPLORE EVERYWHERE. They are the only EV brand with all-terrain ruggedness so drivers can explore everywhere.
WHO
I saved the Who for last, because you might be asking yourself – isn’t the who about my target audience? How is my target audience supposed to embody my brand’s differentiation?
How you’re different should even alter how you describe the aspiration of your brand target. WHO in brand positioning is not your volume target – in your marketing, you can target as much of the total addressable market as you have budget.
But the WHO in brand positioning is about your “sweet spot” audience. Those who are your highest aspiration for who best represents your best customer.
WHO can mean something additional, too. Because the best brands have a shared set of values with their customers, your WHO can be the overlap between you and your audience expressed as a persona. This persona should be defined by an attitude, a way of looking at things, or a psychographic, and never a demographic or market segment. Demographics and segments are for your media buys and your creative briefs that are specific to certain channels and points in the customer journey. So, your WHO will express how you’re different by pulling through your unique shared values with your audience.
- For example, if you’re a pain medication brand that’s in the business of safety, your shared values with your target audience may include caregiving, tuning into one’s own body, and gentleness. So, your WHO might be “Tuned-In Caregivers.” This defines both the people at the company and the brand, as well as the attitude of their most aspirational target audience.
- Or, if you’re an EV brand that’s in the business of all-terrain ruggedness, your shared values with your target audience may include exploring off the grid, dedication to the planet, and toughness. So, your WHO might be “Off-Grid Green Explorers.” This defines the company and brand, as well as its ideal target audience.
All three components of modern positioning – who, what, why – contribute to and help identify how a brand is different. Combined with purpose, which answers the question “Why do we exist?” these components form the core of a brand strategy that can align your entire team, clarify who you are in all operations and revenue generating activities and decisions, and be infused in your brand expression.
Ready to rethink your brand positioning? Get in touch and learn how we can help!
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