{Brand positioning

How can a firm develop and establish an effective

positioning in the market?

Positioning is the act of designing a company’s

offering and image to occupy a

distinctive place in the minds

of the target market

What is positioning?

Positioned asBackache specialist

Target consumers: Housewives with frequent backaches

To locate the brand in the minds of consumers

Goal

1

Consumer needs and

wants

2

Company capabilities

3

Competitive action

Considerations

Customer focused value propositionA cogent reason for

“why the target market should buy the product”

Result

Target customers

Benefits

Value proposition

•Convenience minded pizza lovers

•Delivery speed

•Good quality

•Good hot pizza within 30 min of ordering

Determining a competitive frame of reference

Identifying and establishing POPs and

PODs

Creating a Brand Mantra

Steps for developing a Brand Positioning

1. Determining a competitive frame of reference

Determining Frame of Reference

Identifying Target Market

Determining Competitive Frame

of Reference

Identifying Competitors

Analysing their strengths and weaknesses

Vs

2.Choosing and Establishingoptimal PODs and POPs

POD???????POP???????

Attributes provided by the brand that are perceived by the customers as“ The Best from the Rest”

Points ofDifference

Points ofParity

Attributes which may not be unique but shared with competitors

Desirability

• Brand association should be personally relevant to consumers

Deliverability

• Internal resources and commitment to maintain the brand association in minds of the consumers

Differentiability

• Brand association must be perceived as superior and distinct by consumers

Points of Difference Criteria

POD

Points of parity

Category POPs

Necessary conditions for a brand choice

Competitive POPsDesigned to overcome

perceived weaknesses of the brand

Example of competitive POP

Savlon had to highlight “no-sting “property to counter the category perception

and strong association created by Dettol

3. Creating Brand MantraThe heart and soul of the brand

Brand Mantra/Core Brand promise/Brand essenceis what the brand is most fundamentallyto represent with customers

Authentic Athletic Performance

Criteria to design a Brand Mantra

Communicateabout the category of the business for the brand

Simplifyso that it is short and crisp

InspireSo that it becomes personally relevant to most of the employees

Brand Mantra is made of

Brand Function

Descriptive modifier

Emotional modifier

Establishing Brand positioning

Actual task of establishing a brand positionis to communicate it to everyone in the organisation formally and then to the

consumers

Your consumers have to understand the brand in the

way you want them to

One approach to communicate formally : Bull’s Eye

Alternative approaches to Brand Positioning

• Brand Narratives and story telling

• Brand Journalism • Cultural

Branding

Positioning and Branding a small Business

Problem with small businesses is

Hence follow these• Focus and consistency in marketing programs• Creativity- highly recommended

Recap

Positioning overviewCompetitive Frame of referencePODs and POPsBrand MantraAlternatives for positioningSmall Businesses Positioning

Created by

A.KruthikaIndian School of Mines, Dhanbad

During an internship with Prof. Sameer Mathur, IIM Lucknow.www.IIMInternship.com