What is Positioning?
Positioning is a strategic concept that describes the place a brand, company, or product occupies in the consciousness of the target audience. The term was coined in the 1980s by Al Ries and Jack Trout and has since been a cornerstone of strategic marketing.
The central question is: What does your company stand for in the minds of your customers? The answer determines whether potential customers think of you when they are looking for a solution. Strong positioning creates a clear Unique Value Proposition and forms the basis for all marketing and sales activities.
Why Positioning is Crucial
In saturated markets with interchangeable offerings, positioning determines success or failure:
- Differentiation: Without clear positioning, you are one of many – with positioning, you become the first choice for your target audience
- Price Elasticity: Strong positioning justifies premium prices and increases Customer Lifetime Value
- More Efficient Marketing: Clear positioning reduces acquisition costs because your message is immediately understood
- Customer Loyalty: Customers who identify with your positioning stay longer – higher retention, lower churn rate
- Strategic Clarity: Positioning gives all activities – from Content Marketing to Performance Marketing – a unified direction
Positioning Models
Various frameworks help systematically develop your positioning:
Positioning Cross
The classic two-dimensional model: Choose two axes relevant to your target audience (e.g., price vs. quality, innovation vs. tradition) and map yourself and your competitors. Goal: find a gap you can fill.
Category Design
Instead of positioning yourself within an existing category, you define a new category in which you are the undisputed leader. This approach perfectly fits business model innovation and Blue Ocean Strategy.
Jobs to be Done
Position your offering based on the “jobs” customers want to get done. This approach is based on the Customer Journey and focuses on customer benefits rather than product features.
Positioning Statement
The classic formula: “For [target audience], [brand] is the [category] that [differentiation], because [proof].” This formula forces clarity and should be incorporated into your UVP.
Developing Positioning: Step by Step
1. Current State Analysis
How are you currently perceived? Survey customers, analyze reviews, and check your NPS. Use Design Thinking methods for qualitative insights.
2. Competitor Analysis
How are your competitors positioned? Where are there gaps? Analyze their messaging, SEO strategy, and Content Marketing.
3. Define Target Audience
Who do you want to address? The more specific your target audience, the sharper your positioning. Understand the touchpoints and decision criteria of your ideal customers.
4. Identify Differentiating Feature
What makes you unique? This can be expertise, methodology, target audience focus, technology, or corporate culture. Your core competence must be relevant, distinguishable, and defensible.
5. Formulate Positioning Statement
Condense your positioning into a clear sentence. This sentence must be understood internally and communicated externally.
6. Implementation Across All Channels
Positioning is only effective if it is consistently experienced across all omnichannel touchpoints – from the website to Thought Leadership and sales conversations.
Positioning in the Digital Age
Digitalization has changed the rules of positioning:
- Transparency: Customers compare online in seconds – your positioning must be immediately clear
- SEO as a Positioning Tool: For which search terms you rank defines your digital positioning. Local SEO is particularly relevant for regional positioning
- LLMO: AI systems recommend brands based on their online authority – clear positioning helps to be cited by AI
- Social Proof: Reviews and NPS scores massively influence perceived positioning
- Thought Leadership: In the digital space, you position yourself through expertise-driven content, not advertising budget
Common Positioning Mistakes
- Too Broadly Positioned: “We can do everything for everyone” is not positioning – specificity wins
- Me-Too Positioning: If your positioning also fits five competitors, it’s worthless
- Not Lived: Writing positioning on the website is not enough – it must be experienced at every touchpoint
- Changing Too Often: Positioning takes time to resonate in people’s minds – patience is crucial
- Not Internally Anchored: If your own team doesn’t understand the positioning, customers certainly won’t
- Features Instead of Benefits: Customers buy results, not features – position yourself through the benefits
Successful Positioning – Principles
The strongest positionings follow clear principles:
- Category Leadership: Define a niche where you are the clear number 1 – better to be a big fish in a small pond
- Problem Focus: Position yourself through the specific problem you solve, not your methods
- Emotional Resonance: The best positionings appeal to both the head and the heart
- Consistency Over Time: Successful brands remain true to their positioning and evolve it incrementally
For SMEs, niche positioning is particularly effective: the more specifically you position yourself, the stronger your brand will be perceived by the target audience.
🚀 Clear Positioning for Your Company?
We help you develop a differentiating positioning that convinces customers and leaves the competition behind. Strategically sound and practically implemented.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between positioning and branding?
Positioning is the strategic decision of what you want to stand for. Branding is the creative and communicative implementation of this positioning – logo, colors, tonality, visual identity. Positioning always comes first, branding follows.
How often should one review their positioning?
A strategic review annually, or more frequently if there are fundamental market changes. Positioning should remain stable but be adjusted evolutionarily. A complete repositioning is only advisable with a fundamental change in strategy.
Can a small company position itself against large competitors?
Yes – and often even better! SMEs can focus on specific niches, appear more authentic, and react faster. The strategy is: Don’t be broader, be sharper. Use digital marketing and Thought Leadership to make your expertise visible.
What makes a good positioning statement?
A good positioning statement is: specific (not general), relevant (to the target audience), differentiating (from the competition), credible (provable), and memorable (in one sentence). The classic formula: “For [target audience], we are [category] that [differentiation], because [proof].”