Ch 9

Crafting the Brand Positioning

Positioning

Positioning is the act of designing the company's offering and image to occupy a distinctive place in

the mind of the target market.

• Positioning is undoubtedly one of the simplest and most useful tools to marketers.

• Positioning is all about ‘perception’. As perception differs from person to person, so do the results of the positioning map e.g. what one perceives as quality, value for money in terms of worth, etc, will be different to any other person’s perception.

Example

A simple example of positioning would be If I say An expensive TV, what comes first to your mind

probably will be A Sony or A Samsung TV whereas if I say a cheaper TV you might think of an Nobel or a

Changhong. That’s positioning. Why is it that you have called out these respective names only? That is because how the brands are positioned in your

mind in terms of awareness.

Why is it important?

The main goal of clear positioning is that it controls how the market perceives you and what helps in making your product or service more attractive.

It is also important because it helps to locate the brand in the minds of consumers to maximize the

potential benefit to the firm.

Competitive Frame of Reference

The competitive frame of reference defines which other brands is a particular brand competing with.

A frame of reference is needed so that potential clients can compare a product with other products

that offer similar benefits.

Identifying Competitors

The first step in defining a competitive frame of reference is to determine category membership

which includes products with which a brand competes and which are its close substitutes.

Example include Aqua Fina and Kinley, Maggi and Knorr noodles, Dawlance and Pel etc.

Points-of-difference (PODs)

PODs are attributes or benefits that consumers strongly associate with a brand, positively evaluate,

and believe that they could not find to the same extent with a competitive brand. Examples include:

• Apple - design, ease of use, attitude

• Nike – performance, innovative technology, winning

In short, the aspects of the product offering that are relatively distinct to the offerings of competitors

are its PODs.

Points-of-Parity (POPs)

POPs are attributes or benefits that are not necessarily unique to the brand but may in fact be

shared with other brands.

In short, the aspects of the product offering that are largely similar to the offerings of competitors

are its POPs.

Brand Mantra

It is the heart and soul of the brand. These are short, three to five word phrases that capture the essence

or spirit of the brand positioning.

Its purpose is to ensure that all employees within the organization and external marketing partners

understand what the brand represents

Examples

• Ritz-Carlton: Ladies & Gentlemen Serving Ladies & Gentlemen

• Disney: Fun Family Entertainment

• Nike: Authentic Athletic Performance

• BMW: Ultimate Driving Machine

• Betty Crocker: Homemade Made Easy

Designing a Brand Mantra

1. Criteria:

Define category of business and set its boundaries. Clarify uniqueness of business.

2. Simplify:

It should be memorable, short, crisp and vivid in meaning.

3. Inspire:

It should be meaningful and relevant.

Emotional Branding

It refers to the practice of building brands that appeal directly to a consumer's emotional state, needs and aspirations. Emotional branding is successful when it triggers an emotional response in the consumer.

Emotional brands have a significant impact when the consumer experiences a strong and lasting

attachment to the brand comparable to a feeling of bonding, companionship or love.

Examples

• Nestle pure life - mother daughter relationship

• Molty Foam - daughter marriage and bond with father

• Fair & Lovely - own house, well-settled, high salary

• Bank Al Habib – husband, wife: bank