Marketing Club Instructor

By/Amany Sabry

BRAND POSITIONING

Does the Term “Brand” Have a Brand Perception Problem?

In the marketing world, we hear the term “brand” all the

time.

“It’s time to rebrand.”

“I need a new brand.”

“I already have a brand.”

But the meaning of the word “brand” varies from person to

person

A brand is a Personality, a Name, Term, Sign, Symbol

or Design, or a combination of them, intended to Identify

the goods or services of seller and to Differentiate them

from those of competitors

Definition of Brand by Phillip Kotler:

s

Brand Identity, Image And Positioning:

IDENTITY IMAGE POSITION

BRAND AS INTENDED BRAND AS RECEIVED

OR DECODED BRAND IN RELATION TO COMPETITVE BRAND(S)

Customer should be positioned at the center of branding,

so brand defined as a (promise to the customer)

There is a further brand elements as ,its added

emotional value

Ex; CoCa-Cola has a strong emotional brand

Another essential aspect of a brand is its image which is

in the mind of the customer inform of pictures, feeling ,

attributes, values & content of brand.

It’s the idea formed inside someone’s mind that represents

what sets a product or service apart (the Brand).

Why should your company care about its

Brand?

If you already have a logo, you might think you have your

brand—but if you stop there, you’re missing out on a crucial

opportunity to define your competitive advantage in the

marketplace.

Branding is not just designing a visual identity without

Strategy & Positioning, your logo may look nice, but it will fail

to communicate your brand’s differentiating value—the reason

for your customers to choose you above all other competitors.

Brand vs Product

Talc powder

Fragrance

$ 2.3 $ 5.3

walgreens Johnsons’

What is in Johnson’s brand?

Perception of

Trust

Memories

High quality

Dependability

Relationship experience

Emotional benefits

Functional benefits

Attributes

Brand framework

Brands

sustainable

Product

Knocked-off

Website/

Detail Aids

Brand

Positioning

Market

Development

Advertising & Public

Relations

Customer

Service Co-Branding/

Partnerships

Sales Force

Planning &

Messaging

Product Name

and Identity

Strategic Role

(within Portfolio)

Every decision that is made regarding the Brand should be judged by

how well it supports the Positioning

Positioning represents the “Place”

a brand occupies in a market segment.

(a logical reason for why the target

market should buy the product)

It is the act of designing the company’s

offering & image so that they occupy a

meaningful & distinct competitive position

in the target customers’ minds.’

Kotler (1997)

What is Positioning?

Positioning Importance

It is necessary to formulate a positioning statement that

is in tune with the promotional objectives.

The positioning concept is a very important strategic

term. It is important to establish a distinct image of a

brand in people's minds that developed mainly because

of increasingly competitive market conditions.

The positioning brings focus and clarity to the

development of marketing strategy and tactics

Examples

Maggi is positioned as an evening snack among the

youth and in young urban mother’s mind – ‘good to

eat, fast to cook and anytime snack’

Maruti Cars are positioned as Value for Money Cars

Kellogg’s cereal is positioned as a breakfast food

7-Up is positioned as an Un-cola drink

Mountain Dew are positioned as adventure brands

TRESemme – “Professional Affordable”

Colgate………Protection

Lux …………..Glamour

Axe………….Sexual attraction

BMW the ultimate driving experience

STP

The growing use of STP process as a result of the

prevalence of mature markets, the greater diversity in

customer needs, and the ability to reach specialized or niche

segments.

As such marketers are increasingly segmenting markets

and identifying attractive segments (i.e. who to focus on and

why?),

In order to identify new product opportunities, develop

suitable positioning and communications strategies (i.e. what

message to communicate), and effectively allocate resources

to key marketing activities (i.e. how much should we spend

and where?).

STP

Organizations will often commission segmentation

research when they want to re-scope their marketing

strategy, investigate a declining brand, launch a new product,

or restructure their pricing policy. Ex Birell drink

Organizations operating in highly dynamic environments

seek to conduct segmentation research at regular

intervals, to keep in touch with changes in the marketplace.

Benefits

Awareness

Behavior Segments

Positioning is the final main phase of the overall STP

process Positioning is typically more important in

cluttered and competitive markets, particularly for low-

involvement purchase decisions

(1)a brand for what,

(2) a brand for whom,

(3) a brand for when,

(4) a brand against whom

Market Segmentation

S

Target Market

T

Brand positioning

P

Identifying similar

groups of customers

Identifying which group of customers

to aim for

Creating a concept to

appeal to the target market

e.g M/F business

Student aged 18-25, 26-35 , 36-45 , 46+

e.g. female business students

26-35

e.g. HE position as internally

rewarding & personal

development

Market

information Market

decision

Market

decision

Creative

Market

information

Market

Research

Key benefits of the STP process include:

Enhancing a company’s competitive position by providing

direction and focus for marketing strategies such as targeted

advertising, new product development,

and brand differentiation.

For example, Coca-Cola identified through market research

that its Diet Coke brand (also marketed as Coca-Cola Lite)

was

regarded as ‘girly’ and ‘feminine’ by male consumers. As a

direct result the company developed a new product, branded

Coke Zero, which is targeted at the health-conscious male

segment of the soft drinks market.

Apple Positioning based on demography:

(United States)“Technology so simple that everyone can be a

part of the future”

(Japan) “ Curvy and fashionable, easy and stylish decoration”

استرجل

"Positioning

is not what you do to product ;it is

what you do to the mind of a prospect.

Ries and Trout (1972)

How to get in the

mind of consumer ?

BY Being 1st

The 1st to occupy in

your mind is hard

to be forgotten!!

So how to get into the

mind of consumer

1st?

By create a new category to get

into the mind 1st

Energy Drink

Category Brand

Red Bull

Ex

It is not the most effective energy drink but was the

1st to be perceived at customers’ mind

=

Perceptual Map Effective

coolness

Red Bull

37.3%

Rock

star

10.7%

Monster

24.5%

AMP

4.2%

5-hour

energy

13.1%

Perceptual Map

High health

benefit

High youth brand

awareness

Perceived Value of RedBull

It’s better to be first in the

Mind , than be first in the

Marketplace (Al Ries & Jack Trout)

Fundamental elements of positioning

How the brand is

perceived in

customer’s mind

Physical

attributes

Positioning therefore is about how customers judge

a product’s value relative to competitors and its

ability to deliver against the promises made.

Positioning concept

In order to develop a sustainable position it is important to

understand the:

What is the nature of the competition in the market ?

What tangible and intangible attributes are customers

looking for when buying these types of products?

There are a Strategic groups (various clusters of brands) that

compete directly against each other. Ex. in the car market,

Ford, Toyota, Mercedes, Jaguar &Lexus

The specification and design of these cars are based on the

attributes that customers in this segment that are prepared to

pay for. However, designing a car that includes key attributes

alone is not sufficient. Successful positioning of each of

these car brands is important in order that customers perceive

how each brand is different and understand the value that

each represents.

luxury car market

TOYOTA

Mercedes

Ford

Jaguar, Lexus

How they perceived in consumer’s

mind?

So it is important to know the

(Attributes) that are the key drivers

of a consumer’s preference for a

brand.

Positioning requires that marketers define and

communicate similarities and differences between their

brand and its competitors

Attributes or benefits

consumers strongly associate

with a brand, positively

evaluate, and believe they

could not find to the same

extent with a competitive

brand

Associations that are not

necessarily unique to the

brand but may be shared with

other brands

Points-of-Difference (PODs)

Points-of-Parity (POPs)

Perceptual mapping

Developing a visual representation of each market, that

used to determine how various brands are perceived

according to the key attributes that customers value.

It represents a geometric comparison of how competing

products are perceived

(Sinclair and Stalling, 1990)

and it is called perceptual maps because the maps are

based on the perception of the buyers

Criteria such as price, quality, status, features, safety,

reliability, etc can be used for either of the axis

Once the 2 axis have been drawn and labeled existing

brands will be placed onto the map

Perceptual mapping can provide significant insight into

how a market operates

Percepteual map of Chocolate

BUDGET

PRESTIGE

CONSERVATIVE SPORTY

MERCEDES

AUDI

HONDA

BMW

PORSCHE

JAGUAR

VOLKSWAGEN

FORD

HYUNDAI FIAT

TATA MARUTI

TOYOTA

RENAULT

MAHINDRA

Ferrari

Chevrolet

Percepteual map of Cars

Perceptual Map - Cosmetics Premium

Low Utility

&

Performance

High Utility

&

Performance

Pocket

Friendly

‘Renting’ mind space….

To enter the consumer’s perceptual space and to secure a

‘position’ there, the brand must satisfy his question: “what’s

in it for me?”

It must offer a benefit which is of importance to him

We have to create a perception of our brand in the

prospect’s mind so that it stand a part from competing

brands, and being sustainable as long as we can

To keep long-term lease we must find a strong position!!.

How to create strong positioning?

What your brand does

best

What your competitor does best

What your consumers

want

Dumb

zone Winning

zone

Losing

zone

Risky

zone

7-Step Brand Positioning Strategy Process

In order to create a position strategy, you must first identify

your brand’s uniqueness and determine what differentiates

you from your competition:

1. Determine how your brand is currently positioning itself

2. Identify your direct competitors

3. Understand how each competitor is positioning their

brand

4. Compare your positioning to your competitors to identify

your uniqueness

5. Develop a distinct and value-based positioning idea

6. Craft a brand positioning statement

7. Test the efficacy of your brand positioning statement

Start by looking at potential clusters of functional and

emotional benefits

Match up with what consumers want and what your

brand does better than other competitor

VOLVO VS

FERRARI

Four bases of Positioning:

1) Product class

2) Consumer segmentation

3) Consumer perception

4) Brand Benefits and Attributes

Positioning statement

A positioning statement is “the message that communicates

the brand image to consumers

It helps you make key decisions that affect your customer’s

perception of your brand.

It should be a short, unique, believable, compelling

declarative sentence that states just one benefit and address

target market’s problem.

it should answer

Who is the consumer target? (To)

Where will you play? (Category)

Where will you win? (Benefit)

Why should they believe us? (Support points)

Examples of Positioning

Statements;

• Ponds Energy Face wash is for Men who (20-30 age group) or older

that have dull and tired skin with Coffee extract beans unlike other

ordinary face wash

For World Wide Web users who enjoy books, Amazon.com is a

retail bookseller that provides instant access to over 1.1 million

books. Unlike traditional book retailers, Amazon.com provides a

combination of extraordinary convenience, low prices, and

comprehensive selection.

For those suffering from a cold, Comtrex offers four different relief

formulas that treat and work against your specific cold ailments.

For cold sufferers, Contac offers 12 hours of continuous relief from

congestion and sinus pressure thanks to it’s time-release technology.

For consumers ages 16-35, Crest White strips whiten teeth five times

better than the leading paint-on whitening gel. That’s because Crest’s

gel-coated strips hold the peroxide on teeth longer, to whiten stains

below the tooth surface.

For females who cook meat, Saran Disposable Cutting Sheets are

the solution to your worries about meat juice germs.

That’s because you can cut your meat right on Saran Cutting

Sheets, and they’ll soak up the juicy mess. Just toss the sheet

away and your worries are gone with it!

For “Green” consumers seeking healthy foods free from pesticides,

chemical or preservatives, Seeds of Change frozen entrée’s taste

great. 100% of our ingredients are grown organically and are not

only healthy for you, but also our planet.

For the angelic women who are the epitomes of

beauty , Loreal is the brand that brings out the

goddess in you!’’

Once you have a strong brand positioning statement

you can create a Tagline or slogan that helps establish

the position you’re looking to own. Examples:

Mercedes-Benz: Engineered like no other car in the world

BMW: The ultimate driving machine

L’Oreal: Because you’re worth it.

Walmart: Always low prices. Always.

Nike: Just do it

Coca-Cola: The real thing

Criteria for Evaluating Brand Positioning Strategy

1. Does it differentiate your brand?

2. Does it match customer perceptions of your brand?

3. Does it enable growth?

4. Does it identify your brand’s unique value to your customers?

5. Is it focused on your core customers?

6. Is it memorable and motivating?

7. Is it consistent in all areas of your business?

8. Is it easy to understand?

9. Is it difficult to copy?

10.Is it positioned for long-term success?

11.Is your brand promise believable and credible?

12.Will it withstand counterattacks from your competitors?

13.Will it help you make more effective marketing and branding decisions?

POSITIONING TECHNIQUES

Umbrella positioning

Suzuki , the maker of many car model, is using the

same slogan to describe the consumer benefits that its

products provided

Product Repositioning

The marketer may be forced to reposition it in

response to market events, such as competitors cutting

into the brand’s market share or too many competitors

stressing the same attributes. Another reason to

reposition a product or service is to satisfy changing

consumer preferences.

To face the competitors, who offer new products or services

Changing lifestyle of people - need to suit the current trend.

Eg. Evolution of Tabs and Apple

When brand need to change their target segment (happens

rarely)

When motivation to buy the category is low among

customers

When the market is over saturated.

Why repositioning is required?

Cadbury Failed to reposition Gems?!

“Be Ageless”

Typology of Strategic Positioning

Positioning by Corporate Identity:

ex Philips radio, Philips lamp, Philips Mixies, Philips

Refrigerators

Positioning by Unique Attribute:

Kinder Joy product, its packaging and free toy

Category-related positioning:

• If you are marketing a skimmed milk powder, the same basic product can be positioned as:-

a) Re-constituted Milk

- in metal can packaging

b) A whitener for tea & coffee

- in sachet packaging

- instantly soluble in water

- introduce a creamier variety

c) Weight – Watcher, low calorie milk

- available at chemist shops and health food outlets

d) Instant Breakfast

- in jar packaging with added vitamins and nutrients

Benefit-Related positioning

Brand Benefit Position

Pepsodent whitening, close-up

Cosmetics: white, bright

teeth

Colgate, Close-up Fresh breath

Colgate taste

Colgate , Sensodyne Decay prevention

Colgate total pro gum health,

Sensodyne, Meswak

Gum care and other

therapeutics

The more you simplify

your Positioning , the

more powerful it

becomes

Alex 6th Marketing Club, Saturday 25 March 2017