Effective marketing requires developing a good narrative that gives prospects a better and clearer way to think about their choices in a crowded market.
April Dunford
Founder, Ambient Strategy · Author of Obviously Awesome
Positioning Changes Perception
How you position a product fundamentally alters how customers perceive its value. Positioning within a market category or against competitors sets off a series of powerful assumptions in the minds of customers. Misaligned positioning forces sales teams to work harder selling products that don't fit their category.
The Five Components of Positioning
- Competitive alternatives — What customers would use instead
- Unique attributes — Features competitors lack
- Deliverable value — Value competitors cannot match
- Target customer — Segmentation by best-fit buyer
- Market category — Context that frames your product
Positioning Evolves Over Time
Product positioning is not permanent. Companies can reposition over time as they learn more about their customers and as markets evolve. The key is to approach positioning as a strategic discipline that gets revisited regularly, not a one-time exercise.