
“Positioning starts with a product. A piece of merchandise, a service, a company, an institution or even a person… But positioning is not what you do to a product. Positioning is what you do to the mind of the prospect. That is, you position the product in the mind of the prospect.”
–Ries & Trout; Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, 20th Anniversary Edition
The fact is, our world is noisy and getting noisier by the day. Positioning can help to cut through the clutter and the noise. Positioning enables a company to establish itself in the minds of its customers, and shows how the firm fits within the competitive landscape. What comes to your mind when you hear “Think different” or “Highly advanced yet simple to use“?
“Being all things to all people is a recipe for mediocrity and below average performance.”
–Michael Porter
Ignoring the concept of positioning could either lead the firm to take on its competitors head on, or appear as if they are everything for anyone. Neither is effective. Remember Zune as the iPod killer? It is through positioning we can strategize how our strengths will help create a winning situation for us. And, it is through positioning that we touch up every tangible aspect of the product, price, place and promotion to support the overall strategy.
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