Before we begin, I think we should start with the elephant in the room.

What is brand positioning?

Brand positioning is pretty much what it says on the tin. It is how your brand is positioned in the minds of your audience. It’s about identifying the special sauce that makes your brand unique and using it as a backbone for you – a strategy to make your brand the go-to, not just another option.

The process of positioning your brand is about figuring out what makes your business different. It’s uncovering how you are going to stand out above the rest and carve your own unique space in the market, as well as in the minds of your audience.

Why is it important?

The reality is that your audience is going to position you somewhere, whether you like it or not.

As humans, we don’t walk around thinking about brands; we think about the problems we currently have in our lives and how brands can help solve those problems.

Consumers are constantly evaluating where your brand is going to fit into their lives, not the other way around. So if you don’t have a clear reason for your brand to stand out and make their lives easier, better, or more enjoyable, then tough love incoming they won’t care about you. That’s why having a strategy to influence their decisions is so important.

This post will provide you with 3 different ways that brands use to position themselves, in the hopes that it will inspire you to think about how you can position your own brand in a way that stands out and feels authentic.

Purchase experience

This method could also be called the Netflix method, because they are the perfect example of how this strategy works in practice. Back in the day, when I was a kid, we’d go to the local garage and blindly pick a film out of maybe 20 they had on the shelves. You’d rent it on a day-to-day basis (but usually for 24 hours as you’d watch it on the day you got it) and bring it back to the garage. Looking back, this now seems archaic as Netflix has COMPLETELY revolutionised the purchase experience of renting a film. Now all I have to do is sit on the couch and grab the remote. It’s almost too easy!

Now I’m not suggesting that you have to be the Netflix of your market, but simply use this as inspiration of what is possible.

Perhaps you are a brand photographer who has decided to charge on a monthly subscription basis rather than the traditional per session, to give your clients constantly fresh content for their marketing and socials. You are giving your audience a unique purchase experience to better serve their needs and make your business stand out from the crowd.

Proprietary Methodology

People commonly use being set in their ways as a bad thing, but in this case, they’re wrong! This strategy is all about a certain way of doing things. Perhaps you have a particular step-by-step method that you take your Reiki clients through. Or maybe your skincare products are formulated in a unique way that is specific to your brand alone. Whatever it is, hone in on exactly what you do that is unique to your business and create a signature methodology that makes you stand out.

This method is great because it positions you as an authority – you know enough about the market that you developed your own method to help people in the most effective way possible. It can also add intrigue to your brand. Leaving people curious is a great way to build brand excitement. Therefore, having a signature method that you can name-drop, leaving people wanting to know more about what you do and how you do it, can help to build this excitement.

Origin or Heritage

If there’s one thing that becoming a Marvel fan has taught me, it’s to never underestimate the power of an origin story! If your brand has a unique heritage that lends itself to the storytelling world, then don’t be afraid to use that story as your way to stand out.

One of my favourite examples of storytelling through heritage is Jack Daniels, who uses their origins to create beautiful, compelling story-based marketing campaigns as well as their entire brand positioning strategy built tailored around this heritage and the excellence it has bred. Now you might be thinking, this is great, but I started my brand last year, not in 1864. I don’t have a heritage story. That’s totally fine! You don’t need to be 100 years old for this to work.

Perhaps your brand was created through a funny story that you think will resonate with your ideal customer. Or perhaps you started making dresses alongside your gran when you were 5 years old, and now you pass down this generational wisdom through hand-crafted timeless pieces that can go on to create their own story. This method is all about connecting to your ideal client, hooking them in with emotions and creating a compelling story that they will connect with.

Positioning your brand is what takes you from being a commodity and just another choice for your audience to being the only choice for your audience. It allows them to build trust with you, to build a relationship with you, and to be part of something much bigger than just a product or service.

If you’d like to delve further into brand positioning and see more ways in which you can position your brand, then download our free Ultimate Brand Positioning Handbook.

Let’s nerd out together!

Have a great day,

Emily

Founder, Cecile Creative Studio