Have you ever wondered what place you occupy in your customer’s thoughts relative to your competitors? Do your customers believe that you are the best option to meet their needs? Your goal here is to address your customer’s and prospects’ desired outcomes in a way that makes them feel special and fulfilled. This post explores four ways you can do this through market and brand positioning.
- Think like your customer
Your brand does not project itself onto customers, rather it directly reflects them. You need to understand your audience so accurately that your marketing and advertising messaging impresses them. Take a step back and place yourself in the customers’ shoes to answer the following questions:
- What does the brand do for them?
- How would the customer describe the brand?
- How does the brand make them feel?
- How does the brand make them look?
2. Create a brand identity prism
Famous marketer Jean-Noel Kapferer introduced the concept of a prism that helps marketers develop strong brand identity by embodying the following human characteristics:
- Physique – The physical characteristics of your brand and what visuals customers see when they think of your product
- Personality – The character of your brand expressed through style, design, language and tone of voice.
- Culture – Belief and value systems that run through your organization
- Relationship – The connection your brand has established with customers and what they expect from you
- Reflection – The people who will buy your product
- Self-image – How your customers want to see themselves (or what aspirational lifestyle they want)
3. Map your desired brand position
This is the visual representation of your brand’s strengths and weaknesses relative to your competition, based on how consumers see you. You can map your position on the following categories:
- Pricing
- Products
- Brand concepts
- Brand attributes
4. Identify your Unique Serving Proposition (USP)
This USP will become your brand mantra to express who you are deep down, to your customers. Your mantra will express your points of difference (PODs) to them and why you matter more than your competitors.
You can list several PODs based on your competitive advantages, for example:
- Do you serve an underserved market segment or niche?
- Do you have excellent and unusual quality of service?
- Do you have unique ingredients, processes, or methodologies?
Mark your territory
Establish your brand firmly in people’s minds as the only option for their needs, through market positioning planning. The Bumblebee Branding Company in Chennai, India, can jumpstart this discovery process for you through tailored exercises.
