A diverse range of goods and low quality differences between the offerings make it difficult for companies to establish new brands on the markets. From the consumer's point of view, products and services are interchangeable. This makes a positioning strategy all the more important to keep your brands in the spotlight.
Strategic positioning is becoming increasingly important as a marketing method. Through its own positioning strategy, a company can highlight important features of its offerings and services and thus clearly differentiate itself from the competition.
As a rule, certain characteristics and qualities are associated with a product. The positioning of a brand with the aid of a suitable positioning strategy helps the target groups to find their way around a product availability characterized by abundance and confusion.
The development of a positioning strategy is one of the essential tasks in corporate marketing. Strategic positioning is not only important for a start-up. If the planned growth fails to materialize, a company is in the red or its market share is declining, a realignment of the marketing strategy should be considered.
In their sales behavior, consumers are guided by their perception. If a product is not classified as desirable but as "outdated," customer satisfaction drops. A suitable positioning strategy forms the basis for a successful marketing model.
What is a positioning strategy? In common usage, the term "positioning" is best explained as "location". The official positioning strategy definition, on the other hand, describes the positioning of a company in the markets.
A positioning strategy is an integral part of a marketing plan. In the marketing concept, the positioning of a company is defined. A positioning strategy example is the link between a brand and certain characteristics, such as: "Exclusive designer shoes made of the finest leather can only be found at company X". This brand is positioned on the basis of exclusivity as a unique selling proposition.
The aim of a positioning strategy is to ensure that the offers made by the company are associated with certain characteristics. The positioning of a brand aims to present it in the subjective perception of the target groups in such a way that it stands out from competing offers. The aim of a positioning strategy is to ensure that the company's own goods are preferred over competing products.
Positioning is described as a company's efforts to design offerings in such a way that they occupy a particularly valued place in the minds of target customers. The positioning strategy is a strategic planning process. Strategic measures are developed to make one's own brand more attractive to consumers.
A positioning strategy is very important for any company, regardless of size or industry. The Importance of positioning should not be underestimated. Are you planning to become self-employed, start your own company or are you already a company founder?
Positioning strategy marketing and customer acquisition are the most important issues related to a company foundation. The task of positioning is to define the position of a service offering in the competition and in the market. It is a prerequisite for planning the use of targeted marketing measures.
The positioning strategy sets goals and provides guidance on which marketing activities can be used to achieve these goals. The marketing mix suitable for your project can be derived from the positioning of your brand. The positioning strategy includes:
The core message to be conveyed is determined by you.
What is important in a positioning strategy? First of all, it is important to determine what differentiates your products or services from the competition. Why should customers buy from you? What does your brand offer that others don't?
The key questions you ask yourself are summarized in short form, the three W's (What, Who, Why):
Consumers judge a product by its benefits. What added value do your products offer? Make a list of all the benefits. Consider practical, aesthetic, functional, or ideal aspects that make your goods desirable to consumers.
Do you know your target groups? In other words, do you know which customer groups prefer your products? Only when you can clearly determine your core group will you develop a suitable positioning strategy.
Why should consumers choose your products? Write down the reasons that come to mind on a sheet of paper. Are your offers particularly high-quality or original, are there unique selling points that cannot be found in the competition?
Positioning is one of the most important decisions that is vital to brand awareness, customer loyalty and business success.
A target group is a group of people characterized by common interests. These can be economic, social, business or societal concerns. Each consumer group represents a certain proportion of the population.
For example, many customers are interested in elegant designer shoes. Other consumers are looking for inexpensive furniture. People with a common interest in buying are referred to as a target group.
In the B2C sector, target groups are defined according to the following characteristics:
In the B2B area, one orients oneself to these specifications:
A careful analysis of the competition is a prerequisite for creating a positioning strategy. Whether your company finds the right positioning on the markets also depends on the competitive situation. If there is already a large number of similar products, there is a risk that your products will hardly be noticed, if at all.
The analysis of the competitive situation comprises the collection and analysis of business-relevant information about direct and indirect competitors. The objective is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of competing companies.
What do competitors offer their customers? Are you competitive? Analyze thoroughly and pay attention to every detail. This will help you find ways to stand out from the competition and gain competitive advantages. In a
competitor analysis, the marketing, advertising channels, pricing and market shares of competitor companies are subjected to close scrutiny.
A USP (Unique Selling Point) is a unique selling proposition. It can be a special feature, a quality or a characteristic that distinguishes this product from others. In connection with the positioning strategy, USPs are of great importance.
The USP is a customer advantage that can be communicated externally. This leads to potential consumers recognizing your goods in a multitude of almost identical products and preferring your brand in their purchase decision.
These are the characteristics a USP should have:
After creating a positioning strategy, it's time to choose the positioning promise. How do you want to present your company? What can your customers expect from you? With strategic positioning, you decide how your company will be perceived. By the brand promise you can recognize the goal and the statement of a brand.
The positioning strategy is implemented by means of suitable marketing activities. Various marketing measures are used in this process. The most commonly used marketing strategies are:
The positioning strategy plays a major role in the selection of the marketing method. To improve brand awareness and differentiate yourself from your competitors, it is important to define goals that will guide strategic positioning.
Marketing objectives are usually achieved through the use of advertising media. Advertising media are means that contain advertising messages and are directed at specific target groups. A distinction is made between classic and digital advertising media. These include:
Customer interaction and feedback are important tools for determining whether your positioning strategy is successful. Every interaction with consumers provides an opportunity to build and improve customer relationships. Feedback tells customers whether they are satisfied with your products and services.
Drive customer interaction by enabling consumers to provide reviews. Companies use customer reviews for employee training, to improve customer satisfaction, to win back customers, and to gather data from customer interactions.
Your positioning strategy is thoroughly thought out and carefully planned? However, it is often necessary to adjust the strategy. Reasons to reconsider a positioning strategy and adjust it if necessary are:
The positioning strategy you have developed is effective, but you don't know the exact success figures? A regular performance review helps to check the efficiency of the strategic positioning and to gain new insights at the same time.
Only if you determine your success figures on the basis of important metrics is a reliable interpretation of the measurement results possible. Find out about your customers' buying behavior so that you can optimize your marketing measures and use your budget efficiently.
Measuring brand awareness is important to know how well your brand is received by consumers. In addition, measuring brand awareness provides information about where your company stands in comparison with competitors. Suitable measurement tools include:
Based on the results of the brand awareness measurement, you can develop appropriate marketing strategies.
Customer satisfaction is the goal of any marketing strategy. Satisfied customers increase sales and can become marketing supporters themselves by not only purchasing your products, but also recommending them to others.
What does customer satisfaction mean? If the customer's expectations regarding the quality and usability of a product are met, it can be assumed that the customer's wishes have been fulfilled. To know if your customers are really satisfied, you need to collect information.
The customer satisfaction review uncovers positive and negative aspects. You find out why your products are appreciated, but also whether there is reason for criticism. The causes of dissatisfaction can be found out through targeted research and customer reviews. If consumers are satisfied with your brand, they will consider your company again. However, if there is cause for complaint, then negative reviews are to be expected.
The main purpose of measuring customer satisfaction is to uncover critical weak points. In order to avoid economic disadvantages, enable positive customer experiences, and strengthen customer loyalty, it is important to eliminate weak points as quickly as possible. Customer satisfaction surveys can be conducted in the form of e-mail surveys, online questionnaires, or in-app surveys after completed purchases.
Customer satisfaction depends on various factors. These are, among others:
Your individual positioning strategy sets you apart from the competition. However, a comparison with competitor companies provides important insights that will help you in your strategic positioning planning. Competitor analysis is an important marketing tool. In the meantime, there are even standardized online forms for this purpose, but you can develop these yourself according to your own needs.
For a comparison with potential competitors, you need business-relevant information about direct and indirect competitors. Special attention should be paid to the strengths and weaknesses that other suppliers have compared to your own company. Relevant for the competitor analysis are meaningful data about:
In the comparative analysis, consider not only competitors from your own industry, but also companies from outside the industry that offer similar products and could thus become competitors in the future.
The importance of a successful positioning strategy is often underestimated. Yet strategic positioning is just as important for start-ups as it is for established brands.
An effective positioning strategy helps to successfully appear on the market and to distinguish oneself from competitors. As a basis for brand communication, a positioning strategy is indispensable. The further development of positioning in the digital age as part of networked brand management is more demanding, but at the same time offers more opportunities.
