Why the fuss about the positioning statement?
In brand audits and workshops that we facilitate, much of our effort focuses on the positioning and reassurance statement. Why? Because this is what identifies your company (or program or service), conveys what you do, for whom, and how you help solve a need in a unique way. Oh yes, and this must be clear, concise and authentic.
You might be surprised at how many different answers one might get from representatives of an organization about their positioning statement. And that is why it’s so important. Is everyone in your organization in alignment about what you do, who you serve, why you do it, and how you help?
An effective and inspirational positioning statement:
- defines who you are and who you serve,
- informs prospects of how you are different,
- is authentic to your company and its culture, helps your employees tell your story: when everyone is speaking from the same page there are multiple benefits (consistency, morale, excitement),
- enables you to be easily memorable to your target market (creating more brand value).
The more differentiated and narrowly focused your positioning statement is, the better. In this blog post, we highlight some of the things that a positioning statement can do for your organization, including providing direction and clarity both internally and externally, adding value to the brand, and more.
Getting to the perfect positioning statement is not always easy, particularly when you are making it uniquely yours. If a competitor in your space can simply replace their name with yours and have the positioning statement make sense then you are not differentiated enough. So how does one go about crafting the best position?
During our 180 Positioning Process™, we go through a series of steps to define and differentiate. We look at the marketplace in which our client exists to better understand the industry and how our client is perceived in comparison to competitors. Through competitor analysis, we evaluate the client and competitors, reviewing their brand design and marketing claims. By showcasing competitors and describing what they’re doing right and what they’re missing we help our clients also see a larger view of the industry. We also interview stakeholders to discover brand perceptions, and we look at the goals and priorities of the organization, which is often in transition, as a whole. This process allows us to define gaps and opportunities in the marketplace as well as strengths and unique features of the client’s brand and its potential.
Start here by filling in the blanks.
Fill in the blanks, but think about how you will set yourself apart. You can do this geographically, you can do this by narrowing your focus (we only work with XX type of companies), you can do this with a new product, unique process, or a guarantee.
We (your company name) are the 1) leading, 2) first, 3) only (category, service, discipline or other) business in (geographical market or industry).
We are the ____________ business in ________ .
And don’t forget the reassurance statement, really the second half of the positioning statement. A reassurance statement is your “helping” statement – the soothing reassurance to your client-to-be to remind them why they buy from or work with you.
We work with (client type) businesses/people to help them (benefit to client).
We work with ________ businesses/people, to help them ________ .
It helps to think on the macro and micro levels when developing a reassurance statement. For example, the macro view or big idea might be: we help CEOs sleep at night; while the micro focuses more on the how: with our time-tested (trademarked and guaranteed) process, we take the guesswork out of (whatever service you are providing).
Keeping key staff and stakeholders in the loop during the rebranding process is a must and one of the most enlightening parts of our process. Through interviews, surveys, and brainstorming sessions we help organizations pinpoint how the brand is actually viewed, both internally and externally, as well as why their current brand isn’t working or how they can change their language, name, visual identity, or more to better understand exactly who they are and to best reach their target audience.
Every organization is a little different, but the process provides the framework for a successful rebranding effort. If you need help with your brand positioning and reassurance statement, reach out. We’d love to work with you!
— Wendy Baird, principal and president
