Table of Contents

1. Curated Careers

2. Trends and Tidbits:

   • WTH is Brand Positioning?

   • Blunders to avoid for a perfect brand position

   • Examples

   • Quick quiz

3. AI Arena:

   • Prompt for brand positioning statement

4. Interesting reads for the week

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➡️ WTH is a Brand position?

Imagine you’re at a party.

You’ve got your favourite outfit on and you’re ready to mingle. You want to be the highlight among the people you want to connect with.

But how do you make that happen?

First, you must do a little homework. Create a persona of the kind of people you want to remember you. Ask yourself:

• Do they prefer professional attire? (wear it)

• Do they like a bit of humour? (crack a couple of jokes)

• Do they like adventures? (ask them out for a trip next weekend)

Well, that’s brand positioning in a nutshell. It’s all about crafting the right image so people know what to expect when they interact with you.

— and hopefully, they love what they see.

For brands, this means shaping how the audience perceives them, differentiating from competitors, and carving out a unique spot in their hearts (and their wallets!)

Let’s dive into what makes brand positioning work, some real-life examples, the blunders to avoid, and how to nail it.

What Exactly Is Brand Positioning?

I would say it is the first three words that click the buyer’s brain when they think about you. For example:

1️⃣ Nike → athletic, authentic, performance

2️⃣ Tesla → High-tech, sustainable, classy

3️⃣ Coca-cola → refreshing, classic, joyful

4️⃣ Ikea → Stylish, affordable, reliable

But, why do you think these perceptions are the way they are?

One reason is their consistent brand message.

Everything the audience observes, starting from your logo, your name, and whatever they read or listen to or see about you. Your brand positioning is essentially your brand’s personality, and it should speak to your audience’s needs and values.

Are you adventurous? Practical? Luxurious? If your brand were a person, who would it be?

So, it is about being unique?

Well, not really. It’s not enough to just say you’re different —

For example, Toyota positions itself around durability and reliability.

They don’t just say their cars last; they prove it by offering models that really do outlive many of their competitors. Result: This dependable positioning has helped Toyota become a household name for people who want cars they can rely on for years.

Apart from that, the messaging, dealerships, customer service, legacy, and marketing efforts of Toyota made it a distinct brand in the ever-crowded automobile market.

But how do you build a distinct brand from scratch? Here are some ideas.

5 Ways Brands Screw Up Their Positioning
(don't be these people)

Not every brand nails it. Sometimes, brands mess up by trying to be everything to everyone or by sending mixed signals.

Here are some common blunders to steer clear of:

1) Trying to Appeal to Everyone

Brands that attempt to be “for everyone” often end up appealing to no one.

Let’s face it—if you’re speaking to everyone, you’re not really saying anything unique.

EXAMPLE: "Our coffee is for anyone who drinks liquid in the morning!"
(wow, how exciting 🥱)

Instead, narrow your audience down and speak something like:

EXAMPLE OF GOOD: "For entrepreneurs who wake up at 5am to crush it"
(now that's specific — and for me!)

2) Overcomplicating the Message

Have you ever upon an Instagram ad and thought, “Wait, what are they even trying to say?” They try explaining 17 different features... Show their entire company history... And cram their grandmother's recipe in there too.

(happens to me almost 2x a day 😵‍💫)

Don’t let that be your brand. When positioning a brand, simplicity wins. If your audience has to think a lot about what you’re about, you’re already losing them.

Clarity is everything. When Nike says ‘Just do it!’ That’s clear to their audience → straightforward and memorable

3) Changing Too Often

Brand consistency is the name of this game. If you keep changing your positioning, people won’t know who you are or what to expect. It is like changing your name every time you meet someone. (spoiler: people will stop trusting you)

IBM has been the "serious tech company" forever.
Your local pizza joint has been "authentic Italian" since 1962.

4) Overpromising and Underdelivering

Promise: "This will CHANGE YOUR LIFE!"
Reality: It's just a better stapler.

Big promises come with big expectations. If you say your product will revolutionize someone’s life, make sure it does! Or, don’t communicate it as such.

Overpromising only leads to disappointment, and that can damage your brand's reputation. If Airbnb promises "luxury" but gives you a mattress on the floor... ...you ain't coming back.

5) Not Knowing Your Competition

It’s basic to study what others in your space are doing. Not so you can copy, but so you can see how to stand out. If you’re a new cola brand, would you market yourself just like Coke? Hopefully not.

Instead, do what 7-Up did: They saw everyone doing cola and said "Nah, we're the UN-cola" BOOM. Different position. Different market. Different money.

Examples of Brand Positioning Done Right

1. Apple: Simple and classy

Apple’s genius lies in its simplicity. With every product, ad, and launch, they’ve positioned themselves as user-friendly yet elite.

Apple products don’t have all the bells and whistles of some competitors, but they work beautifully. This simple, no-fuss approach resonates with customers who want intuitive technology.

2. Slack: Making Work Fun

Slack positions itself as a fun, easy-going alternative to traditional workplace communication tools. Their tagline, “Where work happens,” captures it all—Slack is the go-to for teams looking to streamline communication without endless emails. They understood their audience’s pain point (email overload) and positioned Slack as the stress-free solution.

3. Zoom: Connecting the World

Zoom went all-in on one promise: virtual connection. It’s reliable, simple to use, and instantly available. This positioning made Zoom the first brand people think of for video calls, especially when remote work surged. Their positioning made them essential, not just an option.

Crafting a Positioning Statement

Your positioning statement is a short, punchy sentence that sums up what you offer, who you serve, and why it matters. Here’s how to get started:

1️⃣ Identify Your Target Audience:
Who are you trying to reach? Understand their needs and desires.

2️⃣ Highlight Your Unique Value:
What makes you special? Your value proposition should address what your brand does better than anyone else.

3️⃣ Keep It Simple: Your statement should be clear, memorable, and concise.
Aim for something you could say in a single breath.

Quick Quiz: Spot the Positioning

Let’s test your brand positioning skills! I told you about Toyota, Now guess the positioning of each car brand given in price to quality scale:

The reason I put you into the above quiz is to explain that sometimes your competitors may reside in your vicinity. So, how do you differentiate there?

Evoking emotion: In such cases, differences don’t come in technical aspects of the product (usability or durability), but rather the emotion that plays when buying the product. For example, higher levels of trust in the product might generate peace of mind, or a lower price might make you feel more satisfied that you’ve managed to save money.

Brand positioning isn’t just about sounding good— it’s about making your brand unforgettable in the right way.

Avoid the blunders, and focus on making your brand an instant click in the customer’s mind.

And that's all for brand positioning today!

Until next time🥂

➡️Prompt for brand position statement

This prompt helps you to develop a brand positioning statement. It begins with gathering insights on the business, target audience, competition, and brand essence and later crafts a position statement that differentiates your brand’s identity. Make sure to add the required information about your business before you prompt it to GPT.

Prompt:

Act like a seasoned brand strategist with over 15 years of experience in developing brand positioning for diverse industries. Your role is to analyze and understand the specific attributes of the business, its target audience, unique value propositions, competitive landscape, and core mission. Based on this analysis, you will craft a refined and impactful brand positioning statement that encapsulates the brand's identity and differentiates it in its market.

To begin, follow these steps:

Business Overview: Review the key information provided about the business, including its mission, core offerings, target market, and any specific values or vision statements.

Target Audience Insight: Identify the primary audience for this brand. Describe the demographics, preferences, pain points, and aspirations of this audience, particularly as they relate to the business’s offerings.

Competitive Landscape: Analyze the current competitive environment. Identify two to three key competitors and note their strengths, weaknesses, and positioning. This will clarify how this brand stands out or can fill unmet needs.

Brand Essence: Define the brand's unique value proposition. What are the primary benefits or values that this business brings to its audience that competitors do not? Consider aspects like quality, innovation, customer experience, or niche specialization.

Tone and Style: Decide on the tone and style for the positioning statement, taking into account the personality of the brand (e.g., innovative, trustworthy, bold, nurturing) and how it should communicate with its target audience.

Drafting the Positioning Statement: Using the information above, write a clear and succinct brand positioning statement that ideally fits within 1-2 sentences. This should convey the brand’s promise, unique strengths, and what it aspires to be in the minds of its audience.

Refinement and Testing: If possible, provide two alternative phrasings to ensure clarity and impact, and explain why each version might appeal to different audience segments.

Take a deep breath and work on this problem step-by-step.

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