The positioning of a brand places it in its competitive context. It may be determined on the basis of product usage, for instance Muller yoghurt may be positioned as a substitute for dairy cream or as a child’s pudding, alongside ice cream.
Registering a clear brand positioning is becoming increasingly difficult because competitors proliferate, media costs escalate, and shelf space becomes more difficult or negotiates as retailers exert more influence over manufacturers’ brand strategies Theorists maintain that focusing on brand positioning is essential for a brand to survive. They express their lack of faith in the intellectual ability of brand managers to assess fully the competition and in the intellectual ability of the consumers similarly to assess the range of brands available to them. The brand managers, who regularly take a sounding of consumer opinion, are the most likely to maintain a brand’s positioning successfully. Once the target has been clearly identified, attention needs to be lavished on planning the brand. Furthermore, a brand which is not differentiated from others in its sub-group of brands risks having no distinguishing characteristics and a weak brand position –
Brand differentiation x Brand, segmentation = Brand position Branding places a premium on achieving appropriate positioning. A brand may be made distinctive by its positioning relative to the competition_ the main objective is to develop sustainable competitive advantage. As such, a key task for the strategist is to identify those bases which offer the most potential for defensible positioning. In marketing, choosing segments and positioning strategies are inseparable. While segmentation identifies homogeneous groups of potential customers, positioning needs to take into account how customers perceive the competing retail store brands, merchandise offers or services. Both segmentation and positioning research are, therefore, ways of focusing on how customers in a market can be identified and grouped, and then how those customers (segments) perceive the variety of retailers or brands in the marketplace. The new brand position can be created by deliberate strategic repositioning.
The use of positioning in marketing shifts the emphasis away from the tangible changes a retailer makes towards the mental perception of the prospective customer. It emphasizes the share of mind and judgment of mind based upon brand identity. This is what Ries and Trout (1981) referred to as the ‘battle for your mind’. Positioning is the clearest way to establish a distinct place in the minds of the consumer and counteract the proclamations and cal1s for attention by the competitors.
It can be seen that the positioning process is to make the offer into a clearly defined brand. Ideally the strategist should consider whether the position is –
- Apparent to consumers and offers real added value to them;
- Built upon real brand strengths which reflect performance potential;
- Clearly differentiated from competitor brand positions but not too narrow;
- Capable of being understood and communicated to all stakeholder groups;
- Able to be achieved, and then defended if attacked by competitors (British Home
- Stores were unable to position their brand as the first choice for dressing the modern woman and family due to the strength of the Marks & Spencer brand).
