Your first question might be, “What makes a good positioning statement?” A good positioning statement is one that tells your customer how your service, product or brand is going to meet their specific needs better than the competition. It does not just say, “Here is my product. Buy it!” Instead, a good positioning statement gives your target customer an idea of how your product is going to take care of their problem and why they need to get it from you instead of your competitors.
Brands need to put a lot of effort into crafting the right positioning statement for their company because moving forward it helps to inform all of your communications, both internally as well as marketing to your customers. It clarifies the question of why your customers should want to buy from you plus why you do what you do.
Knowing that you need to create one of these grand positioning statements in order to ensure the success of your product can be pretty intimidating. But by asking yourself and your team seven simple questions, you can piece together a rough draft for your own unique positioning statement that you can later polish up and share.
The Seven Questions You Need to Ask
- Who is our target audience?
- Why do they want/need this product?
- What are we trying to market to them? A product, service, or our brand?
- What category does our product fall into?
- Who are our main competitors?
- What is the key benefit of our product?
- What sets us apart from the competition?
When you get ready to answer these questions and start piecing together a positioning statement, gather three or four select members of your team from different areas of your company, including someone from the sales team as a representative of your customer. Get everyone’s input on each question to help determine the right answers for your brand.
Once you have your answers, your positioning statement will read something like this:
For (target consumer) who need(s) (reason they need product), the (product) is a (product category) that gives them (key benefit). Unlike (competitors) the (product) provides (differentiator).
Let’s fill in the blanks for an example:
For working mothers who need a quick but healthy dinner for their family, the Healthy Families frozen lasagna is a meal that gives them both nutrition and convenience. Unlike Myrtle’s frozen lasagna, the Healthy Families frozen lasagna provides fresh ingredients and no unhealthy additives for busy families.
Once you have a rough draft of your positioning statement, work with your team to make sure it covers all of the questions you asked. Get any additional input before you put the final polish on it.
How do we know the statement works?
After you prepare your positioning statement, share it with a wider audience, such as the rest of your team members or even a small sample of customers. Ask these questions to determine if your positioning statement will be effective:
- Does the statement make sense?
- Does it motivate the consumer?
- Is the picture of the product clear and meaningful?
- Does it set you apart from the competitors?
- Is it believable?
- Does it leave room for growth down the line?
If your positioning statement is met with a resounding “Yes!” then you’ve done it. You’ve created an effective positioning statement that will get your product moving and your brand growing.