WHAT'S YOUR POSITION?
This is the second in a series of articles on positioning. It follows last issue’s article, “The First Step in Positioning: Know Your Competition.”

Positioning can take several forms, but the main purpose of positioning is to supply a reason to buy, a difference that will give the prospect a reason to pay attention. It’s how you differentiate your brand in the mind of the prospect.

Your positioning must be unique, and not something anyone else in your market is saying. This is where the competitor analysis you just completed (from the last issue of Marketing Tips) will come in.

Jack Trout’s six major positioning categories
There are six variations in positioning approaches, or ways that an organization can differentiate itself, according to the marketing master who first brought the term “positioning” into the marketing mix in 1969, Jack Trout:

1. Differentiation via attribute: your organization’s uniqueness can supply a
     reason to buy
For example,
Volvo: Safety
Crest: Cavity prevention
Visa: Everywhere

2. Differentiation via how it’s made: your product’s or organization’s “magic
     ingredient” will make it stand out
Sony: Trinitron television monitors
Chrysler: Hemi engine

3. Differentiation via being first: once they start with you, people tend to stick
     with what they’ve got
NyQuil: The first nighttime cold remedy
Starbucks: The first global coffee house

4. Differentiation via being the latest: people are not comfortable buying what
     could be perceived as an obsolete product, they want the newest model
Advil: Advanced medicine for pain
Blackberries, iPhones, and other handheld technology: The newest technology

5. Differentiation via leadership: credentials are the collateral you put up to
     guarantee your performance
Nordstrom: The leader in customer service
Owens-Corning: The leader in fiberglass insulation

6. Differentiation via being a specialist: when you’re perceived as experts,
     you rise above the pack
Mayo Clinic: Specialists in healthcare

The goal of positioning
Your goal with positioning is to find the most compelling difference about your organization, one that none of your competitors has (or is talking about), and then use it to set up a benefit for your customer.

It’s important to look beyond the obvious with this exercise. Look back at your competitor analysis, and compare your position to what is already in your marketspace. If your organization offers a service rather than a product, you may think the “magic ingredient” doesn’t apply, but think again. Isn’t it possible to add a special ingredient to customer service to bring it above the norm? Isn’t it possible to add a special ingredient to consulting services that will make you stand out? If you’re not the leader in your main area, is there something else your customer cares about that you can be the leader in? If you’re not a specialist in the obvious, can you be a specialist in the not so obvious? You get the idea.