Brand positioning and brand differentiation are very closely related to marketing strategies. Brand positioning is your strategy for communicating what makes your organisation or products bigger, different or better than those which are offered by your competitors. Brand differentiation is essentially the way in which you carry out your positioning through the process of promoting distinct attributes or benefits which you offer.
Brand positioning basics
Your organisational philosophies and values, as well as the distinct attributes of your products or services, provide the basis for brand positioning. The first component of positioning is to assess the company or product attributes or benefits that clearly separate you from competitors.
The purpose of brand differentiation
Positioning is a behind-the-scenes strategy that guides your advertising. In your ad messages, you differentiate yourself by promoting the benefits or company attributes that make your brand distinct.
What are some of the tools to use for brand and product differentiation?
In your marketing, you can use a number of symbols and tools to establish your brand differentiation. You do not want to be different just for the sake of being different. Instead, consider what matters most to your customers and let that drive your decisions on how to differentiate your product. Your product differentiation should arise after careful study and should be part of your larger strategy for the product.
Here are some common factors that can make a brand different from competitors:
- Design
- Price
- Quality
- Customer Service
- Tagline
It’s incredibly important to find a way in order to make your brand pertinent to your target market. The term ‘relevant’, in the context of brand positioning, means that you are providing a solution to a need or want which your target market is aware of. If your product or service serves a need or solves a problem that your target market isn’t aware they have, you may need to educate them – show them their problem so you can fix it.