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Smart Brand Positioning Is The Mantra To Success For Every Startup

Here are some noteworthy points for those launching a new business and looking to define their brand’s positioning:

Not many years ago, money and some good luck was sufficient to succeed in a new business. Now, however, thanks to technology, the World is changing so fast that the requisites for a successful enterprise have gotten a complete make-ove! Smart marketing has now become an integral part of any business in this digital era. A company may use various marketing strategies to position its brand in the minds of its relevant customers. It might look simple prima-facie but few businesses go that extra mile and pay attention on the smart brand positioning of their services and products.

Here are some noteworthy points for those launching a new business and looking to define their brand’s positioning:

Avoid head-on competition – unless you have seriously deep pockets!

It’s not a good idea to get into a head-on competition with your competitors who already may have an established position in the market. You should always look to position your product or service as a radical departure from the norm, even if you’re operating within the same niche. An example here is the strategy used by the American chain of restaurants ‘Chipotle’. They opposed industrialized farming. By doing so they were able to influence their target audience by making ‘Business Integrity as their key marketing principle. This helped them sidestep many of their fast-food competitors.  So, the right communication, at the right time, is very important.

Do an extensive study on your competitors, find out where they went wrong!

In order to figure out what exactly should be your brand positioning, it’s essential that you have analyzed the competitor’s strengths and weaknesses. Make sure that you are filling in the gaps, which your competitors have left open. Leave emotions out of the equation when you study their business models. A clinical and tactical attitude, rather than an emotional one is what will help here.  

The brand communication should be catchy & smooth as a “KISS (Kept It Super Simple)”

A few decades or so ago, marketing was not as complicated as it has become now… and as years go by, it may keep getting more and more complex. Earlier, if your company had an out-of-the-box business idea, you just had to speak about the unique features you’re providing, and you would find an audience ready to buy your product… but now, people don’t want to invest the time or energy to listen to you as they already have so many options to choose from. More importantly, the use of incessant screen-time has left most of us with attention-span dis-orders.  People are unable to focus on good listening nowadays! Even if they do listen, retention by the brain has become very difficult. Therefore, the branding message must be concise and Super Simple!   

Consider segmentation of branding message

Sometimes the company’s messaging does not bring out the essence and utility of its services or products. Dividing the marketing communication among multiple consumer groups can do wonders and bring about a lot of clarity. Strategic segmentation is therefore required and helps bring about a ‘method to the madness!  A good example here is McDonald’s … they managed to segment their communication beautifully. Their breakfast menu advertisements target the working men and women of a particular age group within a particular geographical location (largely urban city-based) rather than children and rural population.

Publicly show your company’s evidence

Always back up the claims you are making. This will help your potential audience to build a bond of trust and dive deep into the nuances of your products. Backing up your claims with relevant case studies or 3rd party certifications affects conversion rates regardless of what the product or industry may be. 

Be Human, show empathy, See the World with multiple lenses!

Having said the above, at the end of the day, there is no recipe or mantra to achieve that perfect Brand Positioning! Infact, there is no such thing as perfect brand positioning. The World we live in is ruled by emotions and perceptions.  A savvy brand strategist understands that in order to sell a brand, he / she needs to influence minds.  This requires experience and understanding of not just market dynamics but also people in general.  Figures and statistics show past history, not the future.  What one really needs to do is have the focus, patience and ability to perceive moods, and be able to see the World simultaneously, from multiple standpoints. 

Source: Business World

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