And like humans, they often try to fix the external world before getting their internal world straight. Ever notice how some people rush to save others, ignoring the turmoil within themselves? Companies do the same. They chase market trends, customer requests, and competitor moves. Always reacting, rarely reflecting. The cost? Chaos. Confusion. Stagnation. Positioning is…

In the past two years, PwC, Gallup, Kantar and BCG data converge on one theme: strategic fuzziness drains cash. Leaders who over-rate clarity, under-estimate culture risk, and mis-read C-suite dynamics pay with slower growth, lower margins and longer crisis recoveries. By contrast, brands that anchor every decision to one sharp idea grow up to 2.5×…

Why a humble screen‑recorder became the most potent time‑reclamation device in modern work, and what that tells us about positioning that sticks. “The best way to manage meetings is not to have them.” — Rebecca, Remote.com Video Messaging Is Not the Story—Time Is Slack claimed to kill email. Zoom promised face‑to‑face from any couch. Yet…

Recently, a well-regarded CMO documented how he led a 3-week positioning sprint for his company. He shared the steps: the voice of market interviews, cross-functional workshops, internal alignment sessions, and then immediate rollout into marketing assets: homepage, events, decks, and messaging. (Read this for context.) The response? Applause. Lots of it. Fast, cross-functional, and highly…

Introduction: AI’s Cognitive Acceleration Problem Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed how we access and process information. What once required weeks of research, synthesis, and critical thinking can now be served in seconds. It’s an exhilarating prospect — like stepping into a fighter jet instead of a bicycle. But, I’m skeptical and looking under the hood:…

Apple’s iPod ad —“1,000 songs in your pocket”— has been dissected and praised for its simplicity, benefit-driven messaging, and emotional resonance. But we’re not just looking at a great ad. We’re looking at how Apple engineered a market shift, reframed consumer perception, and strategically owned a category before anyone else knew it existed. So, what…

From happiness to sustainable performance – a new category in consulting. Traditional consulting firms extract human capital like an industrial resource, grinding talent through long hours, overpromising results, and optimizing for short-term client gains rather than sustainable success. Embark Consulting challenges this burnout-driven model, positioning itself as “The Happy Consulting Firm” and as the pioneer…

And Why It’s Just Positioning Most people don’t realize that “brand positioning” and “product positioning” are misguided marketing myths that distort what positioning actually is. Even Al Ries, the co-author of Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, has stated that positioning isn’t about the product or the brand. It’s about the space you own in…

Does any of these sound familiar? “We keep saying we’re different, but when clients compare us to competitors, we sound exactly the same.” “I Just Walked Out of a Client Meeting, and I Have No Idea What They Actually Want.” “I feel like I’m competing on price instead of value.” If this thought has ever…

It didn’t start with Al Ries. It existed long before business books, ad agencies, or marketing jargon. Long before companies fought for market share, civilizations, religions, and empires fought for mindshare. They used positioning to shape beliefs, rally people, and define their place in history. Here’s how positioning shaped the world long before it had…

In every industry, a moment comes when an outsider challenges the status quo so effectively that it forces incumbents to rethink their foundations. That moment has arrived for AI with DeepSeek, the Chinese startup that has upended expectations by delivering a high-performing AI model at a fraction of the cost. At first glance, DeepSeek’s breakthrough…