As we close out 2024, I find myself reflecting on the fundamental shifts we’ve seen in how businesses position themselves and create value. Here are the key themes that defined the year and lessons we can carry forward.

The Liberation of Pure Perception

Perhaps the most profound realization of 2024 was understanding that positioning operates purely in the realm of perception without the physical constraints that bind other disciplines. Unlike surgeons bound by anatomy or athletes limited by physics, those working in positioning and perception management have unlimited potential to create value.

As Rory Sutherland eloquently puts it: “The thing that really matters in business and in life is not what is, but what people think is.” This year showed us the power of this truth repeatedly.

Take Liquid Death’s ascent.

A water company using heavy metal aesthetics and irreverent humour to become a billion-dollar brand. It works because they understand positioning isn’t about the product — it’s about owning a concept in the mind.

The Power of Owning Nouns

2024 reinforced that strong positioning requires owning nouns, not just using adjectives. Look at the automotive industry:

• Volvo doesn’t make “safe cars” – they own safety itself
• BMW doesn’t build “performance vehicles” – they own performance
• Tesla doesn’t sell “electric cars” – they own the future of transportation

This distinction between describing and owning became increasingly crucial as markets grew more crowded.

Pattern Recognition in Chaos

If there’s one skill that proved invaluable in 2024, it is pattern recognition — the ability to see signals in noise and opportunities in chaos. The most successful businesses weren’t just solving problems; they were identifying patterns that revealed entirely new categories and opportunities.

As one founder told me: “Everyone else was adding complexity to solve complexity. We looked for the simple patterns hiding beneath the surface.”

Category Design Takes Center Stage

2024 saw a shift from competing in existing categories to creating entirely new ones. The real winners weren’t playing the “better than” game but the “different from” game.

Consider how Bumble redefined dating apps not through better features but by creating a new category where women make the first move. Or how Patagonia continues to own the intersection of outdoor gear and environmental activism.

The Scale vs. Soul Paradox

One of the year’s biggest challenges was maintaining authenticity while scaling. The solution? Building what I call “scalable intimacy” — systems and processes that preserve core value propositions even as businesses grow.

Four Pillars Gin provided a masterclass in this, showing how to maintain craft credentials while scaling to international markets. Their secret? Never lose sight of the core story and values that made them unique in the first place.

Looking Forward: The 2025 Playbook

As we move into 2025, successful positioning will require:

1. Clarity of Concept: Owning clear positions in consumers’ minds
2. Category Creation: Building new spaces rather than competing in existing ones
3. Pattern Recognition: Seeing opportunities others miss
4. Authentic Scaling: Growing without losing soul
5. Sustainable Integration: Making environmental responsibility core, not cosmetic

FinalLY

The most important lesson from 2024? Positioning isn’t just marketing. It’s the atomic core of business strategy. As one CEO said, “We used to think positioning was about what we said. Now we understand it’s about what we fundamentally are.”

This shift from positioning as communication to positioning as essence marked a turning point. The businesses that thrived were those that understood positioning as the driver of every decision, from product development to culture building.

Looking ahead, the opportunities are limitless because there are no physical constraints in the realm of perception. The only limits are the ones we place on our own thinking.

Remember: In a world where everyone’s focused on being better, the real opportunity lies in being different. Here’s to finding your unique position in 2025.