Ever feel like ‘marketing’ (yes, quotes for suspicion) advice these days is just one big game of telephone? Someone tweets an idea, others retweet it, and suddenly it’s “the next big thing.” But when you dig deeper, it’s often the same recycled frameworks—louder but not clearer.
Positioning is no exception. It’s one of the most misunderstood concepts in business. It’s not a list of features. It’s not a tactic. And it’s definitely not about being “better” than competitors.
Positioning is a part of business strategy (inside-out, IQ) that informs brand strategy (outside-in, EQ). It’s not marketing—it’s the foundation that shapes everything else.
You’re not alone if you’ve been bombarded with overcomplicated takes and contradictory advice. So, let’s cut through the noise. Here’s how to master positioning in 5 steps, complete with essential books, examples, and a few nuanced critiques where popular advice requires nuance.
1. Start with a Concept, Not a Comparison
Positioning isn’t about being better than competitors—it’s about owning a concept so clearly that competitors become irrelevant.
Book: Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries and Jack Trout.
“Positioning is not what you do to a product. It’s what you do to the mind of the prospect.”
Example: Volvo doesn’t compete on crash test scores. Volvo is safety. Tesla doesn’t compete on range. Tesla is the future of sustainable transport.
👉 Nuance: Al Ries’ foundational insights are timeless, but they can overemphasize the idea of “anchoring” in a competitor’s mind. Positioning shouldn’t always start by reacting to others. Instead, own a concept so unique that comparisons never arise—like Red Bull creating energy drinks as a category of human potential.
2. Define the Problem You Solve—and Reframe It
Great positioning reframes the problem to create a new category or lens through which customers see the world.
Book: Play Bigger by Christopher Lochhead et al.
“Category kings don’t just solve a problem—they define what the problem is.”
Example: Salesforce didn’t position as “better CRM software.” They declared “software is dead” and owned the future of cloud computing.
Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce: “You can’t win by being a better version of someone else. You win by being the only one of you.”
👉 Nuance: While reframing is transformative, Lochhead’s approach can lead to an overemphasis on creating entirely new categories. Sometimes, the smartest move is to own a clear position within an existing category. HubSpot didn’t create CRM software—they reframed it as inbound marketing. Reframing doesn’t always mean reinventing the wheel.
3. Understand How Humans Actually Choose
Humans decide emotionally first, then rationalize with logic. Features don’t sell; identity and resonance do.
Book: Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands by Rory Sutherland.
“Value is subjective. A potato chip branded as ‘artisanal’ is worth more, even though it’s the same chip.”
Example: Red Bull doesn’t sell flavor; it sells human potential. Hermès doesn’t sell leather bags; it sells exclusivity.
👉 Nuance: Rory’s insights into emotional resonance are invaluable, but they can sometimes downplay the importance of logical proof. Tesla’s emotional vision of the future works because it’s backed by hard evidence—range, performance, and innovation. Emotional resonance pulls people in, but rational credibility keeps them loyal.
4. Simplify Your Messaging to Own the Mental Shelf
Positioning is about clarity, not complexity. The simpler your message, the more memorable it becomes.
Book: The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier.
“If you can’t say it in seven words, you don’t have a positioning.”
Example: Airbnb: “Belong anywhere.” Nike: “Just do it.” Patagonia: “We’re in business to save our home planet.”
👉 Nuance: Marty’s focus on simplicity is essential, but it shouldn’t oversimplify the richness of a brand’s story. A single-sentence positioning statement is a great entry point, but the depth behind that simplicity matters. Salesforce’s “No Software” works because it encapsulates a broader narrative about the shift to cloud computing. Simplicity isn’t just brevity—it’s clarity backed by depth.
5. Project Abundance, Not Scarcity
Stop trying to prove you’re better. The more you try to justify your worth, the more you project insecurity.
Book: Seth Godin in This Is Marketing:
“People like us do things like this.” This is the essence of identity-based marketing. Make your customers feel part of something bigger.
Example: Hermès doesn’t beg you to buy; they make you wait on a list. Tesla doesn’t sell a car; they sell the future of energy.
👉 Nuance: Seth’s emphasis on identity is game-changing, but in certain contexts, practicality and reliability must precede emotional resonance. Stripe, for instance, doesn’t win by selling a vision of the future—it wins by being boringly dependable. In some categories, confidence in utility comes first, and identity can follow once trust is earned.
Finally.
Positioning isn’t rocket science—it’s resonance.
It’s about standing for something so specific, so bold, and so aligned with your customer’s identity that alternatives don’t even register.
So stop trying to be better. Start asking: Who are we? What do we stand for? What world are we inviting people into?
And for anyone teaching positioning as a checklist of features or comparisons—maybe give them this list. 😉
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