What’s the dirty little secret of billion-dollar brands?

It’s not luck.

It’s not even just good marketing.

It’s positioning.

Most ‘experts’ get it wrong.

They think positioning is about finding a niche or crafting a catchy slogan.

Spoiler alert: it’s not.

Let’s talk about Tesla for a moment.

When Elon Musk co-founded Tesla, he didn’t just say, “Let’s make electric cars.”

He positioned Tesla as the future of transportation.

“The overarching purpose of Tesla Motors is to help expedite the move from a mine-and-burn hydrocarbon economy towards a solar electric economy,” Musk once said.

That’s positioning in action, folks.

It’s not just about what you sell.

It’s about who you are as a company.

It’s your DNA.

And here’s where it gets interesting: your positioning shapes everything you do.

For Tesla, it means:

  • Designing cars that look like they’re from the future
  • Investing heavily in battery technology
  • Creating a network of superchargers
  • Even venturing into solar energy and space exploration

See how that works?

Positioning isn’t just a marketing tactic.

It’s a fundamental business decision.

Now, you might be thinking, “That’s great for Tesla, but what about my business?”

Fair question.

Let’s break it down.

Positioning is about making choices.

Hard choices.

You can’t be everything to everyone.

Tesla isn’t trying to be the cheapest car out there.

They chose innovation and sustainability.

And they stick to it.

In everything they do.

This is where “your business is your brand” comes into play.

Every decision Tesla makes – from their sleek showrooms to their over-the-air updates – shapes how we perceive them.

Their business strategy (accelerating sustainable transport) becomes their brand (innovative, eco-friendly, premium).

It’s two sides of the same coin.

Inside-out: Tesla focuses on pushing the boundaries of electric vehicle technology.

Outside-in: We see them as cutting-edge innovators shaping the future of transportation.

But here’s a secret: sometimes, strong positioning means doing things that seem counterintuitive.

Take Tesla’s approach to advertising.

They don’t do it.

At least not in the traditional sense.

“Tesla does not advertise or pay for endorsements.

Instead, we use that money to make the product great,” Musk tweeted.

Sounds crazy for a car company, right?

But it perfectly aligns with their positioning as a disruptive innovator.

Now, let me ask you something.

What’s your equivalent of Tesla’s “accelerating sustainable transport”?

What fundamental promise does your business make?

If you can’t answer that in one sentence, you might have a positioning problem.

Also.

Positioning isn’t just about standing out in the market.

It’s about aligning every aspect of your business – from product development to customer service – with your core promise.

It’s not always easy.

Sometimes, it means saying no to opportunities that don’t fit.

But that’s what makes your brand solid and distinctive.

So, here’s what you can do right now:

Take a hard look at your business.

Is your positioning as precise as Tesla’s?

Does it inform every decision you make?

If not, it’s time to realign your atomic core.

Remember, in the business world, it’s not the biggest or the loudest that wins.

It’s those with the clearest sense of who they are and what they stand for.


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