It’s a Force
The biggest mistake people make about positioning is treating it like a model we created rather than a force we identified.
This isn’t just semantic. It’s the difference between:
- Creating frameworks vs. recognizing reality
- Making rules vs. observing laws
- Building models vs. understanding forces
Think of gravity.
Newton didn’t invent gravity.
He identified how it works.
The apple fell the same way before and after he named it.
Al Ries didn’t invent positioning.
He identified how minds work.
Minds naturally form associations and allocate mental territory, whether we understand it or not.
The market rewards owned mental territory, with or without frameworks to explain it.
How Minds Naturally Form Categories
Minds are wired to simplify complexity. When faced with endless choices, we categorize. The brands that succeed are the ones that align themselves with a specific, memorable category in our minds.
Why certain positions stick:
- They meet a fundamental human need.
- They’re communicated consistently over time.
- They eliminate ambiguity.
Example: Google isn’t just a search engine — it is search. Its competitors fail to stick because the mental category has already been taken.
Do: Define the mental category your brand wants to own before the market defines it for you.
The Role of Timing in Claiming Mental Territory
Positioning is tied to market readiness. Enter too early, and consumers aren’t ready. Enter too late, and the category is already owned.
Example: Airbnb succeeded because it entered during the rise of the sharing economy and digital trust. Earlier attempts at home-sharing failed because they lacked the infrastructure and consumer mindset.
Do: Assess the timing of your positioning. Does it align with emerging trends and unmet needs?
Positioning and Category Creation
Category creation and positioning go hand in hand. The most successful brands don’t compete — they create entirely new categories.
Example: Salesforce didn’t position itself as “better CRM software.” It created the category of cloud-based CRM, making competitors irrelevant.
Positioning is about framing yourself as the only solution, not just a ‘better’ one.
How Positioning Affects Pricing Power
Strong positioning allows you to escape price wars. When you own mental territory, customers perceive unique value and are willing to pay more.
Example: Apple’s positioning around simplicity and innovation justifies premium pricing. Customers don’t compare specs; they see Apple as irreplaceable.
When your position is clear, price becomes secondary to perceived value.
Positioning and First Principles Thinking
Great positioning aligns with first principles thinking, breaking down problems to their essence and solving them differently.
Example: Tesla’s position as “the future of transportation” emerged from rethinking energy, sustainability, and user experience.
Ask: What’s fundamentally broken in your industry, and how does your position fix it?
Common Objections
Objection 1: “We can position multiple things at once.”
Response: Minds simplify. Owning too many positions dilutes the impact. Pick one.
Objection 2: “Positioning isn’t measurable.”
Response: Market outcomes like loyalty, pricing power, and category dominance reflect effective positioning.
Objection 3: “Positioning is only for big brands.”
Response: Strong positioning is a survival strategy for small businesses. It makes you indispensable.
Testing Your Position
Is your positioning aligned with a fundamental truth?
Ask:
- Does it meet a deep human need?
- Can it guide every aspect of your business?
- Is it simple enough to communicate in one sentence?
Litmus Test: If you removed your company name, would the position still be recognizable?
The Role of Authenticity
Authenticity ensures your positioning resonates over time. It’s not just what you say. It’s what you do.
Example: Patagonia’s positioning around environmentalism works because their actions — sustainable sourcing, activism, and transparency — back it up.
Authenticity isn’t just a moral imperative. It’s a strategic advantage.
The Good News: Owning Mental Territory
This might feel like bad news, but it’s liberating.
When you align with a fundamental position, everything else: strategy, messaging, and execution flows naturally.
Ask:
- Are you something fundamental?
- Do you own territory in minds?
The market already knows the answer.
The force works whether you understand it or not.
The question is: Are you aligned with it?
Finally
The market doesn’t care about your frameworks, your models, your arbitrary metrics, your ‘calculations,’ or your marketing slogans. It cares about one thing:
Do you own something in people’s minds?
Positioning isn’t about convincing people. It’s about aligning your entire business with how they think. It’s not complex, but it’s not easy either. It requires clarity, consistency, and the courage to let go of the urge to be everything to everyone.
When you embrace this simple truth, when you are something fundamental, you create a gravitational pull that aligns every decision, every message, and every customer experience.
The question isn’t if you’ll position your business — it’s how. Will you claim your space, or will someone else own it? The market won’t wait.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.