{"id":2072,"date":"2024-08-28T21:19:18","date_gmt":"2024-08-29T01:19:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/?p=2072"},"modified":"2026-01-17T19:19:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-18T00:19:27","slug":"what-experts-get-dead-wrong-about-positioning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/what-experts-get-dead-wrong-about-positioning\/","title":{"rendered":"What &#8216;experts&#8217; get dead wrong about positioning"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>(And why it breaks my brain while costing you millions)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagine you&#8217;re at a fancy marketing conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ve been there, so follow along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The keynote speaker, a self-proclaimed &#8220;positioning expert,&#8221; takes the stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Positioning is all about finding your niche and crafting the perfect tagline,&#8221; they declare confidently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, I&#8217;m tuned out and imagining what&#8217;s for lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What &#039;experts&#039; get dead wrong about positioning\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WZT4jhv8Vg4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Back to the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can almost hear the collective whoosh of pens scribbling notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But, the truth is, this &#8216;expert&#8217; is a moron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And it&#8217;s not just a tiny misunderstanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s a fundamental misconception that&#8217;s leading businesses and professionals astray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First of all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many &#8220;positioning experts&#8221; conflate positioning with niche, value prop, or unique selling prop (USP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They&#8217;re not the same thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>(skip to the sexy table below to see the answer)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Others limit positioning to a mere communication tactic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A way to &#8220;message&#8221; your product or service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My head is going to explode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It misses the point by a galaxy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, what is positioning, really?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Positioning is a strategic decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It informs business (inside-out) and brand (outside-in).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More on that in a minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hang in there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s not just about how you talk about your product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s about what your product fundamentally is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Think about Volvo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their positioning isn&#8217;t &#8220;we make safe cars.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their positioning is safety itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>H\u00e5kan Samuelsson, former CEO of Volvo Cars, put it perfectly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Our vision is that by 2020, no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This isn&#8217;t a marketing slogan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s a mission that influences everything: how they design cars, <a href=\"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/why-your-team-cant-explain-what-you-do-and-how-to-fix-it\/\">who they hire, their company culture<\/a>, and their crash test demonstrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s NOT a marketing ploy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s their reason for being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, let&#8217;s talk about Tesla.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many would say their positioning is &#8220;electric cars&#8221; or a version of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But that&#8217;s fake expert surface-level thinking we&#8217;re trying to avoid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tesla&#8217;s true positioning is the future of transportation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Elon Musk himself said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The overarching purpose of Tesla Motors (and the reason I am funding the company) is to help expedite the move from a mine-and-burn hydrocarbon economy towards a solar electric economy.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is why they&#8217;re not just making cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They&#8217;re revolutionizing battery technology, creating charging infrastructure, and even venturing into space travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See the difference?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Positioning isn&#8217;t about finding a niche or crafting a catchy slogan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See how dumb that sounds now?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s about making a fundamental decision about what your business stands for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, let&#8217;s discuss how positioning informs your business and brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Inside-out, it drives your business strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It informs every decision, from resource allocation, organizational design, and product development to hiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Outside-in, it shapes your brand strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s not just what you say about yourself but what others say about you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is where many experts stumble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They focus solely on the outside-in perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On how to &#8220;position&#8221; yourself in the customer&#8217;s mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But that&#8217;s only half the story and another red flag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>True positioning starts from within.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s the core promise your business makes to the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And here&#8217;s the real magic:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When your inside-out (IQ\/business strategy) aligns with your outside-in (EQ\/brand strategy), that&#8217;s when businesses genuinely soar.<br><br><em>(Read <a href=\"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/your-business-is-your-brand\/\">&#8216;Your business is your brand&#8217;<\/a> if you care.) <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Apple doesn&#8217;t just say they&#8217;re innovative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Innovation is baked into every aspect of their business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Amazon doesn&#8217;t just claim to be customer-centric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s the driving force behind every decision they make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jeff Bezos, Amazon&#8217;s founder, famously said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It&#8217;s our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These companies aren&#8217;t just &#8220;communicating&#8221; their positioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They&#8217;re living and breathing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, what does this mean for you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It means positioning isn&#8217;t just a marketing or form of communication exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s a fundamental business decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s not about what you say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s about what you do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s not about finding a niche.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s about defining who you are as a company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And most importantly, it&#8217;s not a tactic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s a strategy that shapes every aspect of your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, wisely noted:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is what true positioning achieves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s not about convincing customers to buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s about aligning your entire business with what your ideal customers truly need and value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, the next time someone talks about &#8220;positioning your product,&#8221; ask yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is this really about positioning?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or do they need help picking a niche or crafting their value prop or USP?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, true positioning goes beyond words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s the very essence of your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that&#8217;s what many experts are missing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the words of Simon Sinek, author of &#8220;Start With Why&#8221;:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;People don&#8217;t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your positioning is your &#8216;why&#8217;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s the reason your business exists, the problem you&#8217;re truly solving, the change you&#8217;re making in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Get that right, and everything else falls into place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, take a hard look at your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is your positioning as clear as Tesla&#8217;s?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As foundational as Volvo&#8217;s?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/do-you-have-a-positioning-problem\/\">Does it inform every decision you make?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If not, it&#8217;s time to realign your atomic core.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, in the business world, it&#8217;s not the biggest or the loudest that win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s those with the clearest sense of who they are and what they stand for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s the power of positioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that&#8217;s what will set your business apart in ways that no clever tagline or niche selection ever could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s a helpful table to put a ribbon on it but first, the basics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Positioning<\/strong>: (we&#8217;ve already covered this above)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Niche<\/strong>: The specific market segment or audience the company primarily serves.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Value Proposition<\/strong>: The overall promise of value to be delivered to customers, addressing their needs and pain points.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Unique Selling Proposition (USP)<\/strong>: A specific feature or aspect that sets the product apart from competitors in a tangible way.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table alignwide\" style=\"font-size:clamp(0.875rem, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 0.045), 0.9rem);\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Company<\/th><th>Founders<\/th><th>Positioning<\/th><th>Niche<\/th><th>Value Proposition<\/th><th>Unique Selling Proposition (USP)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/from-grip-tape-to-red-tape-the-skate-shop-that-turned-streetwear-into-a-2-1-billion-global-phenomenon\/\">Supreme<\/a><\/td><td>&#8220;Supreme is not about putting our logo on a ton of random stuff. We&#8217;re selective. It&#8217;s about making something interesting.&#8221; &#8211; James Jebbia, founder<\/td><td>Authentic streetwear culture<\/td><td>High-end streetwear<\/td><td>Exclusive, limited-edition streetwear that defines urban culture<\/td><td>Scarcity model with &#8220;drops&#8221; and collaborations<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/the-dove-revolution\/\">Dove<\/a><\/td><td>&#8220;We believe that beauty should be a source of confidence, not anxiety.&#8221; &#8211; Sylvia Lagnado, former Global Brand VP<\/td><td>Real beauty and self-esteem<\/td><td>Personal care products<\/td><td>Beauty products that celebrate real, diverse beauty<\/td><td>Moisturizing formula with \u00bc moisturizing cream<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">RedBull<\/td><td>&#8220;Red Bull gives wings to people and ideas.&#8221; &#8211; Dietrich Mateschitz, founder<\/td><td>Pushing the limits of human performance<\/td><td>Energy drinks<\/td><td>A beverage that &#8220;gives you wings&#8221; &#8211; enhancing physical and mental performance<\/td><td>Unique blend of stimulants and association with extreme sports<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/james-dyson-was-fed-up-with-mediocre-vacuum-cleaners\/\">Dyson<\/a><\/td><td>&#8220;There&#8217;s always a way to make it better, you just have to find it.&#8221; &#8211; James Dyson, founder<\/td><td>Relentless innovation in household technology<\/td><td>High-end home appliances<\/td><td>Revolutionary products that solve everyday problems through engineering<\/td><td>Bagless vacuum technology and high-performance air multiplier fans<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/how-a-frustrated-cyclist-built-a-global-lifestyle-empire\/\">Rapha<\/a><\/td><td>&#8220;We&#8217;re not selling clothes, we&#8217;re selling cycling.&#8221; &#8211; Simon Mottram, founder<\/td><td>The essence of road cycling culture<\/td><td>High-end cycling apparel and accessories<\/td><td>Premium cycling gear that embodies the spirit and culture of road cycling<\/td><td>Blend of performance and style in cycling wear<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/positioning-2\/\">Volvo<\/a><\/td><td>&#8220;Our vision is that by 2020 no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car.&#8221; &#8211; H\u00e5kan Samuelsson, former CEO<\/td><td>Safety as the core of automotive design<\/td><td>Family-oriented vehicles<\/td><td>Cars designed with safety as the primary concern<\/td><td>IntelliSafe technologies for accident prevention and protection<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/how-tesla-outpaced-outperformed-and-outlasted-the-skeptics\/\">Tesla<\/a><\/td><td>&#8220;The overarching purpose of Tesla Motors is to help expedite the move from a mine-and-burn hydrocarbon economy towards a solar electric economy.&#8221; &#8211; Elon Musk<\/td><td>The future of sustainable transportation<\/td><td>High-end electric vehicles<\/td><td>Cutting-edge electric cars that don&#8217;t compromise on performance or style<\/td><td>Over-the-air updates and industry-leading battery technology<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Don&#8217;t let the &#8216;fake experts&#8217; fool you again. Now, go help your clients figure out their actual positioning. Also, if you enjoyed this, I recommend reading <a href=\"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/do-you-have-a-positioning-problem\/\">&#8220;Do you have a positioning problem?&#8221;<\/a> You&#8217;re welcome.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(And why it breaks my brain while costing you millions) Imagine you&#8217;re at a fancy marketing conference. I&#8217;ve been there, so follow along. The keynote speaker, a self-proclaimed &#8220;positioning expert,&#8221; takes the stage. &#8220;Positioning is all about finding your niche and crafting the perfect tagline,&#8221; they declare confidently. Now, I&#8217;m tuned out and imagining what&#8217;s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2073,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[75,64],"tags":[77],"class_list":["post-2072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","category-ybyb","tag-positioning"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2072","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2072"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2072\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3876,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2072\/revisions\/3876"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2073"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}