{"id":2278,"date":"2024-12-15T07:42:46","date_gmt":"2024-12-15T12:42:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/?p=2278"},"modified":"2024-12-16T11:07:43","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T16:07:43","slug":"why-i-respectfully-disagree-with-april-dunford-on-positioning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/why-i-respectfully-disagree-with-april-dunford-on-positioning\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I Respectfully Disagree with April Dunford on Positioning"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“If you think you’re an expert, you’re probably full of shit.”<\/a>

That’s what I tell founders who’ve mastered marketing frameworks but missed something fundamental about positioning. A surgeon operates within the constraints of human anatomy. Wrong incision, the patient dies. An athlete competes within the laws of physics. Defy gravity; you fail. These are fields with real, physical limitations.

But positioning? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Positioning exists purely in the mind, unconstrained by physical limits\u2014its only boundaries are the ones we imagine. This is where I respectfully diverge from April Dunford\u2019s approach. While her frameworks and methods have brilliantly systematized positioning into actionable strategies, they miss a vital aspect: the true, transformative nature of positioning as a force that shapes perception and drives everything that a business fundamentally is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fork.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dunford sees positioning as something we do to products in markets. It’s methodical, structured, and frameworks. She teaches businesses to analyze current markets, find differentiated positions, and execute tactically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But positioning isn’t like medicine or engineering. It exists purely in perception, where the only constraints are the ones we create in people’s minds. Also, read The Delusion of ‘Brand Positioning.’<\/a>

This isn’t just semantic wordplay.

When positioning is treated as a verb \u2014 something you do to products in markets \u2014 it naturally leads to tactical frameworks and methodical execution. But when positioning is understood as a noun \u2014 what your business fundamentally is \u2014 it transforms every aspect of your organization.

This distinction matters<\/a> because:
Nouns define fundamental identity.
Verbs focus on tactical actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Red Bull sells a drink that tastes like battery acid.<\/strong> Their product features? Nothing special. Their market analysis? Irrelevant. Instead of finding a position in the energy drink market, they claimed ownership of something bigger in our minds: human performance<\/a> itself. From space jumps to Formula 1 teams to extreme sports, every action reinforces this position. Not because it made sense in a framework. But because they understood that anything is possible in the realm of perception.

Look at Tesla.<\/strong> They could have positioned themselves as “premium electric vehicles.” Safe. Sensible. Framework-approved. Instead, they claimed ownership of “the future of transportation<\/a>” in our minds. Every decision \u2014 from eliminating dealerships to pushing self-driving technology to launching rockets – reinforces this position. No competitive analysis would have suggested this path. No product framework would have revealed it. They understood that mental territory, unlike physical territory, is unlimited.

POSITION is fundamentally a noun \u2014 it’s what a brand fundamentally IS in the mind, not just what it DOES to get there. (Also, read ‘Position vs Positioning’<\/a> for deeper context and nuance)

Many will see this as a conflict between “position” (the territory you occupy in the market) and “positioning” (the actions you take to get there). And they’ll argue, like Dunford does, that positioning varies by sector, requiring different approaches for different markets. But this misses something fundamental.

Position isn’t just market context.
It’s the territory you own in people’s minds.

Positioning isn’t just marketing actions.
It’s the work of claiming and defending that territory.

Dunford’s frameworks are valuable for the “how” of claiming and defending territory. But without first understanding what territory you could fundamentally own – what you could be in people’s minds – those frameworks might help you efficiently capture the wrong territory entirely. It’s like having excellent military tactics but invading the wrong country. The tools matter only after you’ve identified the right territory to own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond Product Positioning<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn’t just philosophical. It fundamentally changes how businesses operate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Dunford’s approach:<\/p>\n\n\n\n