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\u2019s \u201cthe next big thing.\u201d But when you dig deeper, it\u2019s often the same recycled frameworks\u2014louder but not clearer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Positioning is no exception. It\u2019s one of the most misunderstood concepts in business. It\u2019s not a list of features. It\u2019s not a tactic. And it\u2019s definitely not about being \u201cbetter\u201d than competitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Positioning is a part of business strategy (inside-out, IQ) that informs brand strategy (outside-in, EQ). It\u2019s not marketing\u2014it\u2019s the foundation that shapes everything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You’re not alone if you\u2019ve been bombarded with overcomplicated takes and contradictory advice. So, let\u2019s cut through the noise. Here\u2019s how to master positioning in 5 steps, complete with essential books, examples, and a few nuanced critiques where popular advice requires nuance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Start with a Concept, Not a Comparison<\/strong> Book:<\/strong> Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind<\/em> by Al Ries and Jack Trout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPositioning is not what you do to a product. It\u2019s what you do to the mind of the prospect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example:<\/strong> Volvo doesn\u2019t compete on crash test scores. Volvo is<\/em> safety. Tesla doesn\u2019t compete on range. Tesla is<\/em> the future of sustainable transport.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udc49 Nuance:<\/strong> Al Ries\u2019 foundational insights are timeless, but they can overemphasize the idea of \u201canchoring\u201d in a competitor\u2019s mind. Positioning shouldn\u2019t always start by reacting to others. Instead, own a concept so unique that comparisons never arise\u2014like Red Bull creating energy drinks as a category of human potential.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Define the Problem You Solve\u2014and Reframe It<\/strong> Book:<\/strong> Play Bigger<\/em> by Christopher Lochhead et al.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCategory kings don\u2019t just solve a problem\u2014they define what the problem is<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example:<\/strong> Salesforce didn\u2019t position as \u201cbetter CRM software.\u201d They declared \u201csoftware is dead\u201d and owned the future of cloud computing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce: \u201cYou can\u2019t win by being a better version of someone else. You win by being the only one of you.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udc49 Nuance:<\/strong> While reframing is transformative, Lochhead\u2019s 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\u2019t create CRM software\u2014they reframed it as inbound marketing. Reframing doesn\u2019t always mean reinventing the wheel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Understand How Humans Actually Choose<\/strong> Book:<\/strong> Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands<\/em> by Rory Sutherland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cValue is subjective. A potato chip branded as \u2018artisanal\u2019 is worth more, even though it\u2019s the same chip.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example:<\/strong> Red Bull doesn\u2019t sell flavor; it sells human potential. Herm\u00e8s doesn\u2019t sell leather bags; it sells exclusivity.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udc49 Nuance:<\/strong> Rory\u2019s insights into emotional resonance are invaluable, but they can sometimes downplay the importance of logical proof. Tesla\u2019s emotional vision of the future works because it\u2019s backed by hard evidence\u2014range, performance, and innovation. Emotional resonance pulls people in, but rational credibility keeps them loyal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Simplify Your Messaging to Own the Mental Shelf<\/strong> Book:<\/strong> The Brand Gap<\/em> by Marty Neumeier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you can\u2019t say it in seven words, you don\u2019t have a positioning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example:<\/strong> Airbnb: \u201cBelong anywhere.\u201d Nike: \u201cJust do it.\u201d Patagonia: \u201cWe\u2019re in business to save our home planet.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udc49 Nuance:<\/strong> Marty\u2019s focus on simplicity is essential, but it shouldn\u2019t oversimplify the richness of a brand\u2019s story. A single-sentence positioning statement is a great entry point, but the depth behind that simplicity matters. Salesforce\u2019s \u201cNo Software\u201d works because it encapsulates a broader narrative about the shift to cloud computing. Simplicity isn\u2019t just brevity\u2014it\u2019s clarity backed by depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. Project Abundance, Not Scarcity<\/strong> Book:<\/strong> Seth Godin in This Is Marketing<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPeople like us do things like this.\u201d This is the essence of identity-based marketing. Make your customers feel part of something bigger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example:<\/strong> Herm\u00e8s doesn\u2019t beg you to buy; they make you wait on a list. Tesla doesn\u2019t sell a car; they sell the future of energy.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udc49 Nuance:<\/strong> Seth\u2019s emphasis on identity is game-changing, but in certain contexts, practicality and reliability must precede emotional resonance. Stripe, for instance, doesn\u2019t win by selling a vision of the future\u2014it wins by being boringly dependable. In some categories, confidence in utility<\/em> comes first, and identity can follow once trust is earned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally. It\u2019s about standing for something so specific, so bold, and so aligned with your customer\u2019s identity that alternatives don\u2019t even register.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So stop trying to be better. Start asking: Who are we? What do we stand for? What world are we inviting people into?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And for anyone teaching positioning as a checklist of features or comparisons\u2014maybe give them this list. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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\u2019s \u201cthe next big thing.\u201d But when you dig deeper, it\u2019s often the same recycled frameworks\u2014louder but not clearer. Positioning is no exception. It\u2019s one of the most […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2497,"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],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2496","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=2496"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2496\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2498,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2496\/revisions\/2498"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulsyng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Positioning isn\u2019t about being better<\/em> than competitors\u2014it\u2019s about owning a concept so clearly that competitors become irrelevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Great positioning reframes the problem to create a new category or lens through which customers see the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Humans decide emotionally first, then rationalize with logic. Features don\u2019t sell; identity and resonance do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Positioning is about clarity, not complexity. The simpler your message, the more memorable it becomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Stop trying to prove you\u2019re better. The more you try to justify your worth, the more you project insecurity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>Positioning isn\u2019t rocket science\u2014it\u2019s resonance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n