The Most Misused Word in Marketing
Positioning is the most misused word in marketing strategy.
Most people use it to mean “how we describe ourselves.” A tagline. A brand voice. A tone-of-voice document. These things can express a position, but they are not positioning.
Positioning is a competitive decision. It answers one question: in the mind of a specific person, why should this brand exist rather than the alternative?
What It Requires
Good positioning requires three things that most brands resist.
Specificity. A brand positioned for everyone is positioned for no one. The audience must be specific enough that you can describe a real person. Not a demographic. A person, with a specific situation and a specific need.
Differentiation. The position must be distinct from competitors. Not slightly different. Meaningfully different in a way that matters to the specific person you are targeting.
Sacrifice. This is the part most brands refuse. A strong position requires saying no to audiences, use cases, and opportunities that fall outside it. A brand cannot be positioned as premium and accessible, niche and mass-market, serious and playful. Positioning is a choice that makes other choices easier.
The Test
Ask yourself: if a customer read your positioning statement, would they understand what you are not for as clearly as what you are?
If the answer is no, you have a description, not a position.