Brand identification and brand positioning are, put simply, how you exist in the minds of your customers. Creating a positioning statement requires you to sum up all of the great things about your company in only 1-2 lines, and it should not only differentiate your services or product but also resonate with your customers. You want to be perceived as unique, positive, trustworthy, and desirable- and the way that you position your brand, from colors to typeface to wording makes all the difference in the world. It may seem silly, but it can make or break a marketing strategy, so it's worth spending time and consideration on. Below are a couple tips on how to create a successful brand identifier, and positioning statement.
1. Understand your customer.
What makes them different? What exactly is the demographic you are trying to appeal to? No brand will appeal to every demographic, and an attempt to do so will result in a luke-warm result across all groups. It's significantly better and more cost-effective to decide who your group is, so that you can target and speak to them in a way that creates the most impact with them.
2. Understand your competition.
Not just know, understand. How are they positioning their brand? What about what they are doing is appealing, and how can you do better? What about you is unique in comparison to all of your competitors as a whole? You need to know the 'enemy' in order to beat it. It's normal to see your competitor doing something, and like it-- this just means you need to take what they've done, make it your own, and make it better.
3. Spend time and thought on your brand positioning statement.
Brands aren't built in a day, and positioning will evolve over time. That being said, it is worth spending significant time and energy on crafting the first version of your brand positioning statement. First impressions are crucial, and customers will be able to tell if you've cut corners on your brand.
Below are examples of great brand positioning statements... may you find some inspiration!
- Target: Style on a budget.
- Home Depot: The Hardware store for do-it-yourselfers.
- Coca-Cola: Taste the feeling.
- Mercy Hospital ER: One thing we won't test is your patience.
