Guidelines and templates for crafting your market positioning.

1. MARKET POSITIONING
GUIDELINES AND TEMPLATES

2. HOW WE THINK ABOUT POSITIONING

3. it’s
WHO WE ARE
and
WHAT WE STAND FOR

4. it’s
WHO WE ARE
and
WHAT WE STAND FOR

5. HOW WE GET TO THE POSITIONING
5
AUDIENCE TRUTH
What is the audience’s empathetic need?
BRAND TRUTH
What is the unique value proposition that the brand/product provides?
CATEGORY TRUTH
What are the gaps that no competitors are filling?

6. HOW WE GET TO THE AUDIENCE TRUTH
6
WHAT ARE THE
AUDIENCE’S
EMOTIONAL
NEEDS?
WHAT ARE THE
AUDIENCE’S
SOCIAL
NEEDS?
WHO IS THE
AUDIENCE?
WHAT ARE THE
AUDIENCE’S
FUNCTIONAL
NEEDS?
[enter answer]
[enter answer]
[enter answer]
[enter answer]

7. THE AUDIENCE TRUTH
7
AUDIENCE TRUTH
What is the audience’s empathetic need?

8. HOW WE GET TO THE CATEGORY TRUTH
8
HOW DOES THE
COMPETITOR’S
BRAND/PRODUCT
DO THIS?
WHAT IS THE
COMPETITOR’S
POSITIONING?
WHAT DOES THE
COMPETITOR’S
BRAND/PRODUCT
DO?
[enter answer]
[enter answer]
[enter answer]

9. HOW WE GET TO THE POSITIONING
9
AUDIENCE TRUTH
What is the audience’s empathetic need?
CATEGORY TRUTH
What are the gaps that no competitors are filling?

10. HOW WE GET TO THE BRAND TRUTH
10
HOW DOES
[BRAND/PRODUCT]
DO THIS?
(functional/social
benefits)
WHAT IS THE
BRAND’S VISION?
WHAT DOES
[BRAND/PRODUCT]
DO?
[enter answer]
[enter answer]
[enter answer]
HOW DOES
[BRAND/PRODUCT]
MAKE YOU FEEL?
(emotional/social
benefits)
[enter answer]

11. HOW WE GET TO THE POSITIONING
11
AUDIENCE TRUTH
What is the audience’s empathetic need?
BRAND TRUTH
What is the unique value proposition that the brand/product provides?
CATEGORY TRUTH
What are the gaps that no competitors are filling?

12. NOW, CRAFT YOUR FOUNDATIONAL
POSITIONING STATEMENT

13. POSITIONING STATEMENT: BUILDING BLOCKS
13
[emotional/rational benefit promise]THAT…
[support/reasons to believe]
BECAUSE/
THROUGH…
[target audience],
is the [point of difference/value proposition]
FOR/TO…
[BRAND/
PRODUCT]…

14. POSITIONING STATEMENT: IPOD
14
puts your music in your pocket and gives you the freedom to
express your unique style,
THAT…
iPod provides wherever/whenever access to your music in a
sleek, contemporary, compact design.
BECAUSE…
creative dreamers,
is the cool MP3 player/fashion accessory
TO…
iPod…

15. POSITIONING STATEMENT: SNICKERS
15
satisfies your hungerTHAT…
it is packed with peanuts.BECAUSE…
snackers,
is the brand of candy bar
FOR…
SNICKERS…

16. POSITIONING STATEMENT: UNICEF
16
the authority, knowledge and resources to get things done.WITH…
people who want to make a lasting difference,
is the champion of rights for all the world’s children
FOR…
UNICEF…

17. CASE STUDY: PUMA SOCIAL

18. THE BUSINESS PROBLEM
PUMA had lost relevance with the key youth market.

19. THE TRUTHS
AUDIENCE TRUTH
Life to them was a game, they were the after hours athlete. The target were
highly competitive in everything they did. They loved whenever they got the
opportunity to compete socially against their friends.
BRAND TRUTH
Puma creates sports clothes for everyday wear. They have never been too
serious. They only sponsor athletes that have fun while competing (e.g. Pele,
Maradona, Usain Bolt).
CATEGORY TRUTH
Sports advertising is dark, overcomplicated, technical, serious and painful. e.g.
Nike ‘Just Do It.”

20. THE POSITIONING
PUMA is the brand for the after hours athlete.

21. THE VIDEO
CASE STUDY