Content Extracted from “Strategic Brand Management” 3rd Edition Authors: Kevin Lane Keller M.G. Parameswaran Issac Jacob Presentation developed from SLIM Diploma In Brand Management Students Presentation developed by Leroy J. Ebert (22nd March, 2014)

1. Brand Positioning
Leroy J. Ebert DipM, MCIM, MSLIM,
Chartered Marketer
Diploma in Brand Management – “Strategic Brand Management – Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing

2. Identifying and Establishing
Brand Positioning
• The CBBE is the blue print for marketers to build a strong brand.
• However in order to build the brand Marketers need to take several
important decisions
• Positioning is one such decision

3. Basic Concept
• Positioning addresses the Salience
requirement in the CBBE
• What you want to know about the brand
against what they already know
• Positioning “is the act of designing the
company’s offer and image so that it
occupies a distinct and valued place in the
target customers mind

4. O Positioning tells the consumer why your
brand is unique, how it is similar to
competitive brands and why consumers
should purchase it

5. O To decide on positioning strategy you need
to identify the frame of reference
O Identify the target market and the nature of
competition.
O Who the target consumer is
O Who the main competitor is
O How the brand is similar to the competition
O How the brand is different to the competition

6. Target Market
O A market is the set of all actual and
potential buyers who have sufficient interest
in, income for, and access to a product
O Market segmentation is dividing a market
from being heterogeneous to homogeneous
O Marketing segmentation requires a trade off
between cost and benefits
O The more finely segmented the more likely
you are to meet the needs and wants of the
target consumer

7. Bases of segmentation
Behavioural Demographic Psychographic Geographic B2b
User status Income Values International
Usage rate Age Opinions Regional
Usage
occasion
Sex Attitudes
Brand loyalty Race Activities
Benefits
sought
Family Lifestyle

8. Benefit Segmentation
O Makes it clear what should be the ideal POD
or desired benefit with which to establish
the positioning.
O Toothpaste market
O The Sensory Segment: flavour and product
appearance
O The Sociable – white
O The Worriers – decay
O Independent segment - Cost

9. Points of Difference
O POD’s are attributes or benefits that are strongly
associated with the brand
O Consumers believe that competing brand’s cannot
offer the same benefit
O USP is similar to that of POD
O USP is focusing on ‘what was said’ rather than ‘how it
was said’, content vs creativity
O Sustainable Competitive Advantage (SCA
O How can a brand achieve SCA
O Consumers choice often determines on brand
associations, brand positioning is also an association

10. Some POD’s
O Performance features volvo
O Imagery
O Cost
O Quality

11. Point’s of Parity
O Is POP good for a brand or not?
O Product life cycle

12. Positioning Guidelines
O Two key issues in arriving at the optimal
competitive brand positioning
O Define and communicating the competitive
frame of reference
O Choosing and establishing points of parity
and points of difference

13. Defining and Communicating the
Competitive Frame of Reference
O Promote category membership i.e. Coke,
Commercial Credit,
O Inform customers of a brands category
membership before stating its point of
difference in relationship to other category
members
O i.e. BMW POD & POP in USA
O i.e. Sony laptops

14. Choosing POD
O POD’s should be desirable
O The firm should be able to deliver them
O The Desirability Criteria for PODs
O Relevance
O Distinctiveness
O Believability
O Deliverability Criteria i.e. hameedia
O Feasibility
O Communicability
O Sustainability

15. Establishing POP’s & POD’s
O POP’s and PODs are negatively co-related
i.e. Highest quality but very inexpensive?
Figure 2-4 PG 116

16. How to Manage Negativity in
POP’s and POD’s
O Separate the attributes – head and
shoulders, costly affaire
O Leverage Equity on Another Entity –
Hameedia & Mango
O Redefine the relationship - Apple computers
Mac personal to Business – Easy to Use vs.
Powerful

17. Updating Positioning Over
Time
O Required for established brands
O Competitive forces dictate shifts in positioning
strategy
O Visa – from convenience to prestige
O Amex – from prestige to convenience
O Updating Positioning
O Laddering – deepen the meaning to tab into core
brand associations
O Reacting – responding to competitive challenges
that threaten an existing positioning

18. Defining & Establishing Brand
Mantra's
O Core Brand Associations – Attributes & Benefits that
characterize the 5 to 10 most important aspects or
dimensions of a brand.
O How do you identify core brand associations? Mental
Mind Map (when you think of a brand what comes into
your mind?)
O Brand Mantra = The heart and soul of the brand
O BM is a short 3 to 5 word sentence that captures the
irrefutable essence or spirit of the brand positioning
O Similar to Brand Essence or Core Brand Promise

19. Brand Mantra
O Helps employees and external marketing
partners understand what the brand most
fundamentally is to represent to consumers
O BM guides as to what products to launch
O What ads to be run
O Where and how the brand should be sold
O BM’s act as a mental filter to block out any
inappropriate marketing activities
O Helps marketers project a consistent image over
time

20. Designing a Brand Mantra
O Brand Mantra must economically
communicate what the brand IS and IS NOT
Emotional
Modifier
Descriptive
Modifier
Brand
Function
Nike Authentic Athletic Performance
Disney Fun Family Entertainment

21. Content Extracted from “Strategic Brand Management” 3rd
Edition
Authors:
Kevin Lane Keller
M.G. Parameswaran
Issac Jacob
Presentation developed from SLIM Diploma In Brand
Management Students
Presentation developed by Leroy J. Ebert (22nd March, 2014)