This document discusses positioning and marketing strategy. It defines positioning as the perceptual location of a product or service in the marketplace. Effective positioning puts a product first in the minds of customers within a targeted market segment. The document outlines an 8-step process for determining a company's position, which includes defining the target customer, their requirements, how the company measures up to competitors, and drafting a positioning statement. It stresses that positioning is about how a product or service is perceived by potential customers and should be based on providing the benefits most important to the target segment.

1. Positioning And the Marketing Strategy Sharon Hess sharon@aprilbc.com www.aprilbc.com

3. What is positioning

4. Segmentation

5. Customers

6. How to find your position in 8 steps

8. Understand the customer needs

9. Develop the positioning

10. Create a positioning statement

12. To achieve effective Positioning, you need to first define the different Segments and then Target the ones that are most attractive.

13. Within the targeted segment, you must know as much as you can about the market, the customer, and the competition.

16. The USP - Unique Selling Proposition

17. The Differentiator

20. Identity

21. Accessibility

23. Determine attractive entry point into industry

24. Focus market strategy

25. Define appropriate channel, sales tactics and promotion

27. Sales channels

28. Direct (sales force)

29. Distributors

30. Agents

31. Reps

32. Retail outlets

33. OEMs

34. Internal organization – TI

35. Etc.

37. The responsible older sibling

38. The class clown

39. The math wizard

40. A bean counter

41. A computer nerd

42. The group leader

44. Social responsibility

45. Flexibility

46. Safety

47. Prestige

48. Cool bargain provider

49. Make people happy

50. Be active, energized, a winner

51. A computer on every desktop

52. Looking good (not fashionable)

53. Connecting people

54. The experience

55. Convenience

56. Baskin-Robbins

57. Ben & Jerry’s

58. Burger King

59. Volvo

60. Mont Blanc

61. Southwest Airlines

62. Disney

63. Nike

64. Microsoft

65. Ralph Lauren

66. Nokia

67. Apple

72. FOR - the name/definition of the segment

73. WHO – need the most important customer benefits to that segment

74. THE – the offering

76. It is what you do to the mind of the prospect

78. Indicates preference for brand

79. Part of marketing strategy

80. Executed through marketing roadmap

82. How Do You Find Your Position? Step 1 What are you positioning? Step 1 What are you positioning? Step 2 & 3 Who are your customers? Step 4 What are their requirements? Step 5 How do you measure up? Step 6 State your position Step 7 Test your position Step 7a Explore the less obvious Step 8 Finalize your positioning statement

84. A company

85. A visionary

86. A product

88. Café Hillel vs. other coffee shops

89. Lady Gaga vs. other music industry divas

90. iPod vs. other MP3 players

91. Wharton MBA vs. other MBA programs

92. Multimedia messaging (MMS) vs. other types of messaging

93. A product line

95. There is a big difference between end user, channel, internal, etc. customers

96. Choose the ONE most important target customer!

98. By psycho-graphics – lifestyles, beliefs

99. By social-cultural factors – class, education,

100. By demographics – age, sex,

101. By profession

103. My customers are MIS directors at Fortune 100 companies

104. My customers are young doctors at major urban hospitals

106. Ease of use

107. Compatible

108. Easy installation

109. Speed

110. Rack by importance

112. Know brand

113. Case studies

114. Customer support

116. Rack by who fulfills the need best

117. Create leaders and contenders

119. Digital Camera

121. Define the technology and product category

122. Compelling claim to leadership position

125. Is it sustainable?

126. My company’s position is compelling to customers

127. My company’s position is sustainable

128. There are no changes on the horizon that will make my company’s position irrelevant or undesirable to customers

131. Selling Volvos in Golfer magazine

132. Targeting Playstation Portable to 18-35 year olds at CES tradeshow

133. User meeting to introduce new product to customer base

134. Training sales agents to highlight specific benefits

135. Rally company around the position statement

138. Defines the market segment being addressing

139. Builds itself around the customer needs

140. Has a positioning statement or UVP/USP