Here is a presentation with the goal of simplifying the concept of the positioning statement. Quite often we find businesses overlook the importance of the positioning statement (otherwise known as unique selling point, value proposition, etc.) The positioning statement can be a simple guideline for the strength of your marketing activities.

1. The
Positioning
Statement
Debriefed
An
overview
of
a
positioning
statement.

2. Rules
of
a
Positioning
Statement
Your
posi)oning
statement
should
be
your
internal
marke)ng
guideline
for:
• Who
your
primary
market
is
• What
you
want
to
communicate
to
your
primary
market
• How
you
want
to
position
your
brand
• The
Value
you
want
your
customer
to
see
in
your
brand
over
other
brands
Think
of
a
positioning
statement
as
the
nucleus
for
all
that
is
marketing.
Develop
first
to
help
guide
marketing
messaging
and
creative
efforts.
It
is
the
uniqueness
to
which
you
can
standup
and
shout.
The
greatest
outcome
for
creating
a
positioning
statement
is
to
give
FOCUS
to
your
message,
and
attract
customers
who
understand
precisely
what
they
are
buying
into.
The
language
is
not
catchy,
it’s
plain
and
simple.

3. The
Nucleus
Positioning
Statement
Strategy
Goals
Tactics
Tagline
New
Product
Develo
pments
Messag
ing
Commu
nication
Mission/
Vision
Brand
Identity
Everything
marketing
should
revolve
around
the
Positioning
Statement.

4. Common
Mistakes
Here
are
some
common
mistakes
when
wri)ng
a
posi)oning
statement.
• Writing
the
language
to
be
“target
audience-­‐ready”,
like
an
elevator
speech
• Not
defining
the
audience
specifically
enough
• Not
identifying
benefits
that
are
unique
• Using
reasons
to
believe
that
are
too
soft
or
are
not
verifiable
before
purchase

5. Attributes
of
Positioning
Success
The
posi)oning
statement
should
be:
• Relevant
• Unique
• Credible
• Clear
• Stable
If
your
posi+oning
varies
too
far
within
the
communica+on
channels,
you
will
confuse
your
audience
about
your
brand’s
context,
promise,
personality
or
values;
this
is
catastrophic.

6. Q&A
What
if
customer
“B”
likes
some
of
our
other
product/service
features?
That’s
great!
But
ultimately
know
who
is
your
key
customer.
Most
customers
will
appreciate
that
you
have
clarity
in
how
you’re
the
best,
and
that
the
language
says
something
different
than
everyone
else.
How
does
this
relate
to
the
vision
and
mission
statements?
The
vision
and
mission
statements
primarily
guide
the
company’s
direction
as
a
whole.
The
positioning
statement
supports
these
statements
in
how
it
guides
the
branding
and
marketing
messages.
The
Mission
statement
is
primarily
used
to
guide
employees
and
how
they
fit
into
the
business’s
core
purpose.
A
Vision
statement
is
where
you
want
the
organization
to
be
in
the
future.
A
positioning
statement
is
how
you
want
your
brand/product/service
to
be
perceived
by
prospects
and
customers,
so
you
can
create
strategies
to
achieve
it.
Can
I
change
the
words?
Yes,
you
should
tailor
words
for
each
communication
channel.

7. Q&A
What
if
we
want
to
expand
our
product
line
into
areas
that
don’t
relate
to
our
posi)oning
statement?
If
you
diversify
into
new
territory,
then
that
product
line
should
get
it’s
own
positioning
statement
with
separate
marketing
messages,
strategies,
and
tactics
Do
we
have
to
use
these
exact
words
that
are
in
the
posi)oning
statement?
EXTERNALLY
-­‐
No
Use
it
as
a
tool
to
guide
your
marketing
communications
to
your
key
customer.
It’s
okay
to
mention
other
features
as
long
as
people
first
clearly
understand
your
uniqueness.
Keep
statement
in
mind
when
developing
your
marketing
messages
and
choosing
images
INTERNALLY
-­‐
Yes
Maintaining
the
exact
words
of
the
positioning
statement
provides
clear
direction
and
internal
understanding.

8. Positioning
Case
Study
Example
Brand:
Volvo
Automobile
Posi)oning
Statement:
Best
in
Safety
Target:
upscale,
between
25
and
40,
well
educated,
family
oriented,
motivations
include
safety,
reliability,
functionability,
fun,
style
Suppor)ng
components
of
posi)oning
statement:
Logo
represents
steel
and
strength
Consumer
Reports
says
that
consumers
think
of
Volvo
when
they
think
of
car
safety.
Coverage
plan
–
“Safe
+
Secure.
Feel
as
secure
purchasing
a
new
Volvo
as
you
do
driving
one.”
Promotes
results
in
crash
tests.
Video
title
-­‐
Volvo
Car
Corporation
improves
safety
with
communicating
cars
Club
–
Volvo
Saved
My
Life
Club
World
first
Pedestrian
Detection
feature
Other
secondary
benefits:
innovative
technology,
beautiful
design,
environmental
care
and
quality
of
life
Conclusion:
You
can
state
other
features
and
benefits
within
various
communication
challenges.
The
goal
is
for
everyone
to
know
your
positioning
first,
foremost,
and
top
of
mind.
As
an
example,
Volvo
describes
their
S60
on
the
website,
“Discover
the
high
standard
of
performance,
design
and
safety
of
the
2013
Volvo
S60
sports
sedan,
now
available
with
All-­‐Wheel
Drive.
On
top
of
its
sleek
design,
you'll
feel
the
power
of
its
turbocharged
engine
and
advanced
stability
traction
control.”

9. Volvo
Online
Support

10. Volvo
Online
Support

11. Positioning
Template
Your
posi)oning
statement
should
be
your
internal
guideline
with
a
format
such
as
follows:
For
(target
audience)
(Brand
X)
is
the
only
(market
context)
that
(unique
benefit
delivered)
because
(reasons
to
believe
-­‐
proof
that
the
brand
can
deliver
the
unique
benefits
by
items
such
as
suppor+ng
features
or
tes+monials.
These
proofs
should
be
verifiable
before
purchase
by
a
prospect;
in
other
words,
you
shouldn’t
have
to
already
be
a
customer
to
verify
the
reasons
to
believe.)

12. WORKSHEET
Use
the
next
few
slides
as
a
guide
to
create
your
positioning
statement.

13. Proposed
Positioning
for
__________
We
believe
that
the
proposed
positioning
statement
promotes
your
primary
benefit
to
support
your
primary
features.
For
(target
audience)
For
_______________________________________________________
Brand
X
is
the
only
(market
context)
__________________________________________________________
that
(unique
benefit
delivered)
__________________________________________________________
because
(reasons
to
believe)
because
___________________________________________________

14. Benefits
to
the
Primary
Target
Here
are
some
examples
on
how
the
posi)oning
statement
will
work
once
it’s
seeded
into
the
marketplace:
• Insert
list
on
how
the
primary
target
may
react.
__________________

15. Supporting
Features
These
are
some
of
the
primary
features
that
appear
to
support
the
recommended
posi)oning
statement:
• Write
down
list.
____________________________________

16. Supporting
Messaging
Here
are
some
examples
of
suppor)ng
messages
that
relate
to
and
strengthen
the
posi)oning
statement,
thereby
strengthening
the
mindshare
of
consumers.
Write
down
list
of
poten+al
messages.
______________________________

17. Good
Articles
to
Help
Understanding
http://www.formalifesciencemarketing.com/newsletters/crafting-­‐a-­‐clear-­‐effective-­‐
positioning-­‐statement/
http://darksidemarketing.com/2009/10/07/practical-­‐examples-­‐of-­‐a-­‐positioning-­‐
statement-­‐in-­‐action/

18. Ask
for
a
complimentary
marke)ng
analysis.
Contact
Nicole
at
262.289.9210
x215