What is Product Positioning in 2024 Marketing?

Technical Advisor: Matt Veal, Head of Presales (Bio)

Product positioning in the market

A type of marketing known as “product positioning” highlights a product’s advantages to a specific target market. Marketers use the process of product positioning to identify who and how to communicate about a product after conducting market research and product analysis.

Moreover, a product positioning plan would emphasize the features that appeal most to potential buyers. Having this knowledge facilitates more effective marketing messaging and initiatives. It also aids in setting your goods or service apart from competitors.

Although there are several definitions and target audiences for product positioning, it is a useful tool for defining a product and its clientele. For instance, a product may be advertised as the best alternative in terms of quality to one group of customers while being positioned as the simplest choice for another target population.

What Is product positioning in marketing?

A positioning strategy is a collection of procedures and activities intended to enhance the reputation and visibility of a business, product, or brand. Product marketers should consider the opinions of the target market since, in the end, customer feedback is the most important factor in product positioning since, as stated by the product itself, it has an independent life of its own.

That position is not held by your product if a customer isn’t considering it. Effective positioning strategies consider both the product’s current state and its prospective trajectory to reach your ideal state shortly.

Companies use marketing to tell consumers where they stand in the market and shape how they feel about the goods and services they offer. Marketing creates the brand identity and shapes how consumers view a company’s place in the market in comparison to rivals’ offerings.

Examples of product positioning

Here are some of the top examples of product positioning:

TED

“Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.”

This is the last line of many long social media posts. Furthermore, it’s a wonderful illustration of proper product positioning. Why? because it exemplifies the TED brand’s widespread presence and its approach to encouraging dialogue and the exchange of knowledge among communities.

Allbirds

What distinguishes this clothing and shoe brand? Two terms: accountability and sustainability. By pledging to become 100% carbon neutral, Allbirds is combating the climate catastrophe and encouraging other companies to do the same.

Beautycounter

The well-known company that sells skincare and makeup items encourages clean beauty. The business makes an effort to produce goods that are healthy for the environment. Beautycounter employs non-toxic chemicals and is an advocate for sustainability.

Apple

Apple is the market leader in technology, providing items that consumers are fervent about purchasing as soon as they are available. It has become a status symbol to own Apple’s newest phone and accessories. For Apple, this indicates that they consistently master product positioning that is centered on creativity, innovation, design, and simplicity.

Product positioning meaning

Product positioning, in its most basic form, consists of determining where your good or service has a position in the market, what makes it stand out, and why it is superior to that of your rivals. It considers and attempts to satisfy the needs and desires of your target market. The marketing plan is what makes your company unique from the competition and allows you to differentiate your product.

To be a little more technical, product positioning is a campaign to leave an impression on the minds of your target audience. You want people to associate your brand with something special, admirable, and appealing.

Effective product positioning

Here are the basic three templates that can help you with effective product positioning:

Positioning Matrix

A positioning matrix is a graphic that shows how your product stacks up against that of your rivals. It is predicated on a minimum of two crucial elements that your clients find significant. To produce a matrix of positioning:

• Determine which two features of your product are important to your customers. As an illustration, consider quality and pricing.
• With a single attribute on each axis, create a two-dimensional chart.
• Plot your products on the table together with those of your rivals.

Positioning Template

Using the same framework, a brand positioning template plots your company and its rivals against different brand aspects to help you see how distinctive your brand is. You can contrast brands based on particular aspects like cost, color palettes, or distribution methods. Once finished, a brand template will show you where the market is congested and what opportunities exist to differentiate your brand.

Perceptual Maps

Positioning matrices are comparable to perceptual maps. Nevertheless, rather than using factual data, these charts rely on the opinions of the customers. To make a map of perception:

• Determine the two most important features that your customers value.
• Then, ask them to rate both your product and the goods of your rivals based on these features.
• Make a two-dimensional chart with each product’s average scores.

Product Positioning Strategy

A positioning statement is a succinct declaration of one or two sentences that highlights the distinct value your product offers to consumers in comparison to your primary competitors. They serve as channels for reaching the target audience and guarantee that a business’s marketing initiatives are in line with its brand and value proposition.

Product positioning is a tactical approach that aids companies in giving their goods a distinctive and appealing image. Businesses can acquire a competitive edge, target particular consumer segments, differentiate their services, mold customer perceptions, and create a successful marketing strategy by strategically positioning themselves.

Businesses can further improve their efforts at product positioning and provide audience-specific, tailored messaging by leveraging ActiveCampaign’s CRM and automated marketing technologies. This will ultimately lead to business growth and success.

Create a positioning

Here are the basic steps following which e-commerce companies can create a positioning:

Understand Your Clients

Small business owners can employ e-commerce analytics to obtain client insights rather than shell out cash for pricey focus groups. At this moment, you might want to look at additional data sources, such as browsing patterns and online behavior, to build a profile of your target audience. You might examine the search engine queries that users of your website submit, or you can look at the unique features of the most well-liked SKUs and goods in your area.

Evaluate The Product

It is helpful to perform a thorough SWOT analysis to completely evaluate your product. You can use the SWOT approach to analyze your product’s best attributes and identify areas for improvement. You can use it to analyze your brand, business, or items.

Explore The Designated Market

You must comprehend how consumers select your items from those of your competitors to properly position your offering. Market research will highlight competing products and highlight what sets yours apart. Investigating competitors—both direct and indirect—can reveal how other companies meet the needs of their clients.

Plan Your Marketing

You have all the information required to create a product positioning statement once personas, market fit, and market strengths have been established. You can create a product marketing plan to implement your value proposition once you have an agreed statement. There are numerous low-cost ways to market your catalog, provided that you are aware of who your target market is and that you can effectively tell a story about the advantages of your offering.

Product positioning: Final thoughts

The goal of product positioning is to specify your product’s place in the market. It entails outlining the special qualities that set your product apart and explaining why it is superior to rival options. Think of it as the persona, identity, and function of your product in the lives of its customers. Establishing your product’s positioning is essential for understanding the competitive landscape, regardless of whether you’re entering an established market or launching a ground-breaking innovation.

The science and art of creating a unique perception of a product in the eyes of consumers is known as product positioning. It involves differentiating your product from the competitors, appealing to your target market, and emphasizing why it’s the better option. It is the backbone of marketing strategy since it establishes the parameters for all other marketing initiatives, such as development, price, and communication.

Bottom line

Product positioning in marketing can greatly help you market your products in the right way to increase your production and sales. You can also opt for efficient management tools to handle your business data. Contact us at Pimberly to get the most efficient management tools in your town.