The term brand positioning is quite well known in the field of strategic marketing. But what exactly does this mean and what is the usefulness of this kind of activity?
Essentially, we can translate “brand positioning” as ” positioning a brand on the market “, or more simply brand positioning. This is not a new marketing strategy, far from it, especially if we consider that among the best known examples of brand positioning there are many projects developed by the famous David Ogilvy .
In any case, the basis of this type of approach is always the in-depth and capillary knowledge of one’s own reference market , one’s audience of users and one’s competitors : these are the pieces on the board to play with, before putting start a brand positioning project .
The usefulness of brand positioning is well highlighted, among others, by Kotler – considered a true marketing guru – who, through the exposition of the key points of this methodology, is able to enhance its intrinsic benefits.
In practice, brand positioning brings the following advantages :
- It offers the company or brand the opportunity to differentiate itself from its competitors
- It guarantees a precise response to a specific need of users
- It allows for consistency in brand communication across the board and across different positioning channels
- It increases the possibility of persistence in the mind of the potential user, customer, consumer
- Generate brand loyalty
A strong positioning of the brand on the market can therefore represent the indispensable element on which to build the rest of the corporate communication, regardless of the platform, be it online or offline.
Brand positioning: examples
When we give examples of brand positioning , we generally find ourselves mentioning the famous advertising campaigns that have made great brands famous all over the world:
- Red Bull : it is no coincidence that it has become the energy drink par excellence, so much so that it is recognizable in its name, packaging and slogan (“It gives you wings”). The entire brand positioning strategy is based on the cartoon, on adrenaline, on irony, on the ability to satisfy a need and to communicate this ability.
- Tesla : It is a very recent example. The brand positioning, in this case, lies not only in the core business – that of electric cars – but also in the imprinting of a superlative and unparalleled brand for design and technology. Almost futuristic in approach, the Tesla brand is now instantly recognizable in the consumer’s mind and represents one of the most interesting examples of brand positioning.
- Coca-Cola : it is perhaps the example of brand positioning par excellence, thanks to a synergistic marketing strategy that has been able to adapt to social changes and current trends without, however, never excessively flow from the very strong identity of the brand. The color, the font, the type of advertising and Coca-Cola script are now recognizable even for the most profane of users, even before the brand name appears on the screen or on the page.
The brand positioning in Italy
As well as abroad, the brand positioning in Italy was also based, in its most successful cases, on the so -called blue ocean strategy – which operates in stark contrast to the “red ocean” strategy.
In fact , if the red ocean strategy envisages competition on a pre-existing market and direct conflict with competitors, the exploitation of an already existing need in the public and the reduction of prices, the blue ocean strategy is based on diametrically opposed principles:
- Create a whole new market niche
- Making competition irrelevant
- Create an unprecedented need in the user and satisfy it
- Break the vicious circle of the lowest price
- Align the system to the brand activity, and not the other way around
Many large Italian companies have managed to put these principles into practice, giving life to highly successful brand positioning projects. Think of Barilla, Fiat, Ferrari , and the many Italian brands famous all over the world – for example in the field of fashion or design.
However, a strategy that includes a quality brand positioning can also be applied to small and medium-sized enterprises characterized by the uniqueness of their proposal.
Do you want to talk about it with us? Come and visit us at NAXA Digital .
