My Blog: Positioning

Definitions:

' Thinking about a product in the context of the competitive space it occupies in it's market, defined in terms of attributes that matter to the target market' (Brasingdon and Pettit 2007)

Description:

Positioning is the way in which a product is portrayed and compared with other products within the same market. One of the most common methods of positioning products against their competitors is by using the perceptual map which is a way to look at how consumers look at a product based on price, quality, and ranking. In order to position a product well enough for it to fall in the intended category for consumers, companies must work very hard as sometimes a product can be mislead and the product does not do so well.

The company which is best positioned is the one which usually makes more of a profit. The companies must ensure they portray their business well and make their product or service stand out from their competitors. Once a company has gained their position in the market, when they release new products with their label consumers would be influenced by what they previously know about that brand. This is a great way to help an organisation to grow.

Positioning adverts:

In recent television adverts it has become very common for stores, specifically supermarkets to compare prices in order to position themselves as the cheapest brand. The main reason for this has been due to the recession as consumers are more aware of pricing and which store offers cheaper deals at a better value. Here are a few examples:

Another example is Kellogs Cornflakes advert. This advert aims to position itself as a well valued brand giving consumers confidence that it is better than other brands, specifically supermarket own brands.

A very popular advert which takes into account positioning is the Marks and Spencer advert which has positioned itself in the market as having luxurious food at prices which are affordable. Their advertising strategy had to be adjusted after the recession in order to show how their food was still affordable.