10 Types of Brand Positioning in Marketing: Strategies With Examples

When you think of fries, the first name that comes to mind is McDonald’s or everytime we think of soft drinks, the name comes to mind is Coca-Cola. While the popularity is due to effective marketing strategy, these brands have turned into synonyms for food and beverages.

With the rising importance of effective marketing strategy, a study suggests that around 53 percent of people are inclined to brand-named products compared to 57 percent of unpopular brands.

Hence, you should have a strong brand positioning strategy to make your brand prominent. In this article, we have mentioned what brand positioning is and 10 types of positioning in the market, and brand positioning examples that help you analyze how to position your brand.

What is Brand Positioning in Marketing?

Brand positioning marketing definition refers to the customized value a label features to its customer. Known as one of the marketing strategies, a label or a brand uses it to represent its value among the customers to give them a reason to prefer their product over others.

In addition, brand positioning is utilized when an organization wants to secure itself in a manner to their customers to influence them to relate between the label and its value proposition.

Brand Positioning Statement

Similarly, a brand positioning statement is an indoor positioning system that several organizations and brands utilize to catalyze and market the value their product brings to a particular market and its respective customers. Utilized for an effective label’s value proposition, brand positioning is something that makes a brand stand out. Hence, these statements should be a balance of both, aspiration and materiality.

Besides, while drafting a brand positioning statement, you should consider,

  • Who is the organization’s target audience or market?
  • What product or service variation does your brand provide?
  • What is the influence of your market/service and the advantages?
  • What is the detailed analysis of the influence and advantages?

As a result, by answering the questions mentioned above, a company can compose a concise brand value proposition that makes it unique. Additionally. It also serves as the brand value to the customers.

10 Types of Brand Positioning Strategy With Brand Positioning Examples

10 Types of Brand Positioning Strategy With Brand Positioning Examples

While the importance of brand positioning in market has enormously increased in recent years, we have brought you a popular strategy to try;

1. Against Brand Positioning

One of the effective but negative brand positioning strategies is against brand positioning. In the strategy, a brand points to the higher competitors who are leading or are likely to lead the market, showcases how the company is falling short, and provides an alternative to the customers.

Although the positioning process seems unethical, it has proven as one of the most effective methods to achieve top positioning.

Example

One of the perfect instances of “against” in brand positioning is, an American company offering mobility services. Picking Uber as a direct competitor, this company stood out as a unique ridesharing application with a friendly service.

Its positioning statement, “the fastest growing ridesharing service in the world” ” Bat, tied with Uber, considers itself the top ridesharing service. On the other hand, Lyft’s other brand positioning statements, like being “friend with a car” and “driving you happy”, featured a friendly car transfer rather than Uber offering a formal service.

2. Hyper Specialised Brand Positioning

Many companies and brands offer a plethora of services to their customers. However, they ended up specializing in a few of the services offered.

On the contrary, customers prefer companies that specialize in a particular brand and are highly specific in what they offer.

Examples

One of the perfect examples of a brand utilizing hyper-specialized brand positioning is Virgin Atlantic, one of the first British airline companies to provide in-flight internet and personal movie displays. Additionally, by innovating with the specifications, the company is now looking forward to offering space travel to its customers.

3. Leader-Based Brand Positioning

Another innovative brand positioning is leader-based brand positioning utilized by brands while claiming to lead the market, simultaneously describing itself as a leader.

Nevertheless, such brands are usually leading the price positioning which is their leader position.

Examples

Some of the popular brands practicing leader-based brand positioning are Rolex and Mercedes. Meanwhile, several products of these companies are maintaining a leadership position.

Leader-Based Brand Positioning

4. Price-Based Brand Positioning

One of the initial types of position, price-based brand positioning remains one of the most effective strategies. While price is directly proportional to the product’s quality, the lower the product’s price the broader the customer retention and vice versa.

Although lower price positioning possesses several advantages that can generate revenue, it can be a time-consuming process and needs a mass audience.

Examples

Apple- Commonly referred to as one of the most expensive smartphones, Apple selected to produce only branded products. Prominent as one of the premium brands, Apple has selected price-based brand positioning as its primary positioning strategy.

5. Quality-Based Brand Positioning

One of the types of positioning in marketing is quality-based brand positioning. Since the better quality of your product, the more it will be opted for by customers. Although lower quality consumes less time and is affordable, it has lower chances of success.

Example

Many premium brands like Gucci and Versace, among others, follow quality brand positioning. Although it turns unaffordable to a section of people, it serves as a top-notch business.

6. Benefits-Based Brand Positioning

One of the types of positioning in this strategy concentrates on a suitable advantage to the customized help to the company. On the contrary, despite the fact that this strategy or approach can be advantageous to product positioning, it does not sit well with brand positioning as it sets restrictions on a particular product/service.

Examples

Dyson utilized its effective benefit-based brand positioning strategy to promote itself in the vacuum market for bagless vacuums that do not lose suction.

7. Disruptive Brand Positioning

One of the recently introduced positioning in business is disruptive brand positioning. Since every company has their norms or standard business practices, companies practicing disruptive brand positioning involve disrupting the industry while making a forever change.

Nevertheless, disruptive brand positioning not only requires a high level of conceptual thinking but also a primary standard execution.

Example

One appropriate example of disruptive brand positioning is Airbnb, a lodging service offering short-and-long stays. Despite competing with expensive and premium accommodation stays and hotels, Airbnb came up with a disruptive idea and offered customers to stay in a locale.

Disruptive Brand Positioning

8. Convenience-Based Brand Positioning

In the recent era, people don’t like to consume their energy or think too hard. With accessible and easy things, a brand can utilize convenience-based brand positioning to make sure that they can provide services while people are sitting at home. With such strategies, a company can offer services that can be ordered from home, offer a friendly user interface and much more.

Example

eBay, the American multinational e-commerce company that runs online services, is among the plethora of companies following Convenience Based Brand Positioning. Not only do they deliver products to the customer at their home, but they offer returns, refunds, and other help while sitting at home.

9. Differentiation Brand Positioning

For making them different from other brands or companies, differentiation brand positioning can help. With increasing competition, the need to differentiate your brand has constantly increased. Hence, with differentiation brand positioning, a brand can represent how it is different from other available brands.

Example

Although there are a plethora of soft drinks available, a higher percentage of people opt for either Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Sprite, or Mountain Dew because of the different taste they serve.

10. Celebrity-Driven Brand Positioning 

One of the common and popular forms of brand positioning in recent years is celebrity-driven brand positioning. Hiring or collaborating with a celebrity to endorse a product can become a substantial help for the company. With each endorsement post, the company is likely to gain additional purchases.

Examples

Many popular brands like Zara, Nike, and Adidas have collaborated with a bunch of celebrities for their brand endorsement. Not only will these popularise a brand but also generate substantial income.

Benefits of Brand Positioning

Benefits of Brand Positioning

Since brand positioning refers to adding value to your company brand, it comes with several benefits. Some of them are,

Recalling your brand

Featuring your customers with the products/services you offer makes it convenient for audiences to remember when they will face the need for the same.

Loyal Base

With a successful brand positioning, you will be able to maintain a loyal and beneficial customer base.

Differentiation

In a highly competitive marketing world, it isn’t easy to maintain a unique beans strategy. However, aligning with brand positioning gives you a unique idea to run your business.

Emotional Marketing

Besides, if you have opted for a brand positioning strategy that emotionally connects your customer with the organization, you are successful in maintaining a friendly cordial with your target customers

Concise Marketing

If you are sure about your brand positioning, the results delivered will be exceptionally clear and concise about your marketing insights.

Final Words

Companies and brands need to endorse their products and services to gather income and pave the way for a successful business. To market a business brand, product, or service, they have to pick an appropriate medium or an appropriate brand positioning in marketing. Additionally, they should influence their target audience to purchase their product/service and transfer their competitor’s customers. Drafting a brand positioning statement that assists this process and is one of the most important steps to converting an audience to customers. Besides positioning your brand, if you are looking for a brand management service, you can try the much coveted BCG Matrix which has proved a successful stature in business management.

Get More With Tecuy!

Now that we have analyzed all crucial aspects of brand positioning and its strategies, we concluded that brand positioning is not just how we feature our brand but the way our customers perceive us.

Through Tecuy, we are here to simplify your entrepreneurial and management queries with our well-researched business guides.

Subscribe to our newsletters to read more from us!