Positioning

Positioning: 6 lessons that have been true since 1970

Positioning: 6 lessons that have been true since 1970
The 1970s seem far away, don’t they? For instance, the internet hadn’t been invented yet. However, in our field, it’s not as distant as we might think. The first book to dissect positioning as a concept was titled: Positioning, how to be seen and heard in the overcrowded marketplace. Over 40 years ago, Jack Trout and Al Ries shared with us the latest development in strategy: positioning. We were surprised while reading just how current and relevant this book still is. Even though we, as positioning experts, work with our craft daily, this old book still offered us refreshingly new insights! We see these insights as valuable, and we’ve listed the 6 most important ones below for you.

positionering-19701. A unique positioning is literally the ‘gap in the market’ you’re looking for!
We call something a gap in the market when a product or service is unique and recognized as such. The iPhone leaped into a market gap, as did the Personal Computer from IBM or Sony’s Walkman. This also applies in B2B, consider the positioning of Xerox or GE. A tool to find this market gap is our competitive matrix. Here, you place the competition and yourself on two axes and visualize where there is space in the market. The market gap then is the positioning (and the behavior that goes with it) through which you claim that position!

2. The solution to your problem lies in the mind of the prospect
A remarkable positioning aligns with the market image, need, and experience of your prospect. So, don’t invent something ‘new and different’ but look for existing ideas and connections in the mind of the prospect and create new combinations with them. The best combination aligns with the position you already occupy in the prospect’s mind and fits a gap in the market. You then mold this combination into your positioning.

3. Aim to be the first
A powerful positioning represents just one achievement. IBM may have invented the PC, but when they decided to become the Enterprise IT specialist, they sacrificed their consumer division by selling it to Lenovo (now the #1 PC manufacturer in the world).

4. You must sacrifice something
A powerful positioning represents just one achievement. IBM may have invented the PC, but when they decided to become the Enterprise IT specialist, they sacrificed their consumer division by selling it to Lenovo (now the #1 PC manufacturer in the world). ‘Kill your darlings’, seems to be good advice.

5. Keep it simple
We are literally bombarded with advertising and other messages. This was true in 1970 and has only increased. We like to make clear choices; if we don’t know, we just opt for the established number 1. Only the simplest and clearest positioning thus secures a spot in the prospect’s mind.

6. Change your name
In practice, we often encounter companies whose names actually hinder their success. They often cling to it because ‘customers and our staff wouldn’t accept a new name’. The reality is that a bad or confusing name only damages you and makes your positioning unclear. Proof that change is possible? Do you remember the original names of Accenture or Nissan?

If it’s not sold in a box, the name becomes the box.

By translating your strategy into a unique positioning, B2B organizations can climb higher on the ladder that the prospect has in their mind. To win, you don’t directly confront a company with a strong, established position; instead, you go around, underneath, or over them. In the words of the authors: “In our overcommunicated society, the name of the game today is positioning. And only the better players are going to survive.” And if they called it ‘overcommunicated’ in 1970… then we think positioning has only become more important today!

Want to know more about positioning and how to get started yourself? Read our Positioning page and find, alongside in-depth articles, dozens of examples and models for every possible positioning challenge.