7 reasons why your positioning is more important than ever
You probably already know that you need to take a good look at your positioning, right? Many companies know they have been missing opportunities for years but repeatedly settle for ‘the way it has always been’. Do you really expect your brand or organization to benefit from, for example, economic prosperity if you keep doing what you’ve always done? If we don’t need to convince you anymore, these 7 reasons will surely help you make this clear to the rest of the organization.
1. The crisis has also diluted your positioning
When things got worse, the first cuts were probably made in ‘non-essential’ areas like marketing. Questions like “Where can we save without it being too noticeable?” were common. This way of working may have caused you not to have reflected on an important part of your business operations for years: positioning. As a result, a central line in your activities is hard to find; everyone tells a different (often non-distinctive) story. Clearly, it’s time for action!
2. Your customers’ buying process is changing
The once so clear buying process; ‘exploring at, for example, a trade fair > initial talks > short list > negotiation > sale’ is a thing of the past. The internet is now the first and most important source of information, and the role of trade fairs and trade magazines is declining. Where does today’s customer get their information? What decision moments are there? Chances are you are only marginally present on these essential (often online) channels.
3. Distinctive content is more important than ever
Presence on the right channels as described above is important, but relevance may be even more so. What do you say and how do you say it? This content is called ‘content’. To answer these ‘what and how’ questions, it is essential to have a clear foundation in the form of positioning, clearly in view. When you think of a brand like Mercedes-Benz, what do you think of first? Presumably, the brand values are something like quality and comfort; if that is the case and the positioning underlines that, then it is important in the content marketing strategy to share around those themes and not, for example, about sportiness. In short, a clear and distinctive positioning provides direction for your content marketing and content strategy.
4. Your competitor’s positioning is the same!
Look around the market, how does your biggest competitor present themselves? In the average market, there is one big uniform mass of companies that cite entrepreneurship, customer focus, and innovation as the main sources of differentiation. And if everyone tells the same story, how can the customer look beyond price? Positioning tells a remarkable and distinctive story about what truly makes your company different. Do you know that story?
5. The average colleague has no feeling for your positioning
Ask a colleague from administration, ‘Why are we unique in the market?’. You will probably feel a bit sad about the answer, but whose fault is that really? The colleague would love to tell a nice story at a party too, but you have to help her with that. Positioning is a fun and above all human story that someone can retell the main points of.
6. Customers are looking ahead again
Your customers, like the market, are moving again, and what was ‘good enough’ in recent years is no longer sufficient. Chances are your customers are looking for a party that fits their future (and not the past). Do you tell a story that clearly shows you can help them benefit from this growth? An inspiring positioning that makes crystal clear what you deliver gives the customer confidence.
7. Benefit from growth
This last reason may be the most important. Now that markets and the economy are finally picking up, you need to decisively prepare your organization or brand for growth, and that naturally starts with the foundation: positioning. A future-proof positioning creates focus and motivation among you, colleagues, and customers and is the first necessary building block for future success.
What exactly positioning is, how it works, and how you can get started yourself is explained in our extensive article about positioning. There we give a brief introduction per topic and you can click through to detailed articles.
Do you know more reasons why positioning is more important than ever, or do you disagree with any of ours? Then let us know via the comments, LinkedIn, Twitter, or contact us directly!
