Brand identity and its role in positioning
The starting point of the positioning is to be found in the tension between internal and external factors; identity and perception. We combine these factors in our positioning matrix. This post will discuss the identity; what is the difference with vulture and why is it neccesary to take identity into account when it comes to positioning.
Many people cannot identify themselves with an brand’s (or organization’s) identity. If there even is a defined or tactile brand identity. When that’s the case it remains to be seen to what extent this message is supported throughout the organization. For many organizations, describing their identity comes down to (repeatedly) mentioning general terms like customer oriented, reliable, result-oriented or progressive, often without adding any depth to these words. See for yourself by looking at some ‘about us’ sections on corporate websites. For the most part very distant and meaningless pieces of text. We are not at all surprised that most employees have no clue about the purpose or know what behaviour it requires of them. A misunderstood concept in the form of a limited and very general statement often does more harm than good!
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When you present a great positioning, people tend to react with a “He, that’s right, that’s us!”-response. It creates energy because, finally, there is something that makes employees feel they are part of the larger whole. A great story with many roles to play; every employee can find his or her leading role. Interestingly enough, the atmosphere in which the story takes place has always been there. It’s just that nobody has put in the time or the knowledge required to translate the atmosphere, collect all the stories and seperate the chapters.
A great positioning is made up of several components. In most cases, culture is used to answer the (positioning)question “Who are we?”, we would much rather use the identity of a brand. Culture is often just the current situation, resistance to change often comes with the slogan “We are who we are!”. Identity is about the movement, because it not only contains an organization’s culture, but also its ambition. (of its people)
A great positioning not only tells you who we are, but also where we’re going. Identity is not just about who you are, but also tells you about the behaviour you employ to reach your destination.
We explore the tension between both factors in this story about our positioning matrix.
