Positioning a Brand in the Marketplace

Positioning a Brand in the Marketplace

By Suzanne Hogan, Senior Partner, Lippincott Mercer

Before we can talk meaningfully about positioning a brand, we need to be clear about why it is

important to position a brand-and exactly what a brand is. The reason it is important to position a

brand is because of the phenomenon that we at Lippincott & Margulies call Brandwashing(SM). As

consumers, we are all influenced by the effects of a powerful brand positioning-"brainwashed," so

to speak-to have preference for one versus another. But today there are so many choices for

consumers that this term has a secondary derivation-"whitewashing." That is, the brand choices

are so varied and the

We can define "brand" as the sum of all available

information about a product, service or company.

differentiation so minimal in terms of product functionality that we're faced with a sea of

indiscernible offerings. This is why it is critical for a brand to be well positioned and uniquely

differentiated.

Now that we are clear on why brand positioning is important, let's define what a brand is.

The dictionary definition of "brand" is of little help. One dictionary carries three separate and

distinct meanings: The first is "a trademark or distinctive name identifying a product or

manufacturer." An accurate description as far as it goes, but it captures neither the full weight nor

the subtle nuances of brand identity or what it means to position a brand in the marketplace. And

it clearly ignores the strong emotional connections that people have with their brands.

Definition two is even further off the mark: "A sign of disgrace or notoriety." Definition three

misses by a country mile: "A mark burned into the flesh of criminals, or on the hides of animals."

But in its own way, albeit somewhat roundabout, the dictionary makes a significant point: Defining

a brand, like defining the term "brand," is absolutely essential. If you fail to define your brand, or

if you define it improperly, you can wind up with something that more closely fits definitions two

and three. The incident with a photographer that shifted the value of the Dennis Rodman "brand"

provides an example of this.

For our purposes, we can define "brand" as the sum of all available information about a product,

service or company. The brand conveys this information in two ways. The first is through our direct

experience with the product. Our experience is a combination of two factors: functional satisfaction

and emotional satisfaction. Functional can be how well it removes tartar, reduces engine knock,

gets out tough stains, answers the need for information or otherwise performs against the basic

requirements. But brands and brand loyalty go far beyond meeting the basic promise-and this is

where emotion enters the picture. Does the brand fully understand its target markets' needs-that I

am a busy person and need prompt attention from the telephone company or the on-line service

I'm using, that I need to feel smart or hip or competitive? Does the brand speak to me in a way

that fulfills my individual needs, thereby bonding my relationship with it? The second way is

through the various communications drivers, such as advertising, public relations, name, logo,

retail environment and packaging, that companies use to shape our perceptions about the brand.

For many brands, the channel or environment in which they're