Certain rules come handy while trying to position brands:
Relevance: The positioning themes should be based on benefits that make sense to people. This mistake is often made by many companies. In an attempt to differentiate, they often choose a positioning attribute that is not relevant to customers. This is something like a wasted effort.
Clarity: It should be easy to convey and understand the positioning theme that is developed. A clear brand position increases the brand value. An example Of this is the positioning by Avis, i.e., “We try harder because we are number two.” This made them a big competitor in a quick and simple manner.
Distinctiveness: These days, consumers are overloaded with a lot of product choices to satisfy their needs. Therefore the positioning of the product needs to be distinctive. In case the positioning is not unique, then the company will be forced to reduce their prices or aggressively push the product through promotions. None of these are sustainable strategies to build brand equity.
Coherence: There should be consistency in the brand message across all the platforms. In other words, the same message should get relayed through all marketing efforts. If a brand is being touted as a premium quality brand but is resorting to cheap discounts, then the brand equity will suffer. Other factors like the packaging, the labels, the customer service, the channel, advertising, shelf display, etc., should also communicate the positioning strategy through suitable media.
Commitment: A positioning adopted should be committed. In other words, the organisation should not try to change the positioning because it does not appeal to a certain segment of the population. A position should not be discarded just because it is being made fun of or criticised.
Patience: It is therefore important to be patient when it comes to brand positioning. Livon is a dominant player in the hair care industry. However, in its first few years, its market share was quite low. Once the customer base was created its image and share increased dramatically. If Marico had not been patient with the brand, some other competitor would have taken its place.
Courage: It takes a lot of will to build a brand and to stand for a position. On the Other hand, it is much easier to have a generic positioning and appeal to all segments of customers. The brand positioning strategy adopted has to make some strategic sense in terms of the brand.
