You’ve been told you need a mission statement, a vision statement and now a brand positioning statement? Are you feeling overwhelmed?  Don’t. Brand positioning statements are meant to be simplified versions of the first two. Or, sometimes, a simplified version instead of the first two. A brand positioning statement is all-inclusive and sets the direction for your marketing. It also defines both parties involved in your business transactions and shows the relationship between the two.

How? Easy. Fill in the blanks:

Company X (aka, Your Name Here)
is the
 (Type of Company)
for the
(Type of Customer / Client)

Each line in this exercise is equally important, though the first line is sometimes predetermined and not open for debate. That said, there are many examples through the years of companies that opted for name change as their business offerings pivoted. More on that here.

So, we’ll assume your company name is set and move on to the next two blanks. 

Type of Company.  Seems simple enough. You sell tires or you are an executive coach. But, if you better define who you are and the value you bring to your customers, it will be easier to describe to them what you offer and how you are different. This is a place to determine what is special about your company and identify an ideology or factor that sets you apart.

So, instead of “Say Cheese is a photography studio,” try “Say Cheese is a product photography specialist” or “Say Cheese is the baby-whisperer photographer.”

Type of Customer. Who is your ideal customer? Really ideal. Like pie-in-the-sky-I-only-want-to-work-with-you kind-of customer? Is it an industry or vertical? Is it a specific type of person/business? Create your wish list and build a persona.

For example, “Say Cheese is a product photography specialist for the office furniture industry.” That’s pretty specific and would help you to fine tune your audience. Or, “Say Cheese is the baby-whisperer photographer for nervous, first-time parents.” Here, you’re thinking about their mindset, which will help guide your messaging. 

Embrace your personality and keep it as specific as possible. Do you offer more than one service or serve more than one type of customer? You may consider completing this exercise for each and building a content marketing plan for each.

Are you having trouble creating the perfect brand positioning statement? Contact us today and let's talk!