Most businesses don’t fail because of bad products—they fail because they’re forgettable.
Customers are overwhelmed with choices, and if your brand blends in with competitors, you’ll never dominate your market. The businesses that win are the ones that position themselves strategically—owning a clear space in the customer’s mind.
If you don’t control how people perceive your brand, the market will decide for you. The good news? You can engineer your positioning to stand out, attract premium customers, and make your brand the obvious choice.
What is Brand Positioning?
Brand positioning is how your brand is perceived in the customer’s mind relative to competitors.
It answers the question: Why should someone choose you instead of anyone else?
Strong positioning means customers instantly recognize:
• What your brand stands for
• How it’s different from competitors
• Why it’s the best choice for their needs
Without clear positioning, your brand is forgettable, and price becomes the only differentiator.
The Three Pillars of Strong Brand Positioning
1. Find Your Unique Position in the Market
To stand out, you need to own a specific space in the industry. Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, dominate one clear niche that makes your brand instantly recognizable.
Examples:
• Tesla isn’t just a car company—it’s positioned as the future of clean energy transportation.
• Lush isn’t just a soap brand—it’s positioned as handmade, ethical, and eco-friendly.
• Red Bull isn’t just an energy drink—it’s positioned as fuel for extreme sports and adrenaline-driven lifestyles.
How to Apply This:
• Identify what makes your brand different from competitors.
• Own a specific angle that makes you stand out.
• Position your brand around something bigger than just the product.
If you try to be everything to everyone, you’ll blend in. The key is to be the go-to choice for a specific audience.
2. Use Strong Messaging That Reinforces Positioning
Customers should understand your positioning instantly through your messaging. If your brand doesn’t communicate its unique value clearly, people won’t remember it.
Examples of Strong Brand Messaging:
• Apple: “Think Different” (Innovation & Simplicity)
• Nike: “Just Do It” (Motivation & Athletic Excellence)
• Dollar Shave Club: “Shave Time. Shave Money.” (Convenience & Affordability)
How to Apply This:
• Create a short, punchy positioning statement that defines your brand.
• Use messaging that reinforces what makes you unique.
• Keep your tone and communication consistent across all platforms.
If your messaging is unclear, generic, or inconsistent, customers won’t remember what makes your brand special.
3. Align Your Visual Identity with Your Positioning
Your brand’s look and feel should match the perception you want to create. If the visual identity doesn’t align with positioning, it creates confusion.
Examples:
• Luxury brands like Rolex use minimalist designs, elegant fonts, and gold/black color schemes to signal exclusivity.
• Eco-conscious brands like Patagonia use earth tones, simple designs, and sustainability-focused imagery.
• Tech startups use modern fonts, clean layouts, and futuristic color palettes to reinforce innovation.
How to Apply This:
• Choose fonts, colors, and design elements that reinforce your brand positioning.
• Keep consistent visual identity across your website, social media, and marketing.
• Make sure your branding matches your messaging (Luxury? Fun? Innovative?).
If your visuals don’t match your brand’s positioning, customers will feel a disconnect.
The Five Positioning Strategies That Make Brands Stand Out
1. Category Ownership: Be the Leader in a Niche
The fastest way to stand out is to own a specific niche or category. If people see your brand as the leader in a unique space, competition becomes irrelevant.
Examples:
• HubSpot created the “Inbound Marketing” category and became the authority.
• Shopify positioned itself as the best platform for e-commerce entrepreneurs.
• Spanx became the dominant shapewear brand by owning its niche.
How to Apply This:
• Find an underserved niche in your industry and claim it.
• Position your brand as the best at ONE specific thing.
• Use marketing that reinforces your category leadership.
Being the best in a small category is better than being average in a big one.
2. Price-Based Positioning: Premium vs. Affordable
Brands position themselves based on price perception—either as high-end, luxury brands or affordable, value-driven options.
Examples:
• Louis Vuitton vs. Michael Kors (Luxury vs. Affordable Luxury)
• Apple vs. Dell (Premium vs. Practical)
• Whole Foods vs. Walmart (High-End Grocery vs. Budget-Friendly)
How to Apply This:
• Decide if your brand is premium, budget-friendly, or somewhere in between.
• Use pricing, messaging, and branding that supports your positioning.
• Don’t confuse customers by mixing premium and budget branding.
Customers need to clearly understand where your brand fits on the pricing scale.
3. Problem-Solution Positioning: Solve a Specific Pain Point
Some brands succeed because they solve a common frustration better than anyone else. Positioning your brand as the solution to a specific problem makes it easier for customers to justify buying.
Examples:
• Slack positioned itself as the solution to workplace communication overload.
• Casper positioned itself as the simpler, hassle-free way to buy a mattress.
• Peloton positioned itself as the solution to boring home workouts.
How to Apply This:
• Identify the biggest frustration in your industry.
• Position your brand as the clear answer to that problem.
• Reinforce the pain point in your messaging and marketing.
Customers buy solutions—if your brand is positioned as the best fix for a problem, you become the obvious choice.
4. Lifestyle & Identity Positioning: Sell a Feeling, Not Just a Product
The strongest brands don’t just sell products—they sell identity, status, and lifestyle. People buy based on how a brand makes them feel or what it says about them.
Examples:
• Harley-Davidson sells rebellion and freedom.
• Lululemon sells an active, stylish lifestyle.
• Red Bull sells adventure and high-performance energy.
How to Apply This:
• Align your brand with a lifestyle, mindset, or personal identity.
• Make customers feel like they’re part of an exclusive club.
• Use branding that reinforces emotions over features.
Customers buy brands that reflect who they are—or who they want to be.
5. Authority Positioning: Be the Go-To Expert in Your Space
People trust brands that appear authoritative, knowledgeable, and respected. If your brand is positioned as an expert, people assume your products are better than competitors—even before trying them.
Examples:
• Neil Patel dominates SEO by positioning himself as an industry expert.
• Tony Robbins built an empire by owning the personal development space.
• Harvard, Stanford, and Yale command respect because of historical authority.
How to Apply This:
• Publish high-quality educational content, case studies, or thought leadership.
• Get media features, collaborations, and endorsements.
• Build trust with data, testimonials, and real-world results.
The more authority your brand has, the easier it is to attract customers.
Final Thoughts: How to Apply Brand Positioning to Your Business
If you want to own your market and stand out instantly, apply these strategies:
1. Define your unique position in the market—don’t blend in.
2. Craft messaging that makes your value clear.
3. Align your visuals and branding with your positioning.
4. Leverage price, problem-solving, or lifestyle-based positioning.
5. Position yourself as an authority to increase credibility.
If your brand isn’t positioned intentionally, customers will never see it as the best choice.
What brands do you think have the strongest positioning? Let’s discuss.