POSITIONING RESEARCH

The easiest way to explain “positioning “is to imagine that you own a small piece of space in someone’s mind. How can you own a part of someone’s mind? It’s simple. If your product has been out there for a while you have already you created a belief or perception about it. That is the part of the consumers’ mind that YOU own. (Lots of companies and organization own pieces of your mind too!) If you’re an airline you may be positioned in the minds of consumers as the “fastest”, or the “cheapest” or “most on-time”. If you make ice cream you may be the “best tasting”, “creamiest”, or “have the most exotic flavors” .

Somewhere along the way, through your advertising, publicity and other activities an impression about your product/service/company has been imprinted in people’s minds. Sometimes this perception is exactly what you want; sometimes it isn’t. And it bears mentioning that your competition has also made an impression in the marketplace too.

Positioning research helps you answer some important questions

What are our relative (to our competitors) strengths and weaknesses?
How do consumers see our product? What do they think about us?
What is our image?
What is our competitive advantage? (how are we better than or different from the competition)
Who are our customers?
Are our selling points being relayed to the right mix of consumers?
Can we target our product to other markets by emphasizing other benefits?

Positioning research is strongly tied to market segmentation. Because your consumers have a variety of differences (age, gender, income, profession, ethnicity, education etc) you will need to have an understanding of each of your target market segments.

We will examine your segmented customer base by using focus groups, consumer surveys – online, telephone and postal mail - to find out everything you need to know in order to change, adjust or strengthen your current position.

If you would like to find out how positioning research can work for you, call us.