Branding can be defined as the promotion of a particular product or company by means of advertising and distinctive design.
Positioning defines where your product (item or service) stands in relation to others offering similar products and services in the marketplace as well as the mind of the consumer.
To Brand or to position?
When we think of branding, we often refer to how customers and third parties view your brand. In essence, branding is your company’s reputation as it is viewed by others from an external perspective.
Your brand is composed of your company name, your logo, the colours you use in your marketing materials, and how customers perceive your company when they see your products, services, or advertisements as they go about their day.
Positioning, on the other hand, is distinctly different. Your brand’s positioning describes how customers view your company with respect to what you offer and what value you can deliver. In short, your positioning strategy creates a position in the mind of your customers, one that they recognize and associate with your brand
Branding and positioning are two important marketing terms. But while they are related to each other, they have very distinct meanings important for business leaders to understand. Even the smallest companies need to spend time considering how they would like to be perceived by their desired market segments. The first step, of course, is determining which markets to serve, who is already serving those markets and how these competitors may differ. Then organizations need to consider how they wish to be perceived by certain market segments, understand how they are currently perceived and take steps to close those gaps.
Positioning involves claiming a position or reputation in a market–or several markets–for a company, product or service. The first step in positioning is specifically identifying the markets to be served; these can be local, regional, national or even international. Within geographic areas, marketers might segment by other factors, such as age, gender, income, or areas of personal or professional interest. The more clearly these target market segments can be identified, the more specifically marketers can design programs to reach out to influence those who occupy each segment.
Positioning also involves identifying ways in which your company’s offerings differ from competitors’ offerings. Based on the target market areas, companies will identify competitors in those markets, learn as much about those competitors as possible (in terms of product offerings, pricing, distribution channels and promotional efforts) and determine how the company might claim a different position based on its own marketing attributes. Once a desired position has been established, companies will work to establish and strengthen a brand identity designed to claim that position within the marketplace.
Companies will claim a brand position based on their actions. Just like individuals’ personalities are determined based on how they are viewed over time by others, the same is true of companies and products. Claiming a brand position requires ongoing efforts to convey a consistent image to target audiences through all company activities, from the attributes of the product itself to the company’s service to the company’s employees and through promotional activities. It is consistency over time, reflected through actual performance that will help a company effectively claim a brand position.
Keep in mind that branding and positioning are complementary, but not synonymous.
Here at Dudusquad, we deal with branding and how customers see your brand to compliment your position in the market. We focus on what you want to communicate to your audiences, for example, what your logo says about you and that is how we run your brand.
