Positioning (marketing)

The positioning in marketing refers to the deliberate, systematic work and putting forth the strengths and qualities that a product or service in the assessment of the target audience clearly and positively different from other products or services through the. David Ogilvy's definition of positioning brief was: " What the product does - and for whom. " Here, the positioning of the figure out of public opinion goes to an opinion article ( eg, property, or services) from a psychological market model. These models are characterized by a combination of marketing theory, psychological and biological knowledge.

• 5.2.1 Lagnese Cremissimo
• 5.2.2 Country Love: Successful brand turn-around

• 5.4.1 Jules Mumm
• 5.4.2 WD -40

• 5.5.1 Beck's Gold
• 5.5.2 Wrigley's Extra

Positioning model

As constitutive elements of a positioning model are:

• ( imaged ) Sach-/Dienstleistungen competing in the relevant market;
• The need to distinguish the concurrent Sach-/Dienstleistungen, perceived by the buyers product characteristics and emotional imagery, which are represented as the coordinate axes
• Information about the preferences of potential or actual customers for specific products / services as well as for the ideal performance and ideal perception.

The analysis of the market position, which requires a survey of the potential and actual customers generally, offers the following strategic options for action

• Approximation of perceived emotional and factual power to the ideal by all appear suitable marketing activities, such as product and Packungsauftrittwerbliche communication;
• Optimize the perception of relevant features by approaching ideal positions;
• Discover and Editing niche markets with special needs profiles.

Multivariate methods illustrating positioning

A positioning in relation to competitors may represent include the following statistical methods: multidimensional scaling, factor analysis, conjoint measurement and logit model.

According to the premise that " a picture is worth more than a thousand numbers " are usually two-to three-dimensional spaces shown as a result, the dimensions usually ( in - or explicitly ) varied correlate with each other and the rooms really need to have a much higher dimensionality.

The relative ease of use of standard computer programs and the relatively complicated mathematical structure of the process tempt to go in interpreting the results on the framework established by the procedural limitations. Thus, it is frequently observed that numerical or geometrical relationships between the variables are interpreted, the change under the arbitrarily selectable permissible transformations of the process. This creates the risk that contingencies importance is attached to, the implied neither the data nor the model, nor the representation relation. These in turn can result in misinformation and strategic errors in management.

It may come as no surprise, therefore, presumably, that the implementation of the findings from two-to three-dimensional positioning spaces in practice has lagged far behind the original expectations. The comprehensive analysis of all publications of Wedel and Kamakura as well as the 25-year anniversary analysis of this topic by Jerry Wind could only report on a few sustainable positioning or segmentation success based on this.

In practice, another high - quantitative approach to the positioning of brands and products or services has been proven (see case studies) demonstrates how an increasing number of spectacular market success.

Process phases of the classic positioning procedure

• Determination of the relevant positioning objects
• Identifying relevant dimensions of evaluation
• Determination of object perception
• Preparation of the positioning space ( for example, by Multidimensional scaling)
• Interpretation of the object space ( examination of the interpretation by Property Fitting)
• Formulation of a positioning strategy

Positioning as an objective and integral clamp

Already for Hans Domizlaff ( 1939) was "the goal of branding techniques to secure a monopoly position in the psyche of consumers." Positioning outlines as an objective the sustainable satisfactory emotional and factual needs of the target group. It forms the integral bracket for the use of all suitable appearing marketing tools to gain an offer of a brand a definite meaning. objective is the brand to profile so that the target group of the offer

Emotions, intuitions, memories, thought patterns or even instincts - if people are from customers, the subconscious almost always plays a crucial role. With reasonable considerations - for example in terms of price and objective performance - behavioral decisions have to be done only partially. According to the findings of modern brain research people behave not consciously and rationally. About 95 % of all human " decisions" are made on the basis of unconscious and emotional evaluation criteria. This is why the precise knowledge and targeted appeals to emotions of a competitive advantage.

Proper positioning is a key success parameters, as demonstrated by numerous case studies. Experience shows that the success of brand positioning, always represents a boundary problem: Only when a brand an emotional and factual necessity meets very precise, there is a real chance to resounding success. Competitive advantages can therefore only be based on a solid knowledge of customer knowledge and the determined cause - effect chains based on how they are causally to their voting decisions. The rest should be viewed as what it is - as " a lottery ". - It requires specific qualitative and quantitative methods to work out for them.

In the requisite market research is ultimately not about identifying a complex motivation structure, but above all, the real, central - to name a reason to buy and work out in a positioning thoughts with one to five words - mostly emotional. ( Because in view of about 80 billion euros of communication pressure, 56,000 advertised brands and an average active vocabulary of 2,500 words, experience has shown that more anyway unenforceable in consumer memory. )

In principle, in every " positioning strategy " included what constitutes an adequate market analysis for this purpose. But in almost all cases, this is not consistently analyzed enough in strategic market research. Most studies point to serious gaps and do not cover sufficiently the five required dimensions from:

• " Emotional benefit " / value proposition
• " Factual " Benefit / Benefit
• " Reason Why ", " Reason to believe"
• Use situation (s)
• Tonality and implementation style ( lifestyle, Limbic Personality )

For working out the best positioning options for a brand it is advisable to analyze the increasingly complex markets of today on these five levels and link, as an increasing number of spectacular market success shows. In addition, it should be ensured that the desired positioning to the culture and the inner success patterns of a company fits.

At the optimum positioning of brands, the following iterative strategic search path has been proven:

Exemplary case study examples

To importance to occupy the central category -benefit

A brand is almost inevitably the market leader when it succeeds this brand to occupy the central emotional and factual use of reason for the group in the consumer perception dominant. The traceability of these laws should be increased by a few exemplary case studies.

Axe: " The scent that women provoked "

At baseline, all competitors ( " social acceptance " expressed or positive) were on the men's deodorant market to " prevent odor " positioned. The unchanged se amber and musk - product of the brand Axe occupied with the slogan " The scent that women provoked " successfully the emotional category Core Benefit. Success in the Market: Revenues increased within a few years from 1.3 million euros to 70 million euros in Germany alone. - The brand also was also an international success and has remained the market leader.

Blend-a -med / med 3 Odol

Blend-a -med has long been the market leader in the German market to toothpaste in the 1990s, although the product did not taste good and on an out-dated product base ( plaster body: whiting # Kreide_als_SchleifmittelKreide ) was based. But the brand had obviously in consumer perception of an effective and superior Reason to believe: " The is the dentist of his family."

This slogan suggested to consumers than benefit the most comprehensive care. He communicated at the same time an apparent proof: The dentist knows best and only the best toothpaste to his family. All other competitors focused on specific benefits such as periodontal disease, tooth decay or dental plaque and therefore could not jeopardize the long position of Blend-a -med.

In an attempt to attract even more buyers, gave Blend-a -med this position on time. It has brought a lot of varieties with different specific part of the benefit to the market: Against periodontal disease, tooth decay, anti-calculus, in the dispenser, etc. Through various " benefits " was believed to be able to appeal and convince various buyer segments simultaneously. However, in this market, increasing product supply diversity had a negative impact and confusing. Instead of growing, lost Blend-a -med significant market share. Because consumers responded increasingly insecure, which toothpaste they should use. However, consumers wanted actually not a lot of different specialty products, but a comprehensive care for teeth and gums. The leadership went to Odol med 3, the opposite position as a triple prophylaxis ( and brand associations also freshness) and thus offers a comprehensive all-round protection for teeth and gums. More benefit was therefore in this case more.

Leitz: " Everything under control "

With the slogan " Everything under control " Leitz held successfully from the factual and emotional category Core Benefit for secretaries and ( independent ) entrepreneurs. In the extremely difficult market Leitz Office Products was able to reach the brand turn-around in the first advertising flight on a low budget. ( Used methods: qualitative methods, advertising effectiveness pretest, Media Placement Research).

Levi's

Levi's had originally worked out in the huge " Anti-Establishment/Anti-Erwachsenen " positioning in Europe success. In the former films were " young Loser by cool actions to be winners ." This emotional promise was highly relevant for young people, and they were willing to pay for it more than for other jeans. - When leaving this emotional core competence is the Levi's jeans were interchangeable and got serious revenue and earnings problems. The Levi's sales fell from 7.1 billion U.S. dollars in 1996 to 4.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2003, and the profit decreased during this period from 465 to -349 million U.S. dollars million U.S. dollars. - More recently, jeans are "in" again, but not necessarily Levi's.

Positioning success by a superior or other Reason why

Often, a competitor is already positioned on the central category -benefit in the perception of consumers. Nevertheless, there are opportunities to become market leader: With a superior Reason why a brand can change associations in terms of a cause-effect chain for their benefit and the central category and benefits dominate.

However, many companies lack the knowledge required, because most market analyzes and market segmentations neglect the Reason why- level strong, if this all is charged. Often the central Reason why- lever is not analyzed for resounding success. This can be a big mistake, as evidenced by the following examples as an example.

Lagnese Cremissimo

Through a targeted re-positioning succeeded HB's ice cream in just three years, to overtake the Premiumeis leader Mövenpick. An unusual success that had been denied for 20 years the five earlier experiments with bouquet, Lagnese Superbe, Maxim's, Carte D' Or and I Cestelli - despite the use of numerous institutes and consultants.

The secret of success: The Lagnese Cremissimo brand now offers what consumers really want: creaminess. The most important in this market Reason why the creaminess for the enjoyment Benefit was emotionally and rationally occupied as a unique brand promise dominant.

Country Love: Successful brand turn-around

Love of country had lost several years in a row sales. The brand offered no verifiable factual ( or emotional ) benefits in order to justify their higher price can. With " Love is when there is love of country " managed around brands -turn of. This Reason why " proves" simultaneously several benefits - as well as the well-known examples of " How fresh pressed " or " The is the dentist of his family."

2001, the brand was love of country - after 60 % growth! - Better than ever since. She could now even successful image transfers to other markets perform (eg country love pudding and rice pudding, cheese country of love of country, love of ice cream, love of country - jam).

Positioning success by another communication of the central category benefits

The key benefit of a category can be successfully taken up different communicative. Requirement is a relevant, creative and differentiated interpretation. This may include lifestyle approaches provide important insights and guidance as well as projective techniques (eg the Limbic Emotional Explorer like ). This recipe for success is illustrated by the lack of space only on examples from the beer market.

Krombacher occupies the central category -benefit " of relaxation " of beer by the relaxing lake mapping in perfect nature and triggered by Warsteiner as a leader from.

Jever communicated the same core category benefit with the " falling Jever Man". Despite the association in the public's perception of limited " bitter " beer segment Jever achieved thus - without any product or product outfit changes - double-digit sales growth in a declining beer market. - Previous attempts to new spots (without a similar emotional scene right front ) to turn led to many double-digit sales losses. It was several times thereafter switched back to the "old " spot.

Positioning success by occupying the central category benefits in other usage situations

Different usage occasions allow it frequently to occupy the same category -benefit and still be experienced psychologically different, because the consumers are in a different "Constitution". Two examples may suffice to illustrate this alternative route to success.

Jules Mumm

Sparkling wine and champagne have traditionally been products in honor of persons (eg birthday) or appreciation of particular situations (eg, New Year's Eve ). In this market came new offerings, such as Prosecco and Cava sparkling wines. These were not "worthy", but they were perceived as modern, everyday use category of " light " alcoholic beverage.

Prosecco and other "modern" products (such as Freixenet ) allow, everyday situations (eg, meetings of friends) to exaggerate. These products thus occupy different use situations. A different product category is opened - But this is - in almost the same product. To ward off these new products, Seagram (now Red Riding Hood Mumm champagne cellars ) was a " line extension " of Mumm champagne - placed on the market - Jules Mumm. This brand used the image of gut, but resigned in bottle design, name and communication so unique that an irritation of the consumers was not expected. There is thus quite possible with sub-brands to successfully occupy different use situations and thereby maintain the cannibalization low. This caused could surpass the highest market share in the last ten years, the overall brand Mumm.

WD -40

WD -40 is a multifunctional oil. It passes moisture and forms a moisture-proof protective film. It spreads by capillary action quickly under layers of rust and so loosens stuck parts. These and other WD -40 features enable an unusually broad range of applications. In the initial position WD -40 had a market share in the rust remover category of almost 20%, the market leader Caramba was more than twice as high. It was the successful application of WD -40 for "1001 different purposes " (analogous to the U.S., where WD -40 for a long time market leader) awarded. Qualitative market research findings showed, however, that this reasoning - although factually correct - for new customers an access barrier represented - according to the motto " Who can supposedly everything that they do not trust ." An out -worked central advantage of the wide range of services from WD -40 was that craftsmen could do without several expensive specialty products. Five uses of WD -40 were particularly relevant. Through repositioning of WD -40 as " five products in one " (for the most important areas ) based on these novel findings achieved WD -40 in just 5 years, by far the market leader. The WD -40 market share increased from around 20 % in 2002 to 56 % in 2007. The WD- 40 sales volume in the large area has increased five-fold during this period. This unusual success was predicted relatively accurately by using the " trousers significance ". In addition, the market size is significantly larger.

Positioning success by targeting of market segments

In many markets, the central category of benefit is already in successful use and other situations are not sufficient for economic success. In addition, it is often possible no superior Reason Why or communication find. Only in this situation, brand managers should ask the question of how their brand ideally positioned on a downstream benefit and can be differentiated from the competition. It would therefore be wrong, the idea of segmentations and niche marketing - as Ehrenberg and others suggest this - completely abandon.

The laws of nature apply after Darwin Ries in the world of business: Survival of the fittest applies to brands and products. As a result of the competition often brings new, divergent product categories or sub-markets. And they differentiate over time further and further. It sounds so simple, in addition to the dominant occupation of the category utility is the second key to successful brand management or education.

Marktsegmentationen can therefore continues to be a promising strategy be and are especially well suited for medium-sized companies as a niche strategy. Moreover, they are also a way to ( preventive ) defense market for large market shares. But you should ensure that manifest the criteria used for segmentation in customer behavior and target groups must be sufficiently large for economic success.

If consumers with similar needs behaviorally relevant structures and ideals are grouped together, the future-oriented target group submarkets arise with different requirement profiles. This requirement profiles define the success positioning in a submarket.

Beck's Gold

Although beer was regarded as old-fashioned, was Beck's gold against the declining trend of beer also successfully market to younger audiences. The methods used said the success of Beck's Gold at a sales volume of 300,000 hectoliters in the first year to 1,719 hl ( = 0.1 % ) "fine " before ( with some luck ). In the second year, according to publications 560,000 hectoliters were sold, although the whole beer industry is still expected a flop. Only in the third year, many introduced me toos. Nevertheless, it was Beck's gold increase its sales to over 700,000 hl. Even with other beer mixes was able to record good sales, the Beck's brewery.

Wrigley's Extra

Until the entry of Wrigley's Extra at the beginning of the 1990s, chewing gum in public for Adults latest from entering the profession was taboo. In qualitative analyzes and Marktsegmentationen inhibitions for this behavior as well as the emotional and rational use of reasons have been identified. Based on these findings Wrigley's Extra was positioned as a dental care chewing gum that not only tastes good but also prevents tooth decay. With this innovative positioning, it is the brand succeeded so clearly to bind the central ( emotional and factual ) reason for using the entire market segment that competitors barely stayed square. Wrigley's Extra has even after 14 years, more than 90 % share of the segment ( = 21 % in the German confectionery chewing gum category of the market). The chewing gum consumption in older age groups was significantly increased and convincing new audiences. This innovation came from Germany and was also a great success internationally.

Other Wrigley's chewing gum brands offer a number of other unique benefits that include, for example, fresh breath, memory and concentration enhancement, stress reduction, support for the Stop smoking and avoid snack.