Brand Positioning

Brand Positioning is the concept of defining a distinct place for a brand in the mind of the consumer.

This is achieved by studying what consumers need & want from companies in a given category, in order to understand relevant & potential gaps in the market.

Once this has been done, competitor analysis complements consumer behaviour analysis by signaling what positioning would give brands a competitive advantage.

Fable&Co. believe that IKEA is a great example of successful brand positioning. Spotting a gap between what competitors were offering & what consumers needed at the time, they pioneered a business & distribution model for the furniture category that effectively allowed them to dominate it.

Supporting this, IKEA’s advertising & marketing is kooky & humorous with a clear & consistent brand voice. A trip to their store displays a spectacle of choice, innovation & affordable pricing. Slotting together an IKEA product using their easy-to-assemble manual highlights the modern design and ease with which quality and style can be not only purchased but constructed by the consumer.

This family of experiences has resulted in unchallenged & firm positioning.

Within the process, segmentation & targeting are two concepts broadly associated with positioning. Segmentation is the process of classifying consumers into varying categories, depending on criteria such as demographics, household income, education level, relationship status or even interests & attitudes. These categories then become segments that can be focused on by targeting, where companies study each segment to decide which one represents a more valuable opportunity.

 

Audience size, purchase frequency, average order value or the ability of the brand to serve that targeted segment are factors in this assessment. Once segmentation & targeting have been determined, positioning emerges as the obvious way for the brand moving forward. This will then be supported via the broader marketing mix of product development, pricing, distribution & communications.

This methodology is not indifferent to Trivial Pursuit. Players require knowledge on each categorical slice in order to advance forwards in the game, with the game requiring a culmination of all of our knowledge to secure a win. At Fable&Co, we aim to find that elusive gap. We aim to be IKEA. Potentially the the key aspect of branding strategy, positioning is the quiet workhorse behind the success of most of the successful brands today.

 

Applying our systematic & analytical brains we undertake thorough research spanning consumers, competitors & brand discovery. If a brand is not positioned, the competitors will almost certainly make it happen themselves. Fable&Co. plan to get there first.

A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is- it is what the consumers tell each other it is

– Scott Cook, Director of Ebay & Branding Aficionado