Who are you not for? That’s the main question to ask yourself in brand positioning. Yet, no one thinks about that. Many just cheer, “We’re for everybody!”
Do that and you’ll be for nobody. You know the saying from the NFL? If you have two quarterbacks, you really have none. You haven’t made a choice. Doing anything great means making choices.
And creating preference for your brand is all about choice. If you don’t present yourself as a true choice, different and better from the others, you can’t create preference.
Brand positioning definition
A common definition of brand positioning is too often about the company itself. We do this, we offer that, and so on. Yet, too often, those positions are just cliches and category benefits. Your brand position is about customer service? Well, so is every other position in your market.
For the prospect? No choice. So, for those potential customers, it’s either default to the market leader or stay where they are now.
A more sophisticated definition of brand positioning says it’s about the customer. And that’s true. The customer must see themselves in your brand to prefer it. Strongly align with the emotional triggers of your audience and that audience can’t help but covet you.
But that only goes so far.
Who are you not for?
Of course, you want as large of a market as you can. But people crave being part of an exclusive club. If they aren’t, they wonder, “What’s wrong with me?” And still covet being a member of that club.
Any brand positioning that also says who you are not for just makes it that much more attractive. If, for example, you said you were only for smart people, who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? That’s a vague example, I admit. But it still offers a personal and emotional choice.
Take, for example, the USSA Bank campaign featuring Gronk. They’re not the perfect ads. They lack punch. And feel like another bank/insurance ad.
BUT. They represent a perfect example of a brand saying who it is for – and, more importantly, who it is not for.
Brand positioning for preference
Think about military families. Think about how much more strongly they feel, knowing they – and only them – are qualified to be a USAA Bank member. There’s a pride in that. A strong one. THAT’S preference.
Brands fear saying who they are not for because think they will lose customers. But it’s exactly the opposite. USSA Bank ranks 87th in the Fortune 500.
When brand positioning, think about who you are not for just as much as who you are for. It’s the only way to create preference.