Introduction to brand positioning
Kotler has defined brand positioning as “the act of designing the company’s offering and image to occupy a distinctive place in the mind of the target market.” In other words, brand positioning explains how a brand differs from its rivals and how it appears to customers. In order to influence how people see a brand, a brand positioning strategy entails building brand connections in their thoughts.
Brand positioning strategies have a direct impact on consumer loyalty, consumer-based brand equity, and brand readiness to buy through influencing consumer choices. Effective brand positioning can be defined as the degree to which a brand is regarded favorably, distinctively, and credibly by customers.
Characteristics of Good Brand Positioning
A strong brand strategy guides all of a company’s actions. It affects how companies are perceived by their target market and how they are positioned in the market. A brand strategy should ideally act as a roadmap for a company as it negotiates the complexities of a dynamic market.
But not all brand strategies are the same; some merely lack the breadth and toughness needed to advance a company. There are a few essential qualities that must be present in the strategy that will direct brand growth and decision-making in order to stay on course.
Focus on Audience
Focusing on the target audience is the first quality of a strong brand. A brand cannot be everything to all audiences and still be successful in a certain target market. Instead, they should concentrate on the target group that is most beneficial to the company. Create personas first to gather basic consumer knowledge and base your brand strategy on audience insights. A company’s messaging should discuss its distinctive value proposition in relation to customers’ pain points and motives in order to effectively attract their attention. the brand’s mission and ideals with the audience’s beliefs to keep them and win their loyalty.
Consistency
Brand continuity shows commitment and gives customers a sense of security. It is a guarantee that the audience can count on receiving the same high caliber of service throughout the course of the partnership. Building consumer loyalty and trust with a target audience requires regular contacts.
Additionally, consistency contributes to brand awareness in the marketplace. It solidifies a business’ position in relation to its rivals and gains audience mindshare. The brand expression, which includes the logo, color scheme, and taglines, should be in line with a company’s strategy and apply to all of its communications in order to establish consistency. A brand guidelines document may ensure that the team is equipped with the knowledge necessary to implement branding consistently.
Simplicity
Strong brand strategies frequently have a foundation in clear-cut concepts. They’re not complicated. If a company’s identity can’t be summed up in a single sentence, it might need to be clarified and simplified. Customers can better comprehend and relate to a brand when it is built around one main theme.
Detail
Concentrating brand concepts around a key notion leaves room for precise execution. Personality, tone, and voice are just a few of the many components that may be used to give a brand life. For instance, KFC stands out in the fast food business thanks to its distinct brand identity. Because of this, it connects back to its brand identity as a “Fast Food Alternative.” It is also welcoming and inviting. On social media, where a significant audience engagement demonstrates the benefits of a carefully planned brand strategy execution, its distinctiveness is readily apparent.
Flexibility
Companies are able to maintain a forward-thinking mindset and contribute to the creation of an evergreen brand by including flexibility into their brand strategy. Companies need to consider the brand they want to be in a few years when creating their brand identity. They don’t want to constantly change the way their brand looks since consistency is crucial. Consider future development into other product or service areas to instead give the brand room to adapt.
Elements of Branding
We call the fundamental units of matter “elements.” All matter in the universe, except for energy, consists of one or more of these components. Similarly, every existing brand consists of the same branding components, including a logo, a color scheme, a particular user experience, and more. Together, these branding components create a brand identity, which designers employ to create powerful, alluring brand designs. The following are the components of branding and how it is used:
Logo
A logo condenses the entirety of a brand’s personality into a recognizable image. Customers often interact with brands for the first time through it, and when they see the brand again, this image triggers their recollections of it, whether positive or negative. The logo of a company appears on practically all of its assets, including business cards, its website, its products, its social media sites, and the branded templates it uses for its advertising and marketing materials.
Color Palette
Another essential component of any brand identity is color. Certain businesses have taken the step of patenting their distinctive brand colors due to the significant role color plays in branding. UPS (brown), Tiffany (blue), and Fiskars (orange) are just a few examples of trademarked hues. Colors are important to branding as it expresses key values and personality traits.
Shape
Another element of a comprehensive branding strategy is shape. Shapes appear not just in a brand’s logo but also in the packaging, layout design, web page backdrops, business cards, and other stationery. Companies decide which forms best fit the persona of their brand while creating their brand identity. However, it’s crucial to realize that companies should not restrict themselves to using a single form or category of shapes; if the brand’s visual identity calls for the usage of two or more shapes, they should do so..
Tagline
A brand should communicate its distinctive proposition through brand messaging. A clear example of this offer is Subway’s “Eat Fresh” slogan. By portraying themselves as a healthier alternative to other fast food chains, Subway used the slogan “Eat Fresh” to set itself apart from the competition. Subway drove home this idea by using green in their branding and airing commercials featuring customers’ testimonies about losing weight while dining there.
Tonal Voice and Vocabulary
The tone of voice of a brand incorporates a certain vocabulary. The voice that consumers hear when they read any copy created by a brand, including emails they get from that brand, the text on their website, and the language they use on social media. One of the most effective methods to influence—and change—how the public views a brand is through its tone of voice.
Fonts
Another important aspect of branding is the fonts that a company utilizes. Every time a brand uses text, such as in their logo, on their website, or in an email template, they choose the font with care to convey their personality and values. The elements of fonts also correspond to many moods and personality traits, much like certain colors do.
Imagery
Imagery considers all the visuals that businesses utilize for branding, marketing, and advertising. It’s not just the logo or content, but the choice of photographs, stock photos, website visuals, brand assets, and overall aesthetic that defines a company’s brand identity. Similar to gradient and patterned backgrounds, packaging, or banners, one can communicate a brand’s identity simply and effectively with abstract artwork by utilizing the brand’s color and shape preferences.
Positioning
A brand’s positioning refers to the market void it fills. Companies shape their brand persona based on what they offer consumers and their position among other brands in the niche.. The positioning of a brand directly affects its branding. For instance, a low-cost firm that wants to convey that they’re the most affordable option can select vibrant, value-communicating colors like yellow and orange and develop a voice for their brand that is straightforward, amiable, and upbeat.
