Brand Positioning &
Values
What Is Their Positioning?
• Liril
• Dominos
• Fair & Lovely
• Pears
• Bata
• Woodland
• Zodiac
• Allen Solly
Brand Positioning
• Define competitive frame of reference
– Target market
– Nature of competition
• Define desired brand knowledge
structures
– Points-of-parity
• necessary
• competitive
– Points-of-difference
• strong, favorable, and unique brand associations
Target Market
Consumer Aggregates
Current users
Potential users
Competitive users
Consumer Segments
Behavioral
Dem/psych/geo
Taxonomy of Users
• Social or personality types
• Different wants and needs
• Identity profiles
• Health club users
Toothpaste Segmentation
• Four main segments
• Sensory segment
– Flavor and product
appearance
• Sociables Flavor, Brightness
– Brightness of teeth
• Worriers
– Decay Prevention
3 stripes, one for
• Independent each of the 3 main
– Low Price Decay Prevention segments
Points of Difference & Parity
Difference
• Strong, favorable, unique
• Attribute or benefit
Parity
• Shared with other brands
• Important for brand extensions
POP and POD
• POP (Point of Parity)
– Associations that are shared with other brands
• Two types
– Category: attributes that are required to include
your product as a member of that category
– Competitive: POP that negate your competitors
PODs
• POPs can be “good enough”, but PODs
should be “superior
Similar concepts
• Unique Selling Proposition (USP; Reeves and
Bates)
– Advertisers should give a compelling reason to buy
a product that competitors could not match
• What component of the IBM reflects this?
• Sustainable Competitive Advantage (SCA)
• The advantage of delivering superior value in the
marketplace for a prolonged period of time
• Further, SCAs can result from any component of the firm
– Similar to notion that Principle exists in every part of the firm
POP AND POD: BMW over the
years
1991
1985
1975
1971
• Affluence, exclusivity
• Fun to drive
• Affluence, exclusivity
• Fun to drive
• Fun to drive
• Economical
• International
10
• Desirability
Managerial Issues
• How do I begin to position my Brand?
– Communicate category membership
– This is the “frame of reference”, where
customers can activate what they know about the
category and apply it to your POPs and PODs
• How?
– Communicate category benefits
– Compare your product to exemplars
– Rely on product descriptor
Competitive Positioning Strategy
Brand category focus
Central Position - market leader, me-too
• Differentiated position - new feature,
combo
Creative Positioning Strategy
Advertising focus
User as hero - social attributes; special TM
• Product as hero - brand benefit, brand
character
Objective-based positioning
• Brand awareness
Prominent visuals
• Brand attitude
Political focus
Purchase Motivation Strategy
• Negative - informational
Dental floss
• Positive - transformational
Hair color
Means-End Chain:
Toothpaste
Attributes Benefits Value
Fluoride no cavities health
Generic low cost economy
Baking soda whitening beauty
Mint nice breath social
No additives natural ecology
Ways to convey category membership :
Comparison to Exemplars
• Two strategies:
– Created exemplar (not a real product)
– Real exemplar (coke when talking about cola-
based carbonated beverages)
• NOTE: Keller defines exemplars as
– Well known, noteworthy brands in a category
• Pepsi One example (after repositioning)
Nuts and Bolts
• How do I decide on my PODs and POPs?
• POPs
– Analysis of category
• What attributes do all of my competitors have? I probably need to
have those, or my competitors automatically have a POD
• POPs get you included in category
• PODs are more difficult
– Don’t use PODs that are product centric (dominate
competition) but customer centric (uniquely address need
of customer)
Managerial issues
• Criteria for POD
– Desirability
• Must be Relevant
• Must be Distinctive
• Must be Believable
– Deliverability
• Feasibility
• Communicability
• Sustainability
Establish POP and POD in
marketplace
• Difficulty: Many attributes that make up
POP and PODs are negatively opposed
– Low price vs. High quality
– Tastes Great vs. Less filling
• Separate the attributes
• Leverage equity in another entity
• Redefine the relationship
Brand Mantra
• Built upon core brand values
• Makes a core brand promise
• Heart and soul of brand
• 3-5 word phrases
• Generates spirit of the brand
• Helps position the brand
Mantra terms: Nike & Disney
• Brand function - nature of product or service;
performance, entertainment
• Descriptive modifier - specific functions; athletic
performance, family entertainment
• Emotional modifier - how brand delivers
benefits; authentic, fun
• Nike
– Authentic Athletic Performance
• Disney
– Fun Family Entertainment
Communicating & Establishing
POP’s & POD’s
• Create POP’s and POD’s in the face of
attribute & benefit trade-offs
– Price & quality
– Convenience & quality
– Taste & low calories
– Efficacy & mildness
– Power & safety
– Ubiquity & prestige
– Comprehensiveness (variety) & simplicity
– Strength & refinement
Core Brand Values
• Set of abstract concepts or phrases that
characterize the 5-10 most important
dimensions of the mental map of a brand.
• Relate to points-of-parity and points-of-
difference
• Mental Map Core Brand Values Brand
Mantra
Building
Customer-Based Brand Equity
• Brand knowledge structures depend on . . .
– The initial choices for the brand elements
– The supporting marketing program and the
manner by which the brand is integrated into it
– Other associations indirectly transferred to the
brand by linking it to some other entities
Brand Elements
• A variety of brand elements can be chosen
that inherently enhance brand awareness or
facilitate the formation of strong, favorable,
and unique brand associations:
– Brand Name – Character
– Logo – Packaging
– Symbol – Slogan
Brand Elements Choice Criteria:
General Considerations
• Memorable • Adaptable
– Easily Recognized – Flexible & Updateable
– Easily Recalled • Protectable
• Meaningful – Legally
– Credible & Suggestive – Competitively
– Rich Visual & Verbal • Transferrable
Imagery – Within & Across
• Appealing Product Categories
– Fun & Interesting – Across Geographical
– Aesthetics Boundaries & Cultures
Major Challenges in Positioning
• Find compelling & impactful points-of-
difference
• How do people become aware of their need for
your product and service?
• How do consumers find your offering?
• How do consumers make their final selection?
• How do consumers order and purchase your
product or service?
• What happens when your product or service is
delivered?
• How is your product installed?
• How is your product or service paid for?
Major Challenges in Positioning
• Find compelling & impactful points-
of-difference (cont.)
– How is your product stored?
– How is your product moved around?
– What is the consumer really using your
product for?
– What do consumers need help with when they
use your product?
– What about returns or exchanges?
– How is your product repaired or serviced?
– What happens when your product is disposed
of or no longer used?
Things to do……..
• Select a minimum or 12 images from
magazines, photos, etc that represents your
thoughts and feelings about your favorite
brand
• Put the images together in a collage that
communicates your subconscious thoughts
and feelings about the brand
• Present your collage to class with stories of
how each visual feeling connects you to the
brand
