Gain an understanding of exactly what a positioning statement is and why it matters when it comes to branding. Discover practical tips on how to craft one for your brand and use our examples to help you get started.
A positioning statement is a short, strategic description that defines what your brand offers, who it serves, and why it’s different from competitors. Unlike a slogan or tagline, it’s an internal tool that guides marketing, sales, and product decisions.
Brands need positioning statements because they create clarity and consistency. A clear statement ensures everyone on your team understands your target audience, your unique value, and how you solve customer problems. This alignment helps your messaging stand out in a crowded market and makes it easier for customers to recognize why your brand matters.
In today’s competitive landscape, having a strong product or service isn’t enough. A well-crafted positioning statement acts as your brand’s compass—it keeps strategy focused, messaging consistent, and audiences engaged with the value only you provide.
What Is a Positioning Statement and Why Is It Important?
A brand positioning statement is a strategic internal document. It serves as a comprehensive description of your product and target audience. In addition, it explains how your offering fills a specific market need.
This written statement combines both logistical and value-based details. It defines how your brand is perceived and what differentiates it from competitors in the marketplace. Your statement helps ensure your strategy and messaging align with your brand’s goals.
A positioning statement is typically created during the initial kickoff phase. Marketing and sales staff use this statement to guide their messaging and make sure all communication aligns when building the brand. This helps ensure consistency.
Your positioning statement encompasses critical elements. These include:
- Your target market
- Market category
- Customer pain points
- Brand promise
- Brand identity
These all work together to create a clear vision that puts your brand in its best position in a competitive landscape.
What Purpose Does a Positioning Statement Serve?
Once you’ve gained the answer to “What is a positioning statement?”, it’s important to understand its critical purpose. A positioning statement is essential because it serves as the foundational tool for marketing. This includes guiding messaging, product development and customer engagement.
The primary purpose is to articulate:
- Who the business serves
- What specific value it delivers
- How it solves customer problems
- What distinguishes it from competitors
It helps establish the brand’s identity and goals within the context of the buyer’s experience, providing potential customers with a clear understanding of what the business offers and why it matters to them. It also ensures that all communication remains consistent and aligned with the brand’s goals.
Positioning statements differentiate the brand from competitors and attract the right customers. They can also help provide insights into consumer preferences that support long-term business growth.
Positioning Statement vs. Value Proposition: What’s the Difference?
Both the value proposition and positioning statement are key components of a company’s marketing strategy. Although similar, these two statements have clear differences. The value proposition is often used as part of the positioning statement. It outlines the benefits your products or services provide to your customers and what sets you apart from competitors.
There is also a contrast in how they are viewed. A positioning statement is an internal strategic tool that defines how a company wants to be perceived in the marketplace in relation to competitors and helps guide marketing and communications decisions.
On the other hand, a value proposition is a customer-facing statement. It focuses on the specific value or benefits customers will receive from choosing your products or services. In other words, a positioning statement establishes your competitive outlook and strategic direction. A value proposition translates that positioning into compelling customer benefits that drive purchase decisions.
How to Write a Positioning Statement That Works
Now that you understand the value of having this critical marketing tool, you’ll want to know how to write a positioning statement. An effective positioning statement should include several aspects. These include describing who your target customer is, what your products and/or services are, and why you do what you do. It also covers how you fill a need in a different way than your competitors.
Here’s a step-by-step guide, including how long a positioning statement should be.
1. Start With a Proven Formula
According to Harvard Business School, the simple formula for crafting a positioning statement is:
“We help [target audience] do [customer need] by [brand attribute].”
While you can add your own flair to your statement, it’s helpful to start with this setup in mind.
2. Identify Your Target Audience
Figure out who exactly your customers are and what they want. Otherwise, it will be impossible to write a solid positioning statement. Research demographics data to provide insights about your target audience. This might include where they live, how old they are, what they do for a living, purchasing habits, pain points and more.
If you aren’t sure about these details, send your current customers a survey or research similar companies and their audience. Then use this information to create detailed customer personas to reveal how best to position your product or service to reach the right people.
3. Define Your Market Category
Understand your competition and where you fit into the marketplace. Determine your market category and similar companies in that space. Look to other brands for examples to get your creative juices flowing.
What tactics are they using successfully? Why are they working? What similarities and differences are there between your company and theirs? Take those lessons learned to formulate your own positioning statement and marketing strategy.
4. Highlight Your Unique Benefit
Differentiating your company from competitors is critical throughout this exercise. Be honest, authentic and transparent when communicating your positioning statement. Incorporate your fundamental values and vision. Don’t exaggerate or make promises you can’t keep, as that will only turn customers off.
Highlight what makes your company and your offerings different and better than what others have. Use data and testimonials to back it up. It’s also okay to celebrate the quirks and imperfections that set your business apart from others.
5. Keep It Clear, Concise and Strategic
Effective positioning statements should be brief, empathetic and simple to maximize their impact. They should lead with empathy, since customers seek brands that understand their needs. Choose words strategically. Eliminate any unnecessary details that can make the statement long-winded and confusing.
The best statements:
- Are limited to three to five sentences
- Focus on clear value propositions rather than aspirational language
- Prioritize clarity and brevity over complexity
Done well, a positioning statement can quickly capture attention, communicate what sets a company apart from competitors and provide compelling reasons for customers to engage with the brand.
Effective Brand Positioning Statement Examples
Here are three examples of effective brand positioning statements from well-known companies.
Apple
“Apple strives to bring the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and internet offerings.”
Apple’s statement covers a broad yet specific audience. It does so while focusing on innovation and its premium quality of products and services that cater to various customer needs.
“Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
Google’s positioning statement exemplifies its core mission and values, including accessibility. It is clear and ambitious, reflecting its global reach.
Nike
“Our mission is: to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. If you have a body, you are an athlete.”
Nike’s statement has a strong emotional appeal that is inclusive and empowering, making everyone feel like they can be athletic.
Final Takeaway: Every Business Needs a Positioning Statement
The question of “What is a positioning statement?” and how it helps a brand is important knowledge for today’s businesses. A well-crafted positioning statement serves as the strategic foundation. It clearly defines how your brand, product or service is different from competitors’. This strategic tool highlights why your target audience should choose you.
It also acts as an internal compass to align all marketing, product and messaging strategies to ensure consistency and focus. Now is the perfect time to create or revisit your own brand positioning statement.
Writing a brand positioning statement is a key goal for your business. If you’re ready to start crushing all your business goals, check out our Goal-Setting E-Book today for powerful insights.
Photo by Amnaj Khetsamtip/Shutterstock.
