7 Elements of a Successful Brand Positioning

As alluded to above, a successful brand positioning strategy needs to convey several key elements. Here’s a quick breakdown of each to help you better understand their significance:

Who You Are: Just as a name and personality set people apart from their peers, your organization needs to identify the essential qualities shared by internal players that sets you apart from the competition.

What You Do: Brand positioning should address far more than the products or services you sell; it should articulate the promise you make to your employees, investors, customers, and partners. It is an aspirational promise that you need to collectively live up to, year in and year out.

Why You Matter: Most importantly, companies forge emotional connections with audiences by communicating why their brand matters. Think of it this way: what would be missing in the world if you weren’t there to provide it? How do you make a meaningful difference in people’s lives?

A smart brand positioning strategy should also help build a brand that is:

Ownable: Your brand positioning must be true for you and no one else. If you can own an idea – or better yet, a word – your leadership becomes clear and defensible. Some of the most successful brands in the world have achieved greatness through their singular and passionate focus on an ownable promise.

Believable: While good positioning strategy is always aspirational, it is still based in reality and makes a promise that can be truly fulfilled. Anyone who thinks branding is just hype has likely been disappointed by a misleading or over-promoted promise. Only promise something that you’re able to deliver!

Beneficial: Too many brand positioning strategies focus solely on products and features while neglecting to identify their associated benefits. The best brands provide something beneficial to key audiences, inspiring them to take part in the brand story.

Sustainable: Good brand positioning strategy creates a lasting story that should evolve, but not change, as companies grow and prosper. While brand campaigns may be specific and changeable over time, the positioning strategy that informs them should be steady. Sustainability is what makes a single, ownable story last for years regardless of an organization’s size.