It’s probably not news to anyone that the heart of any meaningful branding effort is a positioning statement. It’s the anchor, the foundation, the cornerstone, the whatever-analogy-you-want-to-use-that-signifies-something-is-really-important. Without a well-thought out, research-based positioning, a brand carries no real weight—and no compelling reason for people to buy into it.
So when you’re going through the process of developing a positioning for your brand, the big question is, “what are the most important differentiators, benefits, and values to include in my positioning?” Or, “how do I know what takeaways from our research are more important than others?”
We admit that there’s no perfect, foolproof way to determine this. But you can take a formalized, systematic approach to determining the most critical elements to be expressed in a positioning statement that helps eliminate a lot of guesswork and uncertainty.
This practical guide outlines an easy-to-apply evaluation process to the main takeaways from your research efforts, data gathering, focus groups, etc. It enables you to assess and ‘score’ each key takeaway’s credibility, uniqueness, transparency, and other critical qualities so you’ll know what brand truths/concepts rise to the top and should be incorporated into your positioning.
Even if you already have one in place, this process could be a good reality check to see if yours still rings true in conveying the essence of your brand.