A brand must have a clear positioning statement. This is because its entire brand strategy is set on this one particular idea. Plus, you cannot make the mistake of duplicating what others are already focussing on. To become a leader, the positioning statement should be exclusive and untouched till now.

Having said that, finding your brand positioning is no rocket science. You just need to be very clear and specific in identifying how you want your customers should see you. 

Here we will tell you everything about marketing positioning and how to go about doing it.

What is positioning in marketing?

First of all, let us define positioning in marketing 

“It is a strategic process where you create an image of a product in the customer’s minds. This image is solely dependent on something unique that you have to offer them.” 

 Positioning meaning in marketing scenario can be a part of the larger marketing strategy.

This entire process will involve how you can segregate your product or service from that of your competitors. Plus, you also have to identify the niche you will focus on. Lots of factors alter your marketing positioning strategy. This includes the customer’s expectations and competitor’s positioning strategy.

Let us understand using a few examples:

• BMW and Audi are luxury status symbols in vehicles
• McDonald’s is an outlet which offers cheap food options
• L’Oréal is a luxury haircare and beauty brand
• Apple offers upscale technology products

A market positioning strategy is not just adding a tagline or statement to your website. You have to explore your positioning statement at multiple levels.

You should focus all your marketing attempts on promoting the same. In the end, the customers will have to accept your positioning as a permanent brand identity.

Benefits of market positioning in marketing

Next, let us talk about the advantages of marketing and positioning. Although people do not realize the consequences of brand positioning benefits a brand in multiple ways. Have a look:

1. Focusing on a specific market

The first step to positioning is to study your market. This in-depth analysis that you do unravels new aspects of marketing for you. Eventually, you are forced to understand what your customers want and their inner desires. You can use this knowledge to formulate your entire marketing strategy. As they say, the more you know about the customers, the better you can serve them.

2. Differentiating oneself from other brands

If everybody in the market is offering the same thing, won’t the customer feel hassled? That is where your positioning in marketing helps you out. You portray a distinct image to the customer. He will realize that your brand is what they can associate with. If you have nothing unique to offer, you are contributing to market noise. 

3. Clarity on the problems you will solve

Why does your customer search for any particular product? He has a problem that needs to be solved. As a well-positioned brand, you could be the answer he is looking for. Less focussed brands make tall claims about solving many problems. However, do you think they understand the exact issue? No, and it is this idea of focussed communication that makes a customer choose a brand.

4. Increase your chances of being remembered over others 

Don’t you want your brand to be a top-of-the-mind recall for customers? Of course, that requires a precise chalked-out positioning in marketing strategy to do so. But, it is not easy to find that unique differentiator. You have to employ a thought process that is strategic and creative. Since it is impressive, your customer remembers it well. This exclusivity will help him to pick you over the others.

5. Brand storytelling that customers identify with

A customer loves a well-told story. If your brand offers him that, he will clearly want to associate. Furthermore, your positioning statement is focused on addressing the problem he is facing. As you move ahead, this approach provides an effective brand strategy. Will a customer identify with a problem solver or someone who is trying to target many problems at one time?

6. Justify your pricing strategy

As a brand, you have to convince your customers to buy you. One aspect of this process is justifying your brand’s price band. If you are confused about positioning in marketing, how can you ever do that? Once you explain to your customers what you deal with, they may pay up the price as they know you deserve that much. 

7. Understanding the customer challenges

If you do not know what problem the customer faces, will you be able to help him? Absolutely not. When you proceed with positioning, you understand his concerns to a deeper level. This is followed by your attempt to offer something which offers them a respite. If the customer finds you as a problem solver, he would want to know more about the brand.

8. Increasing your relevance in your niche

Many brands fail because they refuse to sell themselves in one niche. But don’t you think claiming a big chunk of a smaller pie in the market is a better idea?

By positioning your brand, you can explore an untapped niche. This enhances the scope of your brand outshining and becoming the leader. Always remember that the higher your relevance to a customer, the higher will be the brand loyalty they show.

Types of positioning

Moving on, it is time to talk about the exact positioning process. You can position the brand based on multiple criteria. This includes all those factors which help you frame your marketing strategy. By effectively working on each of them, you may create an effective positioning in marketing strategy.

1. Pricing

Pricing is an essential consideration in the buying process. By marketing your brand on pricing, you can target a large number of customers. When it comes to choosing, a customer evaluates the pricing carefully. For example, no one would want to pay a massive amount for razors. Many a brand has lost out on market share as cheaper alternatives entered the market. 

Essentially you must offer a reasonably priced product at a decent quality. That contributes to making your product a better choice than others. For pricing-based positioning to succeed, you must find the price your customers don’t mind paying. Keeping your product price near around that benchmark helps.

2. Quality

Customers can go the extra mile for a high-quality item. This fact is especially true if you are selling them a luxury product. Paying an extra price is not an issue as long as you do not compromise the quality you offer. 

Will you choose an Audi over an average car brand if it does not maintain its quality? The answer is probably a no for all those customers who keep quality a priority.

By positioning in marketing based on quality, you have to convince the quality of your product is remarkable. This is not a problem as here you choose a statement that resonates with what your brand stands for. 

So, if you are a luxury cosmetic brand, you must highlight ingredients that make you unique. Whatever methodology you choose, Quality positioning can make you a clear leader.

3. Convenience

Convenience positioning is when you will offer the customers ways to make his life easy. For instance, if you are an e-commerce brand, “one-day delivery” and “free shipping” can add to your equity.  What more does any customer want? Getting the products delivered to their home without any delays is undoubtedly going to entice them. 

Earlier, you had to rush to banks to fulfill all your financial obligations. Banks realized this was irking the customers who already had their hands full with tasks. Now they offer mobile apps and phone-based banking for those who just cannot take out the time.  The same tasks now fulfilled from the convenience of home is a sure-shot crowd puller.

4. Customer service

A customer interacts with the brand at multiple levels. If he is not satisfied with this interaction, he may not want to come back again. Positioning in brand based on Customer service is helpful in industries like Hospitality and Banking. 

You just don’t believe in treating your customer as a king. You must work towards giving him that kind of experience.

A disgruntled customer means havoc for a brand in this online world. Focus on statements that trigger instant connectivity with your brand. 

A brand that patiently solves its customer’s issues 24*7 is a better bet than one which has fixed customer service hours, for a local brand being available at late hours helps in establishing a feeling of trust between customer and brand.

5. User group

Can you sell a baby product to an adult male? No, you cannot, and that is where you target your customer group through brand positioning. Find out a specific niche of people you will want to talk to. Now create your positioning, which is only focused on catering to their needs. Just by catering to a small set of customers, you increase your success probability manifold.

How to create an effective positioning strategy

Now let us focus our attention on setting up positioning in marketing strategy. We have already dealt with the criticality of having a solid positioning plan. Creating a strategy that can target all aspects requires time and attention. Here we will tell you all the steps that you must follow:

1. Creating a positioning statement

Your business needs to stand out amongst the rest. Hence it needs a brand identity that fulfills the same purpose effectively. Positioning in marketing statement is the same identification that all brands need. You have to showcase a quality through your positioning statement, which makes it different.

The positioning statement you choose will be how your customers perceive you. Mind you; these perceptions stay for a long time.

Furthermore, a wrong positioning statement could hamper your brand’s appeal massively. Ask the following questions if you are unable to find out a suitable positioning statement.

• Is your positioning statement able to create a unique image of your brand?
• Does it promote your USP suitably?
• Is it focused on the target customers and their problems?
• Can your customers understand what you are trying to say?
• Is your statement promising a real benefit?

If you are getting a Yes answer to all these questions, it means your positioning statement is accurate.

2. Add a Tagline

After you have decided on the positioning in marketing statement, what next? You will now have to work on getting a tagline. If chosen perfectly, your slogan becomes the identity of your brand. Customers are quick to remember that you are associated with the tagline. In most cases, they will believe that you can fulfill what you say in your tagline. For example:

• ‘Just, Do it’- Nike
• ‘There are some things money can’t buy; For everything else, there is Mastercard’- Master card
• BMW-The Ultimate Driving Machine
• De Beers- A Diamond is Forever

These taglines are etched in the consumer’s minds. Even after many years, the customer can identify the brand associated with the tagline. 

3. Analyzing your competitors

Do you want to know where you are lacking? Just have a look at what your competitors are doing. Just do a quick go through of the following parameters:

• Their market share and growth rate
• All their marketing efforts, engagement, messaging tactics
• Details of promotional campaigns and ads run
• Collaborations, social media, engagement with customers, etc.

Now that you know what they are up to, can’t you chalk out a unique statement of your own? 

4. Find your present situation

You have grasped the way your competitors operate. Now you have to compare it with your current situation. You can analyze your market share and compete for it. Again you will have to compare yourself on the parameters you used to analyze the competitors.

5. Explore your unique position

You have all the data at your disposal. Whether it is market understanding, audience and competition, you know everything. Start with thinking about what will make you different from the rest. Make your marketing plans and messages in tandem with this positioning. Doing that will show you as a player who is clear about what he says and does.

6. Positioning through Advertisements 

When you talk of positioning in marketing, Advertisements become the first platform to use. You have to be sure that your ads are sharing your USP clearly. For example, if you are in the luxury skincare segment. You will first have to identify your target audience. Next, create a need gap. In this case, we can talk about blemishes on the face. Create your advertisement content on the following parameters.

• Value statement- We reduce blemishes, share customer testimonials, and success stories
• Design- Use an influencer who is bright and resonates with the target audience
• Use of young models- An obvious connection they can feel with the models
• Comparison- How your cream is a solution to blemish removal, which other creams can’t do.

Remember that this positioning is suitable for your product. A beauty product targeted at wrinkle removal cannot use the same as its positioning statement.

7. Testing the marketing positioning

In the end, you should test the efficacy of your positioning in marketing campaign. Testing could be both qualitative and quantitative. Just use the typical research tactics to lay your hands on this valuable data.

The results of this campaign will benefit you manifold. First of all, you will get to know whether you are moving on the right track. If your message is strong, you can use it for other marketing efforts. Also, you could modify any mistakes made in this positioning. 

If at any time a brand feels it is losing out, it can always reposition its brand. To do that, you will have to conduct the same strategical process once again. Since you have past experience, you can now drop out of concepts that did not work. 

Some companies can also launch a new product to avoid the hassle of repositioning. That is also feasible as long as you have a clear idea of what your customers want. However, there is no sure shot guarantee of success here too.

Conclusion

A lot of sweat and toil goes behind making your brand a success. Creating a positioning statement for the brand is just one part of the same. No one can deny the importance of positioning in marketing efforts.

Furthermore, a demarcated USP reflects your brand in a positive light. The customers can associate with the premise of your brand. Once that happens, they can easily cover the journey of being a prospective customer to a loyal one.

Often companies tend to follow the same idea as their competitors. This will, however, reduce the exclusivity of your product. If there are already many players in a market, operating in a smaller niche proves to be helpful.

For any positioning to be successful, you will have to start early. It always takes a lot of time to set up a campaign and get the desired results. Wait patiently for the exact results to come. If nothing works still, then you might have to change your positioning statement. 

The post What is Positioning in Marketing? – Strategy with Benefits & Examples appeared first on Platform to Showcase Innovative Startups and Tech News.

However, for the smaller businesses, this idea is still quite far away. This is probably because they are yet to understand the importance of a brand ambassador. Earlier the brand ambassador was a celebrity who gave a sort of voice to the brand.

But times have changed since then. Nowadays, companies look at different possibilities before signing up one for their brand. Even ordinary people like you can become brand ambassadors. You must have sufficient followers on your social media handles. Apart from that, there are specific guidelines that you have to fulfill for each brand.

You might want to become a brand ambassador as it gives you high exposure. Plus, you get to choose your work timings.  If you are still unaware of the same, we tell you what brand ambassadors are and how they help a brand. 

Who are brand ambassadors?

A brand ambassador promotes the brand and its associated products. The aim behind doing so is to inform the customers about the brand. When the concept started, brand ambassadors were usually celebrities. 

The target audience believes what the celebrity says or does. It is this trust that celebrities used to their advantage.

But, nowadays, the idea of being a brand ambassador is changing. Companies want a more believable candidate convincing their customers. Therefore brand ambassadors could be ordinary people advocating for the brand’s qualities. 

The definition of brand ambassador therefore is:

A person that the company hires to show their brand in a positive light and promote is a brand ambassador. This promotional effort leads to an increase in brand awareness, and sales follow subsequently. 

A brand ambassador uses his established networks for marketing the brand. Apart from that, he may also represent the company at trade events. There he may demonstrate how the product works. Or give away samples to interested customers.

In situations where the products are sold business to business, the brand ambassador is the company’s employee. These days the employees promote their products on social media and other means. Since an employee knows best about the company, he proves to be somewhat effective.

Responsibilities of a brand ambassador 

Moving on, you should know what a brand ambassador’s responsibilities are.  A candidate tackling this job should be outspoken and driven. Plus, you must check that he has a significant social media presence and at least a medium-size network.

Apart from that, he should understand everything that your brand stands for. Since you would be sending him to events, he should have self-transport. Here we are telling you his responsibilities as such.

• He should represent your brand positively at various places 
• Help in the creation of content like product reviews and brochures 
• He must help in organizing events and promotions 
• Creation of brand awareness through Word of mouth 
• He should be an opinion leader in his network 
• Provide and share customer feedback on the brand’s image. 
• Promotion of the brand through his social media channels

Difference between brand ambassadors and influencers

It is usual for you to be confused between the job of a brand ambassador and an influencer. Before anything else, there is a stark difference between both. Let us have a look:

1. A brand ambassador promotes the brand through word of mouth. At the same time, the influencer uses the brand and shows that as an example to the target audience. 
2. The relationships with an influencer are relatively short-term. They promote your product once or twice, and the job is over. The brand ambassador will remain with your brand for a long. He has to promote the brand multiple times to maintain relations. 
3. Influencers promote in return for an incentive. You have to offer them monetary benefits to get engagement. But a brand ambassador may boost your product for free. This holds especially true if he is your employee. 
4. An influencer may not have used your product before this association. But your brand ambassador will have detailed information about the product’s functionality. 
5. Companies choose influencers based on their capacity to interact with customers. On the flip side, they chose a brand ambassador considering his loyalty to the brand. 
6. Brand ambassadors are committed to promote the brand. There is no such commitment expected from the influencer. He may or may not promote the brand. It is purely his choice. 
7. If you wish an influencer to promote, you must contact them with all the details. In contrast to this, a brand ambassador would have already promoted your product. When you add him to your brand ambassador program, the relationship becomes official.

Despite this, there are some similarities between influencers and brand ambassadors. Companies select them because of their authority. Both of them strive for a single goal that is the promotion of the brand. Creating and sharing content is a part of their job. Also, they have to indulge in promotion without appearing too sales-oriented. 

What is a brand ambassador program? 

Let us now tell you about the Brand ambassador program companies offer. Under it, the companies manage a working relationship with their ambassadors. These programs are supposed to work with other departments like sales and marketing.

Most companies select their ambassadors after careful discretion. The salaries they receive can vary depending on the brand. As per salary discussion boards, the average compensation you can get is between $20,000-$58,000 a year. Plus, the job offers a high level of flexibility.

If you are not operating on an hourly basis, you could get a 10-16$ rate. Certain companies provide commission for each customer the ambassador gets. The more referrals you get, the more your chances are of earning.

How can you become a brand ambassador?

Moving on further, we will tell you how you can become a brand ambassador. You must be capable of dealing with work deadlines. Initially, you will have to work a little harder. Once your credibility is established, your network will believe what you have to say. Follow the below steps to become a brand ambassador.

• Discover brands you are interested in

Your first step toward becoming an ambassador is to look for brands you could tie-up with. Companies want people who identify with their brand values. For example, if the brand is travel-based, they would like a person who enjoys traveling. Plus, you should have decent photography skills.

Have a look at the company’s social media handles. This will give you an idea of what the brand stands for. In case you have always supported the brand, it is easy for you to make a choice. A dedicated follower gets a preference while choosing brand ambassador candidates.

• Building engagement

Getting likes on your posts is your first step towards building engagement. You have to write engaging posts that fulfill the need gap of your customers. While sharing on social media, do not forget to converse with your followers. 

The comments you receive on your posts are a reflection of your credibility. Reply to them and solve any queries that customer has. If your customers reshare your blogs on their handles, you will get more exposure.

As an ambassador, your focus should be on making the brand exciting. Customers love to share their opinions online. You must ensure the feedback they offer is communicated to the brand.

• Create a robust online personality

Most brand ambassadors have to work hard on developing an online personality. You will also have to work on that. Initially, you must start with creating content that your audience understands. If you are endorsing a fashion brand, ensure your page reflects the style.

Obviously, if you do not match the companies taste, they will not choose you. Use visually enticing images that subtly present the brand identity.

• Involve the audience

Invite the followers to offer their opinion. They can ask questions, share their comments and build a rapport with you. If you have a network of friends, get them together for a meet-up. Let them know about the brand and ask for their feedback.

By keeping an interactive touch, your chances of getting more followers increase. Even the existing followers would willingly discuss your association with the brand further.

• Build a following

Next, you will have to create a large following for your brand. Increase the number of subscribers you have at present. Ask the loyal followers to discuss your brand association with others. This might get you those followers who are out of reach at present.

At this point, you can reply to other influencers’ comments. These influencers have their own followers’ base. Suppose they see that you are knowledgeable about the brand they would want to join. As we mentioned before, the more followers, the greater is the earning potential for brand ambassadors.

• Start contacting brands 

Your basic footwork is complete. Start by reaching out to brands you can join. Once you start contacting, you will get some clarity. You can identify which companies are looking out for ambassadors. 

Also, you can get to know what is the level of involvement they expect. You could contact the relevant brand through their social media pages. Or prepare a detailed email and send that across. If the brand is interested, they will surely get back to you.

When sending an email, mention your education and professional credentials. You can also share any past work you have done on similar lines. In case you do not receive a response, do not lose heart. Try applying somewhere else, as some brands tend to be exclusive.

You can also contact the brand representatives at events. That is if any such event is happening near you. A lot of brands use such events for networking and choosing brand ambassadors.

• Keep looking for opportunities 

Moving on, do not restrict yourself to one brand only. Most companies use unofficial methods to choose a brand ambassador. But there are a few who keep it as a job on job boards. Keep researching and such job openings. Going through the relevant channel increases your chances of selection.

If you know which brand to reach out to, you may visit their website. Sometimes such jobs are posted on their website separately. Apart from that, you could also contact people who are already doing this job. Such people tend to know if there are any more openings. In fact, they might just help you with the application process.

Some popular Brand Ambassador programs 

In the end, we will share some Brand Ambassador programs that are pretty popular. The companies we are mentioning do not just use employees to promote them. They want someone from the customer base to endorse them. This increases your chances of getting picked.

Patagonia

Patagonia deals with adventure clothing. For their promotion, they choose Instagram celebrities. You will see these people sharing pictures of their travel escapades. Travel is a visually exciting field. These Brand ambassadors show how they use Patagonia gear for their journey.

Dell

Dell decided to utilize its employees as its spokespersons. They also reached out to their channel partners. Most of these people had a substantial social media following. The company activated around 10,000 employees to do this job. Since the employees are using the product, they can vouch for its credibility.

Lululemon

Brand ambassadors of Lululemon write content for the brand. Plus, they host free events at stores and model the clothes on their website. Most of these people are average. Seeing them use the clothes inspires the followers to associate with the brand. 

Coupa

Coupa is a software company, and they also chose their employees. Since their employees used the products, they amply shared their experience. This focussed approach got Coupa the audience following they were looking for.

Lyft

Lyft is a popular cab service. It is one of those companies which pays its Brand ambassadors on a commission basis. Each referral that the person gets entitles him to a $10 commission. Also, if you get a driver referral, the commission increases to $750. 

Lyft’s brand ambassadors are different from regular ones. The company offers other chances to earn through the events. By participating, you get hourly rates that are separate from the commission. The ambassador can choose his hours of work. Someone who wants to work in marketing later will find this as a lucrative opportunity.

Adobe

Adobe realized that customers wanted something different. They decided to move away from the traditional marketing ways. It introduced a program called ‘social shift.’ The employees were now representing the brand on their social media platforms. The company also introduced a blog named ‘Adobe Life.’  The aim is to engage with the customers on a more personal level.

One Tribe

The brand here is bohemian in nature. Their collection comprises tops, jewelry, pants, and dresses. In fact, they create collections that represent a particular theme. If you become their brand ambassador, they will give you a custom code. You have to share this code with your network. In return, you get a 25% commission each time someone uses your code.

Pura Vida

It is possible you would want to associate with a social cause. Pura Vida creates exotic bracelets and donates the sales proceeds. So far, they have donated nearly 1.5 million dollars. You can also join this cause. To become an ambassador, you should be above 18 years. Also, being active on Facebook and Instagram is necessary.

Trendy and Tipsy

This brand sells jackets, dresses, and vintage apparel. The company propagates the Trendy Girl gang program. You must be active on Instagram and comfortable with creating content. As an ambassador, you will get prominence on their social media pages. You will get a 15% discount for yourself and other family members.  Also, you will get credits each time someone uses that 15% code. 

The SkinCare boutique

The brand has everything related to skincare. They even give virtual consultations if you are not sure what to pick. To be their ambassador, you must understand their product range. You will have to post one picture every week on your social media handle. Manage the brand and endorse it respectfully. Also, you will have to share the discount code with your friends and family.

Evy’s Tree

This company is into women’s hoodies. They are looking for women who maintain similar values as their brand. The requirement is to have at least 5000 followers on all social media platforms. You will have to spread the word about their products. Using high-value photos is a must. 

Conclusion

Brands looking for ambassadors have only their growth in mind. Nowadays, customers want to be close to their brands. An ambassador is a stepping stone to learning what that brand portrays. It is also an upcoming career choice as there is flexibility associated with it. But you should finish all the work before entering the field. This increases your scope of performing well without any obstacles.

The post Brand Ambassador- All That You Wanted To Know appeared first on Platform to Showcase Innovative Startups and Tech News.