A Simple Test for Positioning

There are lots of books and articles written about positioning.  One of the classics is Positioning:The Battle for Your Mind by Trout and Reis.  Good marketers should be students of all of the great ideas that have been developed around the idea of positioning. 

If you don't have time to do that homework, there's a little secret you should know.  Effective positioning comes down to how your product or service rates on two important dimensions on a matrix:  uniqueness and relevance.  If you're totally unique with a relevant benefit for your target audience ... you're definitely a star.  If you're neither, your product is a dog (apologies to the pet lovers out there). 

Many products fit into the other two cells of the matrix: 

Relevant but not unique:  When Hawaii was trying to position itself as a sun-sand-surf travel destination, that's a benefit that is very relevant ... but not very unique.  So, based on that position, prospective travelers are tempted to choose the best deal among other sun-sand-surf destinations (like Mexico or the Caribbean).  When the position changed to include the idea of "aloha," the destination possessed a unique element that others couldn't copy. 

Unique but not relevant:  When I teach marketing I tell the story of an appliance manufacturer who made a refrigerator with a glass door.  Unique, yes.  But who wants to see the mess inside your refrigerator?? 

So if you have time, do your homework on positioning.  If you're short on time, at least do a critical assessment to see how unique and relevant your product or service is relative to the competition.