C’mon, Take a Position Already!

Decades ago, I worked for a technology company that at the time was both an envied market leader and a Wall Street darling. Required reading for one of the marketing departments was a book titled Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind. That subtitle is a bit misleading, because the book’s aim wasn’t so much about doing battle as it was, in its publisher’s words, “communicating in an overcommunicated society” -- through, well, positioning.

I reference that book only because its principles – what it both advocates for and cautions against -- are every bit as relevant today as they were when it was first published in the ‘80s. Why? Because while the concept positioning is by no means new, it’s maddeningly overlooked today. And in an “overcommunicated society” that’s absolutely perplexing.

The metaphor I like for market positioning is putting a stake in the ground. That is, to present a subject -- whether a company, a product, a person, or even just an idea -- in such a way an audience can quickly grasp its relative importance, leaving no doubt as to how it compares to its competition and is set apart in how it reaches its objective. In other words, stand out from the crowd, sans ambiguity.

Following the “rules” of positioning has served me well over the years, as it has, by extension, my various employers and clients. More on that later, but for now….

Think superlatives! In placing that stake in the ground, it’s not enough to simply list a product’s selling features (“speeds and feeds” anyone?) or boldly proclaim a company the “industry leader.” Proper positioning requires context, something an audience can sink its teeth into with verifiable supporting data that pass the “est test”: highest/lowest, broadest/narrowest, easiest, safest and, well, pick your favorite adjectives ending in those three magical letters.

The key here is to be able to confidently make a statement that 1) clearly distinguishes what's being marketed and 2) is supportable through accepted metrics.

Take for example the site you’re on right now. LinkedIn bills itself as “the world's largest professional network with 756 million members.” Now, if the content writer had left out that impressive number of members, a reasonable reaction would be a shrugged “Mehh.” But with it, LinkedIn clearly asserts – and supports -- its front-of-the-pack position in online business networking. Oh, and while we’re at it, when Microsoft acquired LinkedIn, that $26 billion price tag was at the time the most the software giant had ever laid out for an acquisition. The hefty purchase price highlighted Microsoft’s deep pockets, of course, but that “most” superlative also served to distinguish both companies in a commitment to their customers, employees and shareholders of a shared mission.

Back to that former employer mentioned above. Thanks to its number-one market position, it was able to recruit some fantastic talent. Yet, it amazed me then just as it does now how some of those very smart, experienced marketing people demonstrated, at best, a casual attitude toward positioning. Mine is a comparatively modest bachelor’s degree, however time and again I found myself educating MBAs, many from prestigious business schools, on what constitutes effective positioning.

“A stake in the ground!” I’d demand. (Okay, I’d strongly suggest -- hey, I’m not the one with the MBA). I’d follow with “How does this play in our market compared to what competitors have? And how do we make our position as defined, succinct and understandable as possible?” After considerable examination, reexamination and ample sighs of exasperation, we’d eventually identify, refine and finalize the needed positioning, in the process pounding that stake into the ground, with vigor!

In writing and editing, as I do, for tech companies' marketing communications departments (press releases, contributed articles, blog posts, datasheets, and occasionally even ad copy) positioning isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s essential. Without it, a claim is merely a string of words.

To be clear, positioning isn’t just about passing the “est test.” It has to be presented with context – that is, in relation to all the other claims clamoring for attention. It’s one thing if you’re the fastest 50-meter swimmer in your local swim club, but you’ll be in far more select company if you take gold at the Olympics. Need another example? Okay, say Consumer Reports writes that the latest Accord is Honda’s safest midsize car, but in the same issue the magazine anoints the Volvo S90 as the safest of all cars in that category. Which of the two safety ratings will get more of your car-buying consideration? (Don’t write me hate mail, Accord owners; that was hypothetical.)

It doesn’t have to be established (a company) or tangible (a product) to require positioning. Even their seedlings demand the “est test.” Imagine an enterprising soul with an entrepreneurial spirit but little sense of market positioning approaching a potential investor with an idea for a startup:

Investor: “So, what’s your idea for this startup?”

Enterprising soul: “To make essentially what three other existing companies already have on the market, with nothing to distinguish mine from theirs.”

Investor: “Uh, yeah. Okay, thanks. Just hand your guest badge to the receptionist on the way out.”

The business landscape is littered with the refuse of companies, products and, yes, ideas for which positioning was neglected. I guess you could say that on their path to being unremarkable, they took the fastest route. (Sorry, couldn’t resist!)

What about you, fellow LinkedIn-ers? What’s been your experience getting that essential stake hammered into the ground? Let me know. The best reply gets a free steak dinner (not really!).

© 2021 Me, the author.