Six success factors for corporate positioning

COMPANY Positioning is at the heart of every brand strategy. But how can this be done successfully? Bastian Schneider, Strategy Director at Brand Leadership Circle, gives six tips.By Bastian SchneiderIn today's dynamic world, positioning is an indispensable means of developing a company with determination towards a successful future. But how does a company find its position in the future world? And how can it be sure that it has filtered out exactly the right positioning from the often many alternatives? A good positioning should fulfill the following three requirements:

A. CharacteristicEvery company should be aware of its strengths and emphasize them. These can be hidden at the most diverse levels and in all departments: from innovative production techniques to specific quality processes or a unique entrepreneurial attitude through to a completely unique corporate culture. In addition, only that which has real substance, is difficult to copy and can be used in the company in the long term should count.B. RelevantGood positioning is relevant for the customer. Every company should therefore know their needs and develop a good understanding of their customers. The highly competitive nature of today's market environment has meant that customers have become accustomed to a wide variety of products, low prices and faster innovation cycles. Remaining relevant to customers in new ways over time is an immense challenge. This is why a company needs to be close to the market and yet open to the future in order to be able to develop into tomorrow's markets and areas of need with sufficient speed.C. DifferentiatingTo stand out, you have to be different. That is why every company should work on its special features. This should include a self-critical assessment of the areas in which the company is similar to the competition. Knowing what competitors stand for and how they present themselves on the market is essential in order to understand which characteristics make your own company unique.

Six success factors from practice

With these three requirements in mind, you are already well equipped to go in search of your own positioning. The following success factors have also proven to be helpful in practice:1. deal with yourselfIt is crucial that you start by taking a serious look at the many facets of your own company; in other words, that you carry out a thorough analysis of the substance of your own strengths and special features. This step is often neglected. It is all too easy to start looking at the market, the competition and the customers. Limiting yourself to your own company beforehand requires a certain amount of willpower, perseverance and tenacity. But it is worth it. The information obtained here always forms the basis for the successful development of a positioning.2. structured processNobody positions a company overnight. And even a single workshop on the topic cannot seriously fulfill this task. Rather, a clearly structured process is needed in which information is collected, condensed step by step in a targeted manner and processed into possible scenarios. This approach prevents emotional snap decisions and promotes a discussion that leads efficiently and purposefully to the clarification of one's own position.3. involvement of the decision-makersWorking on your own positioning means working on the open heart of the company. It is better for one department not to do this alone. Positioning concerns all areas and departments, because in the end everyone will have to play their part in implementing the new target image. It is therefore all the more important that a positioning is broadly supported, that all relevant decision-makers are involved at an early stage and have the opportunity to actively shape the future themselves.4. will to radically focusWhen it comes to defining the one positioning point, no compromises can be made. After all, if you try to please everyone when positioning your company, you will inevitably end up with an unspecific mixture that lacks traction. The basic prerequisite for strong positioning is therefore to say "no" to a great many, quite attractive possibilities and to commit uncompromisingly to one point.5. courage to find a solution The self-image of an industry has a dangerous pull effect that we should be aware of. It subliminally ensures that competitors basically perceive themselves as "the same" and only look for differentiation in superficialities. You should therefore be wary of all typical industry concepts. You should develop the courage to develop a completely new, unique view of the business context. The result will be authentic messages in communication and a clearly differentiating presence.6. have a clear thoughtA simple but powerful idea that gets to the heart of a company's purpose and goal has a much stronger impact than an elaborately derived, highly complex brand model that uses countless adjectives to try and describe something that ultimately cannot really be grasped. In our experience, models hardly guide action and usually provide little orientation. However, a simple, clear idea that is understandable to everyone and can be implemented immediately in everyday working life has an impact.