The ABCs of Positioning Every Brand-Builder Needs to Know

December 17, 2024

Ask anyone to think of a famous brand and they’ll rattle off its most memorable characteristics.

Coca-cola red, the Target bullseye, the ba-da-da-da-da music of McDonald’s.

But brand-builders know that these cues to recognition – while absolutely critical to success – are only the tip of the iceberg. Below the surface of every brilliant brand lies a richly developed brand strategy, of which brand positioning is an essential component.

Positioning, defined.

We use the word a lot, but what exactly is it? Marketing legend Phillip Kotler offers a definition that has stood the test of time: “The act of designing a company’s offering and image to occupy a distinctive place in the mind of the target market.” Put more simply, brand positioning is the exercise of getting crystal clear on precisely what you stand for – and why your audience will care.

A quick Google search will reveal dozens of brand positioning forms and templates. But whether you’re building a brand ladder, creating a brand pyramid, populating a brand house or growing a brand tree, the template is not what matters.

Great positioning — regardless of tactical format — stems from thoughtfully interrogating every dimension of your business that impacts consumer perception.

We call these dimensions the ABCs.

The ABCs of Brand Positioning

Audience: A deep understanding of the target market you aspire to reach
Benefit: The functional advantage your brand and products provide
Context: The relevant category, competitive & cultural dynamics that surround your brand
Distinctiveness: What makes your brand unique
Emotional Resonance: Your ability to tap into consumers’ feelings
Factual Proof: Hard evidence that your brand can provide its promised benefits

So how well do you know your ABCs?

If you’re like most brand owners, once you scratch the surface, the picture might not be so clear.

Our downloadable guide digs into each dimension, with Do’s and Don’ts to help you push past assumptions and reach a deeper, more actionable understanding of your brand.

Why it Matters: Strategic Positioning Elevates a Brand Inside & Out

Of course consumer impact is the reason we build brands. But it’s a mistake to think of positioning as “just” a marketing exercise. The best positioning work drives clarity, understanding and inspiration for consumers and brand owners alike.

When Papi Cuisine first came to BRANDED to help launch their CPG line, they identified “the flavors of Afro-Latin fusion” as the heart of their brand.

Inspired by their chef-founder’s life story, this proposed approach brought distinctiveness and authenticity. Yet as the vision for an expanded product portfolio came into focus, it quickly became clear that Afro-Latin fusion as a core brand idea might also be a limiter.

To find a stronger path forward, we turned to the ABCs. By examining the needs and desires of the intended audience, the context of trend and market dynamics and the inherent emotional resonance of food and cooking, we unlocked a much more expansive (and no less authentic) brand truth: sparking unlimited creativity in the kitchen.

What began as a niche idea evolved to become a powerful brand platform under the tagline “Light Your Fire”, positioned for broad appeal across the entire foodie market, with expansion potential even beyond CPG.

Why it Matters: Rigorous Positioning Unlocks Out-of-the-Box Innovation

In a category that’s all about the latest tech features, how can a new brand truly stand out? By understanding its consumer to their core. That’s the story behind CANDY CON, the GameStop-backed brand that lit up the world of gaming controllers in delicious technicolor.

When GameStop approached BRANDED to help them develop a brand of customizable controllers, we immersed ourselves in the gaming universe to understand the diverse consumer mindsets behind the booming industry. We discovered that while hardcore solo competitive gamers and streamers may seem an obvious target, an adjacent — yet underserved — audience holds even more promise.

Our research revealed a large and growing community of casual “couch gamers” who play not just for the adrenaline rush of the onscreen action, but for the lively escapist camaraderie that surrounds the shared, in-person gaming experience. In other words, the “ABC” basics of audience, context and emotional resonance once again opened the door to a powerful brand idea.

Anchored in the brand truth of “for the fun of it”, we took inspiration from the joyful instant gratification of pick-and-mix candy — and the CANDY CON brand was born. By tapping into an underserved subsection of the gaming audience with a lighthearted spirit of play, it became the most successful and buzzworthy new controller launch ever at GameStop, with sell-out performance across the US and Canada and 100,000+ comments and reviews across social media.

Why it Matters: Clear Positioning Drives Breakthrough Creative

When Waterfront Logistics approached BRANDED to develop their B2B brand strategy and identity, they had many strengths already in place: passionate founders with decades of expertise, a strong foundation of operational and tech excellence, and an expansive 10-year company vision. Yet in a competitive sector where logistics services are often seen as a commodity, standing out from the field is a challenge.

Driven by the mandate to give Waterfront a public face as powerful and dynamic as its internal team, we knew our work had to begin with a deep understanding of the organization’s authentic backstory. Our strategy team leaned into the ABCs with particular attention to context, benefit and factual proof, revealing a distinctive brand ethos of “grit & wit” that captures and amplifies the founders’ spirit.

Anchored in the tagline “We Move It Like We Own It,” our creative team established a visual identity that completely reimagines what brand excellence looks like in the logistics sector. While category norms lean toward the predictable extremes of old-school tradition and futuristic tech, Waterfront makes its mark as a leader with a modern, refined visual presence and refreshingly direct voice.

Partner with BRANDED to Learn Your ABCs and Position Your Winning Brand

At BRANDED, we recognize that while every brand challenge is unique, the path to Bright Ideas and Brilliant Execution always begins with the ABCs of positioning.

Connect with us to learn more about what this can mean for your business.

Positioning Pitfalls: The Do’s and Don’ts of Defining Your Brand

Positioning Pitfalls:

The Do’s and Don’ts of Defining Your Brand