Understanding Product Positioning

They define positioning as ”

an organized system for finding a window in the mind. It is based on the concept that communication can only take place at the right time and under the right circumstances” According to them “Positioning starts with the product, but positioning is not what you do to the products. Positioning is what you do to the mind of the prospect”

In other words by “Positioning” marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of their target market for its product, brand, or organization in contrast with the competing products/ brands and organizations. The positioning strategy has a crucial impact on the marketing success of a company.
Anything that makes a brand or product unique is positioning. There are different possibilities of positioning. Some companies use some attribute or benefit of the product. This is called attribute positioning. Some examples of attribution positioning are Volvo (safety) , Dettol (Hygiene), Fairness (Fair & Lovely), Tough Shoes (Woodland) etc.
Quality or price positioning refers to product positioning as the best value for money. Competitive Positioning is when a comparison is highlighted with the competitor. Product category positioning refers to the positioning of a product belonging to a particular category.
Some companies use unique taglines for better brand positioning. For example “Jeete raho…….. “ (ICICI-Prudential) , Jindagi ke saath bhi Jindagi Ke Baad bhi (LIC) , Thanda Matlab ….. (Coca Cola), Just do it (Nike) , Hum Hai na…”(ICICI Bank), Pure banking Nothing Else (SBI) all these taglines have a great brand recall value.
Product positioning is closely related to market segment focus. Product positioning involves creating a unique, consistent, and recognized customer perception about a firm’s offering and image. A product or service may be positioned on the basis of an attitude or benefit, use or application, user, class, price, or level of quality. It targets a product for specific market segments and product needs at specific prices. The same product can be positioned in many different ways.

Positioning is a process to create an image or identity in the minds of their target market. Positioning is the brand identity & value proposition in a perspective customer’s mind. Positioning demonstrates an advantage over competing brands

The following presentation from GKToday is dedicated to Positioning:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC3V_PsdRoY]