Product Positioning Definition | Types of Product Positioning Strategies

Product Positioning Definition | Types of Product Positioning Strategies

June 8, 2016 by zkjadoon

Before moving towards the different types of product positioning and product positioning strategies, it is important to know the product positioning definition or what is product positioning? Product positioning can be defined as the position or place a product resides in the consumer’s mind with respect to the competing product. It is a process used by marketers to determine the best possible way to promote the product attributes to the target market according to the customer needs and wants, competitive structures and advertising media. The survival of the product in the market requires a sustainable competitive advantage and a unique selling proposition. Creating an identification of the product in the market is simply called product positioning. Below are the various types of product positioning strategies. 

Product Positioning Strategies

The tried and tested Product Positioning Strategies are listed below. As an entrepreneurs and a business student, you must well familiar with all of them.

Competition Strategies





Reducing Competition Strategies





Product benefits strategies





Product Attributes strategies





Product Categories





Usage Occasions Approach





Pricing Approach





Users Approach



The manufactures design and choose the Product Positioning Strategies according to the manufactured products and the unique features of that product. Choosing the right strategy for the product is crucial for the brand Success.

Competition Strategies



These Product Positioning Strategies requires a unique or a superior product attribute in regard to a competing product. Positioning a Product against the Competitors product requires a claim of superiority. A very good example to understand this concept is of Avis Rental Cars. The superiority claim was, “We are number two. We try harder”

Reducing Competition Strategies



This concept of Product Positioning Strategies can help to differentiate a product in the dominant market of an already well established brand.

Product Benefits Strategies



In these Product Positioning Strategies the company focuses on defining and communicating the product benefit, unique features that the product offers to the targeted customers. In this strategy the companies emphasizes on the various product benefits.  The product features include durability, availability, economy or reliability can be illustrated in this type of product positioning.

Product Attributes Strategies



Positioning a product based upon a specific attribute can also be compelling to the targeted audience.

Product Categories



Positioning your product by differentiating it from other product based upon a category is a very effective way to resonate the key message in the targeted audience.  A product can be positioned along two or more characteristics in the same time.

Usage Occasions Approach



This concept is used when marketers positioned there product based upon the usage situation of the product by the tarred audience. These types of Product Positioning Strategies is done intentionally to expand the market for a particular brand. Introducing new and different uses of the same product will automatically expand the horizons for the product, increase the market share and will lead more sales.

Pricing Approach



Using the price and quality approach to position a product can ensure easy sales of a product. In this concept the marketers play with human perception and the thinking of associating quality with price. The customer often perceives that there is direct relation in quality and price i.e. the higher the price the greater the quality of the product. The Marketers use this Price – quality approach to position the products and can easily charge higher margins of profits.

Users Approach



Another interesting form of product positioning strategies is to focus on the specific characteristics of the users of the product. In this case the makers of a specific brand use a personality or a model to effectively influencing the product image in the minds of the consumer. This type of positioning resulted in an increased market share.

Learn About: Distribution Channels Definition | Types of Distribution Channels

Product Positioning Attributes

Companies can position the product based upon its attributes. Some of the product attributes are mentioned bellow:

accessibility





durability





reliability





reparability





Good quality





The lowest price





Highest-end luxury





Exclusivity





Comfort





Design





Ease





Affordability



Effective positioning defines how strongly the key message resonates with the customers and what compelling positing it holds in the mind of the consumer. The stronger the Product Positioning will ensure the effectiveness of the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) strategy. The Brand Repute is strongly influenced by the effective product positioning consumers mind.  A well-positioned product has the tendency to accommodate the consumer needs, offers differentiating features to its users in regard to its competitors.

What Target Market Thinks about a Product?

Product positioning answers the question “what comes to mind when your target market thinks about the manufactured product in comparison with the competing product?”

The most crucial ingredient in the over overall Marketing plan in effective product Positioning. Creating and influencing the market perception about the Brand is of utmost importance. Concise, Meaningful and Clear Product Positioning help you to beat the competition, winning the Loyal Customers and to generate Brand equity.

Objectives and Goals

The effective product positioning must achieve the following objectives.

Differentiate the Manufactured from the competing products





Identifying Customer Buying Preference





Define and articulate key product attributes



The objectives of Product Positioning must fulfill the following criteria:

Purposeful and should convey the Primary message





Meaningful and should attracts the targeted audience





Have capability to differentiate the strengths of the product against the competitors





Should be enough significant for large targeted audience





Should resonate with the customers





Should be believable for the targeted audience





Should be clearly substantiate your claims



 http://www.businessstudynotes.com/marketing/types-of-product-positioning-strategies/