L14-Marketing Management
L14-Marketing Management
L14-Marketing Management
Crafting Brand
Positioning
Lecture by Dr.Rao Anees
A good positioning has one foot in the present and one in the
future
CHOOSING COMPETITIVE 04
FRAME OF REFRENCE
The competitive frame of reference
defines which other brands a brand competes with
and which should thus bethe focus of competitive
analysis. Decisions about the competitive frame of
reference are closely linked to targetmarket
decisions. Deciding to target a certain type of
consumer can define the nature of competition
because cer-tain firms have decided to target that
segment in the past (or plan to do so in the future) or
because consumers inthat segment may already look
to certain products or brands in their purchase
decisions.
06
IDENTIFYING
COMPETITORS
An industry is a group of firms offering a
A good starting point in defining a
product or class of products that are close
competitive frame of reference forbrand substitutes for one another.Marketers classify
positioning is category membership industries according to several different factors,
—the products or sets of products with which such as the number of sellers;degree of product
a brand competes andthat function as close differentiation; presence or absence of entry,
substitutes. It would seem a simple task for a mobility, and exit barriers; coststructure; degree
company to identify its competitors. of vertical integration; and degree of
PepsiCoknows Coca-Cola’s Dasani is a major globalization
bottled-water competitor for its Aquafina
brand
Once marketers have fixed the competitive frame of reference for
positioning by defining the customertarget market and the nature
ANALYZING 08
Points-of-difference (PODs)
are attributes or benefits that consumers strongly associate with a
brand, positively evaluate, and believe they could not find to the
same extent with a competitive brand.
Category points-of-parity: These are attributes or benefits that consumers view as essential to a legitimate and
credibleoffering within a certain product or service category. In other words, they represent necessary—but not sufficient
—conditions for brand choice. Consumers might not consider a travel agency truly a travel agency unless it is able tomake
air and hotel reservations, provide advice about leisure packages, and offer various ticket payment and deliveryoptions.
Category points-of-parity may change over time due to technological advances, legal developments, or consumer trends,
but to use a golfing analogy, they are the “greens fees” necessary to play the marketing game.
Correlational points-of-parity
are potentially negative associations that arise from the existence of positive associa-tions for the brand. One challenge
for marketers is that many attributes or benefits that make up their POPs or PODs are inversely related. In other words, if
your brand is good at one thing, such as being inexpensive, consumers can’t see
it as also good at something else, like being “of the highest quality.” Consumer research into the trade-offs consumers
make in their purchasing decisions can be informative here. Below, we consider strategies to address these trade-offs.
Competitive points-of-parity
are associations designed to overcome perceived weaknesses of the brand in lightof competitors’ points-of-difference.
One good way to uncover key competitive points-of-parity is to role-playcompetitors’ positioning and infer their intended
points-of-difference. Competitor’s PODs will, in turn, suggest thebrand’s POPs
Brand Mantras
is a three- to five-word articulation of the heart and soul of
the brand and is closely related to other branding concepts like “brand essence” and “core
brand promise.” Its purpose is to ensure that all employees
within the organization and all external marketing partners understandwhat the brand is most
fundamentally to represent with consumers so theycan adjust their actions accordingly