Think about the way in which people would describe certain brands. For Volvo that one thing is "Safety." McDonalds is "A fun place for kids." In Jakarta, Indonesia, Bluebird is "The safest way to travel by taxi." And everyone knows, Avis tries harder.

The first step is to identify one specific attribute that sets the company, product, service or brand apart from competitors. Just because a competitor could possibly say the same thing doesn't mean you should not use it. The first to plant their flag claims the mountain.

While positioning is how you want to be known, it must reflect reality. How the company really is known. Or how it can believably be known.

• Example: Avis conducted research that heard employees saying, "We have to try harder because we're so much smaller."
• Example: The way people really think about the 7-11 store on the corner is "Convenient, but more expensive."
•  
• So you might position them with a slogan that says, "Worth the convenience." You could even build a campaign around that idea, "Worth the convenience." Your positioning statement should reflect the way people really think -- using simple language real people use every day.

How do you position?

1. Make a list of all significant competitors and write a sentence defining their position in the market.

2. Next define the current position of your company, product or service, as it really exists in the minds of consumers.

3. Now identify a specific attribute about your product that can differentiate it from the competition in a way that some consumers will find desirable. (Don’t write just one, come up with several, then pick the best, and if one doesn’t stand out as best, then test several.)

It's fine if that one thing only appeals to a segment, even a small segment, of your customers. It's better to be specific than general. And you can amplify other attributes in your marketing campaigns. Don't try to be all things to all people.

Your positioning must be simple. A word or two is great. A sentence or two is more than enough.

If your positioning is obvious, that's fine. If the company is the global leader in widget production, say so. People like to go with number one, thinking it must be the best value.

Remember to express the position in a way that people really think.

For example:
Forget anything like, "The innovative leader in banking services, financial products and convenient technology." In reality, people don’t look for a service provider thinking I must find the most innovative. Therefore they will not remember a phrase like this.
Keep it simple and keep it succinct. Remember to ask yourself these questions:

• Is it true?
• Is it easy to understand?
• Does it differentiate the product in an attractive manner from the competition?
• Is it expressed the way people will express it in their own minds, their own words?

Avoid generalities and be tangible and vivid. Be specific.

You should present the same position all the time. The "safety" position for Volvo is a perfect example. Don't stray from that one core idea unless your position has become stale or outmoded. This can happen in fast changing industries.

There are two realities to consider in positioning. One is where you or the client wants to position the product. And the other is how the buying public actually positions the product in their minds.

If it's a new product, or if consumers don’t have a clear position in their minds, then you have a clean slate to work with. However, if people in the target audience already have a position in their minds, and it's not a desirable position, then you need to re-position the product.

If you can't create a strong tag line or slogan, don’t use a weak one. It just adds clutter to your communication and speaks poorly for your brand. You don’t have to just because "everyone else does it."

Be sure to allow flexibility in international campaigns. When translated directly into Korean, the KFC positioning slogan, "Finger licking good" came out "You'll eat your fingers off." Not an appetising prospect in any country.

In international campaigns, verbal ideas do not translate as well, or as quickly, as visual ideas. Speaking of which, a nice trick is to create a visual way to express your position, in the form of an icon or a logo.

Maxwell House coffee uses a tilted coffee cup with one last drop of coffee falling out. Their line, "Good to the last drop."

The biggest obstacles you will encounter attempting to effectively position the product is the desire to generalise, complicate, and change.

You'll hear clients say, "Yes, but our toothpaste does fight cavities and it does brighten teeth and it does keep your breath fresh and it does help prevent gum disease. It does all those things." However, if you try to position your product that way you will be none of those things. That's because people don't think that way. Just like you, they position products with one idea and if the position is confusing, with no idea. So brighten smiles, or freshen breath or keep gums healthy. But don't try to do all three at the same time.

When and if you have a strong position, don’t change it. It takes courage to admit, "I don't have a better idea." And every new agency, every new marcom or brand manager feels they have to improve on what has been done before.

However, your job is to do the best you can to advertise the product or service. And if that means keeping that simple, obvious position that has worked so well in the past, then do so.

The most successful positioning statements are simple to understand and repeated year after year after year.
People remember with repetition.
People remember with repetition.

The idea of "positioning" was championed by Jack Trout and Al Ries, originally in an article in the Harvard Business Review, and later in two books.

But "positioning" is the evolution of an idea first defined by Rosser Reeves, which you may know as the USP, or Unique Selling Proposition.

Positioning is one of, and perhaps the most important aspects of a marketing plan. How you present the position can be anything from a simple tag line to an entire campaign.

Think of three competitor companies in any business, and one short impression or definition will spring to mind. That's their 'position.' What’s yours?

Author Julia Payne is co-founder of Incisive Edge [solutions] www.incisive-edge.com, leaders in creating sustainable competitive advantage for business. Contact them on growth@incisive-edge.com or call 0800 433 4044