Being in the right position

It’s fair to say that what the G-Spot is to a man, positioning is to most business. We all know it exists but how come there are so many people that just don’t hit the mark?

I think everyone in the office would agree, that positioning is without a doubt the most difficult aspect of marketing to get your head around. We encounter the issue on almost a daily basis and it’s easily the most difficult to explain…but here goes.

At first it sounds pretty easy. Positioning is the position you place yourself within the market, in the mind of the consumer.

Simple right…well, yes but no.

How do you do that? How do you actually create yourself in the mind of the consumer? You see this is the big issue.

Part of the core philosophy of Jack in the box, lies in what we term as the marketing wheel. It’s the basis of what we term as ‘wholistic marketing’. Each stage of the wheel is vital to the overall strategy of the business. Positioning is one step within the wheel. Importantly though, it comes after researching consumer needs and the market environment, and the development of the product (not necessarily product in terms of a physical saleable item but what the business has to offer). Once these areas are defined we examine and decide on the positioning.

Everything else comes after this. Branding, promotion, advertising etc. It all has to focus back on the positioning.

The best way to describe positioning is:

” the way your image speaks to people“.

It’s one of the most integral aspects of branding, and something we spend a lot of time on. Ensuring that your brand speaks the right language to the right people is the very foundation of everything else you build upon it.

From your business card all the way to your national campaign and everywhere in between.

This is probably the best example of wholistic marketing and the real benefit of having strategists and creatives working in harmony. It ensures that everything you do is gaining the maximum benefit every time. Great creative is just great creative without this important background.

So don’t be a bad lover, purchase our newly formulated nasal spray…oh sorry, wrong product!

If your positioning is just missionary and it’s not hitting the spot, then perhaps it’s time to think about how you can add some spice back into your business in 2010?