Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind

But the best positioning ideas are so simple and obvious that most people overlook them.

The essential ingredient in securing the leadership position is getting into the mind first. The essential ingredient in keeping that position is reinforcing the original concept. Coca-Cola is the standard by which all others are judged. In contrast, everything else is an imitation of “the real thing.”

Timing is critical.

This ranking of people, objects, and brands is not only a convenient method of organizing things but also an absolute necessity to keep from being overwhelmed by the complexities of life.

Once an old idea is overturned, selling the new idea is often ludicrously simple. As a matter of fact, people will often actively search for a new idea to fill the void. Never be afraid to conflict either. The crux of a repositioning program is undercutting an existing concept, product, or person.

The factory creneau One common mistake in looking for creneaus is filling a hole in the factory rather than one in the mind.

As long as a company owns the position, there’s no point in running advertisements that repeat the obvious. “We’re No. 1” is a typical example. Much better is to enhance the product category in the prospect’s mind. IBM’s advertising usually ignores competition and sells the value of computers. All computers, not just the company’s types. Why isn’t

A better strategy for IBM’s competitors would be to take advantage of whatever positions they already own in the minds of their prospects and then relate them to a new position in computers.

The best approach to take in our overcommunicated society is the oversimplified message. In communication, as in architecture, less is more. You have to sharpen your message to cut into the mind. You have to jettison the ambiguities, simplify the message, and then simplify it some more if you want to make a long-lasting impression.