Justin.King November 7th, 2008
I recently have been sitting through a number of meetings where we have been developing positioning statements for new products or services. I know it’s kind of old school, but it has helped us keep a target and objective in mind as we develop the rest of the pitch.
{ I started thinking though that I need to develop
my own personal positioning statement }
For those of you that don’t know what a positioning statement is, here is a quick walk through.
Positioning template
For (target audience), (product, company name) is the (frame of reference) that (benefit / point of difference).
It’s easy – all you do is fill in the brackets. Yeah, right – do this with a committee of 10, and you will be there for hours.
- Target Audience: The attitudinal and demographic/firmographic description of the core prospect to whom the new product or service is intended to appeal
- Frame of Reference: The category in which the product or service will compete
- Benefit/Point of Difference: The most compelling and motivating benefit that the new product or service can own in the hearts and minds of the customers relative to the competition
It did take me quite a while to come up with my personal brand positioning statement – even though it was just me. i had to fight to keep it authentic!!
{ For b2b organizations, Justin King is the web strategist that can help you
create, manage and grow relationships with your customer base
using the online channel }
Do you have a positioning statement? Share it if you don’t mind…
Tags: b2b marketing, mission statement, positioning statement
Justin.King November 7th, 2008
After reading an article by James H. Gilmore and B. Joseph Pine II, I am adding the word Authentic to my b2b vocabulary. How true does this ring?
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet holds a message for the marketing world: To thine own self be true. With authenticity appealing more and more to customer sensibilities, those words could not be more important. Organizations today should be true to their own selves, while also being who they say they are to others, according to the authors of this article. Yet the customer experience of actual offerings often fails to live up to what marketers said about them. Now is the time to stop saying what your offerings are through advertising, and create places where people can experience those offers as they actually are.
Creating a relevant dialogue and content is more than just perceived relevance, it has to be authentic as well. Here are a few ways to stay authentic and relevant in your content online.
- More thought leadership, less marketing – focus on finding individuals in the organization that are closest to the customer, that understand the actual problems your customers is facing and know ways to solve it.
- It’s okay if your content is raw – I know you want your content to be marketing driven and developed with the right “messaging”. I understand – so do I. But, if the content is raw and unfiltered, it shows authenticity.
- “it is what I say it is” – be honest with yourself and your customers about what you can and can’t do. Stop with the B.S. and focus on your strengths. Your customers will appreciate you for it.
I love the word authenticity, and it is actually convicting to think about. Building my own personal brand, I need to remember “it is what I say it is” – I am going to strive to be true to myself. Not a bad goal.
Tags: authenticity, relevant content, relevant dialogue, shakespeare
