brand positioning

Definition

The deliberate crafting of how a brand occupies a distinct place in the consumer's mind relative to competitors, usually involving flowery language about being 'authentic' and 'innovative.' It's astrology for products, except with focus groups.

Example Usage

Our brand positioning emphasizes sustainability and craftsmanship, because apparently 'we're slightly more expensive' needed better marketing copy.

Origin

Popularized by Al Ries and Jack Trout in their 1981 book 'Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind'

Fun Fact

Volvo successfully positioned itself as 'the safe car' for decades, even though safety technology became standard across all manufacturers—proof that perception matters more than reality.

Source: Brand strategy and marketing theory

Related Terms

Intermediate

remarketing list

A curated audience of people who previously interacted with your brand, creating a permission structure to follow them around the internet like a well-intentioned stalker. It's not creepy, it's marketing.

📣 Marketing / Advertising

Intermediate

A/B Testing

The scientific method of showing two versions of something to see which one sucks less. It's like asking your mom and your friend which outfit looks better, except with statistically significant sample sizes and far less emotional damage.

📣 Marketing / Advertising

Beginner

interstitial ad

Full-screen advertisements appearing between content transitions, named for occupying interstitial space while testing user patience. The pop-up ad's more aggressive cousin that actually demands attention before allowing progression.

📣 Marketing / Advertising

Beginner

advertorial

An advertisement disguised as editorial content, wearing a journalistic trench coat to sneak past readers' skepticism. The chameleon of marketing that makes disclosure labels work overtime.

📣 Marketing / Advertising

Intermediate

heatmap

Visual representation of user behavior showing where people click, scroll, and hover, typically revealing that nobody reads your carefully crafted copy. The marketing equivalent of finding out which parts of your outfit actually get noticed.

📣 Marketing / Advertising

Beginner

snackable content

Bite-sized marketing content designed for rapid consumption during micro-moments, because modern attention spans measure in seconds. The content equivalent of gas station jerky.

📣 Marketing / Advertising

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