If you want people to buy your products, you market your products. But if you want them to love and remember your brand, you tell a story.
Consider Starbucks. What began as a humble Seattle coffee bean shop evolved into a global empire, all because it focused on creating an unforgettable experience. The simple act of crafting a cup of coffee became a ritual, a shared moment, a symbol of the brand’s identity. Starbucks showed that brand positioning is about more than selling—it’s about connecting.
Enter a brand positioning statement, which is a powerful tool to guide every aspect of your branding and marketing efforts.
This guide takes you through the process of building your own brand positioning statement. It also provides you with inspiration from some of the best brand positioning statement examples, along with templates to help you get started.
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- Crafting Your Brand's Identity: The Secret Sauce Behind a Winning Positioning Statement
- Mastering the Key Elements and Crafting a Powerful Brand Positioning Statement
- How to Craft Your Own Brand Positioning Statement
- Common Mistakes to Avoid When Crafting a Brand Positioning Statement
- Brand Positioning Statement Examples
- Express Who You Are as a Brand with the Perfect Positioning Statement
- Frequently Asked Questions
Crafting Your Brand's Identity: The Secret Sauce Behind a Winning Positioning Statement
A brand positioning statement is a short description of your products or services, explaining how they meet the needs of your target audience. It should state your unique value and brand identity, as well as how you want your brand to be perceived by your customers and competitors.
It’s often an internal private document not meant for public knowledge because it highlights your key differentiators and competitive advantages. The positioning statement is also designed to help your marketing team align their campaigns with the company’s brand and value proposition.
Glossier’s brand positioning statement clearly highlights how the brand celebrates freedom of expression and individuality. Customers can clearly see how the brand’s products support skin health and allows makeup to “enhance rather than mask your natural beauty.”
Source: glossier.com
Brand Positioning Statement vs. Mission Statement vs. Value Proposition
Before we get deeper into the topic of brand positioning statement, let’s figure out how it’s different from other branding elements like value proposition and mission statement:
- Your brand’s value proposition is the unique value that you offer to your target audience. It communicates the what behind your brand.
- Meanwhile, a mission statement is a short description of what your company wishes to achieve. It outlines your purpose, values, and culture to clearly communicate your top priorities. Your mission is the why behind your brand.
- While your brand positioning statement is developed from your value proposition and mission, it goes into more detail about who your target audience is, what problem you solve, and what sets you apart from the competition.
Based on this, you can see that there are some intersections between these three elements. Your value proposition may be developed from your brand’s mission, and the two will determine your brand positioning statement.
In other words, the positioning statement incorporates the value proposition with the mission statement. The value proposition is the “what and how,” while the mission statement is the “why.” When combined, they form the positioning statement.
Mastering the Key Elements and Crafting a Powerful Brand Positioning Statement
To craft an impactful brand positioning statement, it’s important to understand the key elements that are included. This will help you develop a statement that clearly communicates your brand positioning without the risk of confusion.
“Four elements are important to creating a strong brand positioning statement,”
says Baruch Labunski, CEO at Rank Secure.
“They are: understanding your mission and committing to it, understanding who you are and your company's values, recognizing the past with honor, and having future goals.”
“Being true to yourself and your company shows in your brand positioning statement. People get that and relate to it,”
he says.
“Enforcing your mission and relating it to company values shows what you will do. Relating it to the past and demonstrating you have future goals will inspire potential customers.”
Let’s break down the key elements that make up a brand positioning statement.
Target Audience: Who Does Your Brand Serve?
First, you need a clear idea of your target audience. Who is your brand for? When you know who your products or services are built for, you can understand what motivates them to use your solution. This will then allow you to put together a positioning statement that resonates with them and defines the outcome or experience they expect. For example, Starbucks' target audience has evolved from working professionals with sleek, minimalist products in 2018 to vibrant, bold designs aimed at capturing the attention of teenage girls nowadays, and here’s the breakdown:
@alyssainchicago #greenscreen @Starbucks #brandstrategy #starbucksmarketing #marketing #brand ♬ original sound - Lyss
Product or Service Category: Where Does Your Brand Fit in the Market?
Another important element that influences your brand positioning is your market category. Which category does your product or service fit in? This can be as broad as “skincare brand” or highly niche like “vegan clean skincare brand.”
Unique Benefits: What Key Benefits Do You Offer?
Your brand positioning statement should clearly highlight the unique benefits that your product or service offers. How does it add value to the lives of your target audience? What benefits do they get from using your products or services?
Differentiation: What Sets Your Brand Apart from the Competition?
Your positioning statement should be able to answer the question: What makes your product or brand stand out in the market? What’s something that you offer that your competitors don’t? Why should people choose you over other brands? What’s your unique value proposition (UVP)?
Target Audience Who are your potential buyers? Who will benefit from your product or service? Product or Service Category Which market category does your product or service fit in? Which industry and segment do you belong in? Unique Benefits What unique benefits do your product or service offer? What value can it bring to the lives of your target audience? Differentiation What makes you different from the competition? What do you offer that your competitors don’t?
How to Craft Your Own Brand Positioning Statement
Once you’ve understood what goes into a brand positioning statement, it’s time to figure out how to craft your own. Here are the steps to follow when crafting a positioning statement for your brand.
Step 1: Define Your Target Audience
Start by defining who your target audience is. Figure out who will benefit from your product or service. Then create detailed buyer personas that define their motivations for purchasing your products or services. Identify their demographic, psychographic, or behavioral characteristics and discover their pain points and challenges.
With a deep understanding of your audience, you can figure out how to position your brand in a way that resonates with them. So your positioning statement will be more detailed and specific, making it less open to interpretation.
For example, you may be targeting people with sensitive skin that’s prone to breaking out.
"Our brand serves [specific audience] who [their primary need/desire]."
Step 2: Clarify Your Product/Service Category
The next step is to clarify the category in which your product or service belongs. What do you sell and what segment does it fit into?
When you understand your product or service category, you can determine who your competitors are and what they offer. You’ll also have an easier time understanding the market and where you stand.
Following the same example as above, you may be selling “clean beauty products” in the “cosmetics and skincare market.”
"We are a [type of product/service] in the [category]."
Step 3: Pinpoint Your Brand’s Core Benefits
One of the most crucial steps is to determine the benefits that your brand offers. What problem does your product or service solve that your audience will find valuable? This is where your audience research comes in, as you can identify the main pain points that your brand can address.
As highlighted above, you’re targeting people with sensitive skin that’s prone to breaking out. So your product benefit will be something like: “clean products formulated with non-comedogenic ingredients to prevent breakouts.”
"We help [audience] by providing [primary benefit]."
Step 4: Identify Your Differentiation or Unique Value Proposition (UVP)
Based on the information you have so far, you can now put together a unique value proposition (UVP). What makes your brand different from the competition? What’s unique about your product or service when compared to other brands?
For example, if the market mostly consists of brands selling similar products at high prices, your UVP may be “reasonably priced skincare.”
"Unlike [competitors], we [unique offering or feature]."
Combine These Elements into a Concise Statement
Now it’s time to bring everything together and create a concise brand positioning statement. To do this, start by answering the key questions from each of the four major quadrants—target audience, product or service category, unique benefits, and differentiation. Start with a rough draft that includes all the essential information. Then find a way to sum up everything into a brief statement.
Refine it into a brief, impactful statement that conveys your brand’s unique value in a way that resonates with your target audience. Here’s a template you can use to get started:
"For [target audience], our brand is a [product/service category] that provides [core benefit], because unlike [competitors], we [unique value proposition]."
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Crafting a Brand Positioning Statement
While crafting a brand positioning statement may seem like a pretty straightforward process, many brands fail to get it right. Here are some common mistakes that brands make when putting together their positioning statement.
Overcomplication
Yes, brand positioning statements need to be detailed. At the same time, you risk overcomplicating it if you try to fit in too much information at once.
To see this in action, here’s an example of how a brand positioning statement can become overly complex:
Overly Complicated Version
"For environmentally conscious consumers aged 25-40 who are looking for sustainable, ethically sourced, and high-quality clothing options that not only reflect their values but also provide comfort, style, and durability for both casual and formal occasions while being affordable and easily accessible through our online platform and retail partners, EcoWear is the only fashion brand that offers a comprehensive range of eco-friendly apparel made from organic materials, utilizing fair trade practices, and designed with the latest fashion trends in mind because we believe in making sustainable living stylish and achievable for everyone."
Analysis of Overcomplication
- Length and Complexity: The statement is excessively long and convoluted. It tries to cover too many aspects (target audience, benefits, values, product features) in one go.
- Clarity: The core message becomes lost in the details. A potential customer or stakeholder may struggle to grasp what EcoWear truly stands for.
- Focus: By trying to address multiple benefits and values simultaneously, the statement lacks a clear focus on what makes EcoWear unique.
Simplified Version
"For environmentally conscious consumers aged 25-40, EcoWear is the fashion brand that offers stylish, sustainable clothing made from organic materials because we believe that looking good should also feel good for the planet."
Lack of Differentiation
Many brands make the mistake of crafting a positioning statement that seems like everyone else’s. So they end up coming across as a brand that offers the same thing like every other brand. There’s no good reason for customers to choose them over the competition.
This is why it’s so important to see what your competitors are doing. While your positioning statement should be about your brand, knowing how your competitors are positioning themselves will help you understand how to set yourself apart.
“I don't rely heavily on competitive analysis. A brand positioning statement is about my company rather than my competitors,”
says Baruch Labunski, CEO at Rank Secure.
However, that doesn’t mean that there’s no competitive analysis whatsoever that goes into developing their brand positioning statement. It’s all about organizing your approach and knowing where to focus your analysis.
“I look at the top three competitors to see what they are doing and how effective it is,”
he says.
“Sometimes, I consider elements in those to craft mine but most of the time I try to do something more innovative than what I'm seeing. I want to separate myself apart and the way to do that is to do something my competitors aren't doing.”
Ignoring Emotional Appeal
Finally, many brands fail to make an emotional connection with their brand positioning statement. When you focus too much on the functional benefits of your offering, you could lose sight of the emotional aspect of what makes your brand appealing. Simply stating facts isn’t enough to leave an impact on the audience.
“I encourage all of my clients to craft a brand story that isn't their origin story, but rather an emotion-driven narrative that helps their audience understand what they'll gain/feel/experience by engaging with them and their brand,”
says Hilary Young, Brand Strategist at Hilary Young Creative.
“It really helps to set the brand apart and makes it clear to the target market what they will get out of the engagement.”
This is where you need to be strategic about the way you address your audience’s pain points. The language you use, in particular, can have a significant impact on appealing to their emotions.
For instance, Summersalt talks about “kicking unrealistic beauty standards to the curb” and empowering women to embrace themselves, their power, and their beauty. The language is intentional, passionate, and empowering.
Source: summersalt.com
Brand Positioning Statement Examples
Before you get started with your brand positioning statement, it’s important to see what other brands are doing. Here are a few brand positioning statement examples across different industries to inspire you.
1. ShipBob
Industry: Logistics and Fulfillment
ShipBob is a third-party logistics company that ensures seamless fulfillment for direct-to-consumer ecommerce orders. Their services allow merchants to outsource their entire fulfillment process and free up time to focus on growing their business.
These elements are expertly and concisely conveyed in their brand positioning statement. The statement mentions the target audience (DTC ecommerce brands), the services they offer, and the benefits that businesses can get from partnering with them.
Source: shipbob.com
Why It Works
ShipBob’s brand positioning works because it’s simple and direct. It clearly mentions what they specialize in and who it’s for. The focus on value (allowing merchants to focus on what’s important) allows the target audience to understand why they should choose ShipBob.
2. CLEARSTEM
Industry: Cosmetics and Personal Care
CLEARSTEM is a skincare brand with a focus on clean products that simultaneously target acne and aging. These benefits are clearly conveyed in their brand positioning statement, which also explains how their products are formulated to target these main concerns.
Source: clearstem.com
Why It Works
This brand positioning statement works because it’s heavily benefit-focused. While it doesn’t specifically mention their target audience, it’s clear that their products are for people who have concerns about acne and aging. They expertly highlight how their products are formulated to offer simultaneous benefits.
3. Quince
Industry: Fashion
Quince is a sustainable fashion brand that produces high-quality luxury essentials at an affordable price. The brand’s focus on accessibility is visible across all their branding, including their brand positioning statement. This statement highlights what the brand does (luxury products), what value they offer (high-quality essentials), and what makes them different from the competition (low prices).
Source: quince.com
Why It Works
This brand positioning statement works because it tells a story. It includes a story about why the brand was formed, which allows the audience to connect with the pain point — being unable to afford luxury products. This effectively helps to establish the brand’s value, which is to make “exceptionally high-quality essentials at a price within reach” for everyone.
4. NutriPaw
Industry: Pet Food
NutriPaw is a pet nutrition brand that sells 100% natural pet treats. Their products help maintain pet health by targeting common health problems in dogs. Their brand positioning statement makes these benefits clear and explains how their products are made with only the highest quality natural products.
Source: nutri-paw.com
Why It Works
The NutriPaw brand positioning heavily focuses on pain points. It lists some of the most common problem areas for dogs and mentions how their products address these issues. It also mentions another pain point — the complexity of keeping our dogs healthy — and how they address it.
5. Hungryroot
Industry: Food
Hungryroot is a food subscription service that delivers groceries tailored to the dietary needs of each individual. This allows them to deliver personalized recipes that consider the preferences and dietary restrictions of each user. Their brand positioning statement reflects this and positions it as a key differentiator in the market.
Source: hungryroot.com
Why It Works
This brand positioning statement relies on the company’s key differentiator. It starts off by mentioning what other companies in the same market are doing, then follows up by explaining how they do things differently. This allows the audience to understand the unique value that Hungryroot brings to the table, helping them realize why they should choose their service over other options.
6. Mailchimp
Industry: Tech
Mailchimp offers a range of technology solutions to help businesses with their marketing. Their brand positioning statement explains how they provide all kinds of marketing and commerce tools in one place. It also mentions how their technology can help businesses with launching, building, and growth.
Source: mailchimp.com
Why It Works
This brand positioning statement is written in a way that highlights how Mailchimp’s technology can simplify marketing even for those who “don’t know the first thing about marketing.” It concisely sums up how the company can support businesses at every stage — from launch to growth.
7. Byredo
Industry: Retail Luxury Goods and Jewelry
Byredo is a European luxury brand that’s known for their fragrance line but also develops other types of products like accessories, makeup, home, and leather goods. Their brand positioning statement lists all their product categories and mentions the different qualities that they stand for (timeless, meaningful, inspirational).
Source: byredo.com
Why It Works
This brand positioning statement is clear about what the brand sells, leaving no room for ambiguity. So potential customers know exactly what to expect from the brand. It also highlights how their products are sold in a “very high-end exclusive network,” which appeals to customers who value exclusivity. Moreover, the statement does a great job of emphasizing the timelessness of Byredo products.
8. Dove
Industry: Personal Care
Dove’s branding has evolved from simply being a company that makes moisturizing soap to one that helps women embrace their real beauty. This is reflected in their brand statement, which explains the brand’s belief that beauty should be a source of confidence. Dove mentions their target audience (women everywhere) and states how they want to help them “develop a positive relationship with the way they look.”
Source: dove.com
Why It Works
This brand positioning statement may not specify what products they sell, but with Dove already being a household brand name, the shift to customer-centric positioning works. Instead of talking about their products, the statement focuses heavily on the customer, positioning the brand as one that can help them reveal their true beauty.
9. Wendy’s
Industry: Fast Food
As one of the largest fast-food chains in the United States, Wendy’s is another major brand with a solid positioning statement. It starts by focusing on what they sell and what’s great about it — fresh food. It follows this with a key differentiator — making everyone feel at home.
Source: wendys.com
Why It Works
The Wendy’s brand positioning statement focuses on what the brand does to offer unique value to their customers. It mentions that they go the extra mile to serve up fresh food. It also stresses making the customers feel like a part of the Wendy’s family, helping to build an emotional connection with them.
10. Fenty Hair
Industry: Hair Care
Fenty Hair is a subset of the Fenty Beauty brand, with haircare products formulated to repair all types of hair. The brand positioning statement is short and simple, focusing on the different needs and preferences of their target audience.
Source: fentybeauty.com
Why It Works
The Fenty Hair brand positioning statement perfectly reflects the brand’s core values regarding diversity and inclusivity. It lists the common types of hair and concerns to highlight how the brand offers products to address all of them. By focusing less on the products and more on the pain points, the statement clearly showcases the value that the brand offers.
Express Who You Are as a Brand with the Perfect Positioning Statement
Your brand positioning statement concisely yet comprehensively expresses your brand identity. This makes it crucial to be strategic with how you craft it — not too long that it’s hard to comprehend, yet not too short that it’s incomplete. Make the most of the tips and examples highlighted above to come up with the perfect positioning statement for your brand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a brand positioning statement?
A brand positioning statement is a short description of your products or services, explaining how they meet the needs of your target audience.
How is a brand positioning statement related to overall marketing strategy?
Your brand positioning statement concisely explains how to position your products and to whom you’re selling them. This helps to inform what approaches to take and what messaging to use for the rest of your marketing strategy.
How does a brand positioning statement differ from a tagline?
A tagline is a short and catchy phrase or sentence that describes your brand. A brand positioning statement goes a little more in-depth to explain who your product is for, what unique value you offer, and what makes you different from the competition.
What makes a brand positioning statement effective?
A brand positioning statement is effective if it can accurately yet concisely express how your product meets the needs of your target audience.
What is an example of a brand positioning statement?
An example of a brand positioning statement is:
“For millions of tech professionals nationwide, Built In is the best place to learn about the industry, build connections and carve out futures at companies they believe in.”
This statement highlights the target audience and the value that the company offers.
What are some common mistakes to avoid when writing a positioning statement?
The common mistakes to avoid when writing a positioning statement are: overcomplicating it with too much information, not differentiating from the competition, and failing to make an emotional connection.
How can I ensure my positioning statement resonates with my target audience?
You can ensure that your positioning statement resonates with your target audience by addressing their main concerns and pain points. Instead of making it product-focused, focus on the benefits that the audience can gain from the product.
