Tweet

Brand Positioning Sessions = Clarity

Guest post by: Faith Seekings

Article Overview: Brand positioning sessions are important steps in providing clarity when creating a Positioning Statement. The client is asked a number of questions about what they actually do, their ideal clients, how they find them, their goals, what makes them different. It reflects goals to strive for and is the bedrock of everything going forward – the website, all design and marketing tools. Lists of words that describe the client turn into a bunch of tag lines, present both the agency and client with several options and an opportunity to collaborate on their branding. Client and agency collaboration in branding sessions brings clarity to the client as to what their positioning statement should be and how to brand it.

Brand Positioning Sessions = Clarity

At Rapport we do brand positioning sessions asking clients a number of questions about what they actually do, their ideal clients, how they find them, their goals, what makes them different. We go through lists of words that describe them and settle on some top choices. We then go away and work on a bunch of tag lines, present several options and collaborate. Then, work on the positioning statement.

The Positioning Statement’s Purpose

The positioning statement is meant for internal use. It’s the place where we at Rapport, the client and all key players agree on how the company is going to be talked about; the angles to take, the tone. It reflects goals to strive for and is the bedrock of everything going forward – the website, all design and marketing tools.

I find it really interesting when we do this exercise with clients and it actually leads to them rethinking their business and what they’re trying to do. It’s a snag for us in the project process when these revelations actually stop things in their tracks, but it’s definitely the right thing to do.

Discovering What You Really Do

We had a client in the business of buying and selling. When we started the session he was focussed on the buying aspect. The URL he bought that he wanted us to brand had “buying” in it. And, it was all based around people finding him through Google. Once we went through the session we discovered two things that stopped the process. First, although buyers are more likely to be looking for him through the internet, the real money-maker is selling and that’s the part of his business he really wants to grow. Second, he doesn’t meet his clients through Google. His business ispersonal, based on face-time and trust.

We changed the plan basing the branding and tag lineon him as the key face of thebusiness. Meanwhile, he’s digesting the revelation and rethinking what he really wants to do. We’ll be working on how to market him soon.

Attaining Clarity in Larger Organizations = Unity

The sessions are also a great process for partners, old and new. Sometimes they aren’t aware until they start talking that they haven’t been on the same page for years. “I tell people we do this.” “I thought our ideal client was manufacturing, not service industry.” or “We’re not warm and compliant, we’re no nonsense and straight-forward.” At the very least, it can be harder to agree on the basics listed above. At most, the partners need to go away and reassess their relationship and come to agreementon major issues.

We don’t mean to throw a monkey wrench intoanyone’s plans, but these kinds of issues are best resolved before getting too far and wasting money on branding or marketing that doesn’t work. We’re just glad we can help.

Related Articles
  Your Personal Positioning Statement
  3 Easy Steps To Stop Spinning Your Wheels With Your Brand And Start Making Sales
  Check Your Brand Positioning in 5 Minutes
  Brand Perception and Consumer Behavior
  Develop Your Positioning Statements
  Powerful Branding: Death Cigarettes
  Branding: Death Cigarettes
  How Marketing Can Support Sales
  How to Brand Yourself Effectively
  Harness the Depth of Power In Your Brand
  Just waitll we get our brand on you
  The Need For Proper Positioning
  Sub prime corporate branding new is not new
  HOW TO GROW YOUR ONLINE SALES BY POSITION YOUR PRODUCT TO THE RELEVANT MARKET
  Positioning Statements That Work
  Leadership Branding (Redux)
  Executive Level Positioning
  Build Your Business on Authenticity
  Market Positioning: What is it and how do you do it!
  Is Your Personal Brand Memorable?

Article Tags: angles, bedrock, brand positioning, exercise, face time, font weight, google, marketing tools, money maker, positioning statement, real money, revelations, rsquo, sessions, snag, tag lines, top choices



Related Forum Posts
Top 19 Copywriting books - 1. Ogilvy on Advertising. David Ogilvy. Wiley. 2. Positioning: The Battle for your Mind. Al Ries and Jack Trout. Warner. 3. The New Positioning. Jack Trout. McGraw-Hill. 4. Tested Advertising Methods. John Caples. Prentice-Hall. 5. How to Make your Advertising Make Money. John Caples. Prentice-Hall. 6. Guerrilla Advertising. Jay Conrad Levinson. Houghton Mifflin. 7. Direct Mail Copy that Sells. Herschell Gordon Lewis. Prentice-Hall. 8. Sales Letters that Sizzle. Herschell Gordon Lewis. NTC Business Books. 9. Herschell Gordon Lewis on the Art of Writing Copy. Herschell Gordon Lewis. Prentice-Hall. 10. Romancing the Brand. David Martin. American Management Association. 11. The Art of Writing Advertising: Conversations with William Bernbach, Leo Burnett, George Gribbin, David Ogilvy, Rosser Reeves. NTC Business Books. 12. Confessions of an Advertising Man. David Ogilvy. NTC Business Books. 13. My Life in Advertising. Claude Hopkins. NTC Business Books. 14. Scientific Advertising. Claude Hopkins. NTC Business Books. 15. How to Become an Advertising Man. James Webb Young. NTC Business Books. 16. The Lasker Story as He Told It. NTC Business Books. 17. Advertising Concept and Copy. George Felton. Prentice Hall. 18. The Copy WorkShop Workbook. Bruce Bendinger. The Copy Workshop. 19. Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide to Creating Great Ads. Luke Sullivan. Wiley. This should keep you busy for at least a year. Enjoy!
Re: Clarity Trumps Persuasion - Jeff, Thanks, great stuff !!! Clarity or "KEEP IT SIMPLE" is probably the best advice anyone can ever give or get when involved in any business or personal situation. Over 30 years of manufacturing ladies apparel has taught me two critical business lessons: 1-You will never get a 100% perfect outcome so In the BEGINNING,take your time, exhaust all your resources and energy and plan, plan, plan. . . If it STARTS off right it you'll get close to the desired outcome. 2-Keep it simple I now will add "Clarity" to my formula for success. CLARITY AND KEEPING IT SIMPLE BREEDS SUCCESS . . . . I know the advice above is simple but isn't that what it's all about. Thanks Ringo, This information not only was great for my website but it reminded me that "keeping it simple and clear" got me and my teams through some wicked situations Best wishes Barry
Re: Clarity Trumps Persuasion - Wow, I would really recommend everyone to go through the presentation. It's not so much that it's new information, but their presentation simply reaffirms in a concise way what we know about marketing and sales conversion. Clarity trumps persuasion indeed!
Re: Partner with Sony Pictures.Coca-Cola and Toyota - I've truly always been amazed by small businesses who have big name company's listed on their websites with whom they have done work for or partnered in the Past. Has anyone on the Forum has such a partnership with large organizations or Brand name companies? Would you mind sharing how you were able to set up the partnership without giving away names of people you work with?
Brand Babble - I recently read another great book called "Brand Babble" The book debunks a bunch of branding 'myths' that have seem to get passed around as conventional branding wisdom. The authors are Don E Schultz & Heidi F Schultz. ISBN 0-538-72714-4


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

3 Pointers to Recruiting and Retaining Good Staff

The Importance of Master Data Management (MDM)

How to Ask for a Flexible Work Arrangement

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.