Brand Positioning Development
Workshop
Sample Materials
March 2009
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Workshop Agenda
Workshop Overview 9:00 – 9:15
Brand Positioning Overview 9:15 – 10:00
Brand Analysis and Implications 10:00 – 10:45
Break 10:45 – 11:00
Target Audience Benefits Laddering 11:00 – 11:30
Positioning Concept Brainstorming (Breakout Groups) 11:30 – 12:30
Break 12:30 – 1:00
Positioning Concept Playback/Discussion 1:00 – 2:00
Concept Consolidation and Prioritization 2:00 – 2:30
Break 2:30 – 2:45
Building on Preliminary Ideas 2:45 – 3:30
Wrap-up and Next Steps 3:30– 4:00
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Workshop Overview – Workshop Objectives
The primary objective today is to brainstorm brand positioning options
for our brand to be tested with target audiences
As a means to reach this objective, we will also:
– Reach a common understanding of brand positioning, its purpose, and
what makes it successful
– Confirm the current customer, market, competitive and business
analysis as an input into brand positioning development
– Consider future trends and potential scenarios that may influence our
market and customers
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Workshop Agenda
Workshop Overview 9:00 – 9:15
Brand Positioning Overview 9:15 – 10:00
Brand Analysis and Implications 10:00 – 10:45
Break 10:45 – 11:00
Target Audience Benefits Laddering 11:00 – 11:30
Positioning Concept Brainstorming (Breakout Groups) 11:30 – 12:30
Break 12:30 – 1:00
Positioning Concept Playback/Discussion 1:00 – 2:00
Concept Consolidation and Prioritization 2:00 – 2:30
Break 2:30 – 2:45
Building on Preliminary Ideas 2:45 – 3:30
Wrap-up and Next Steps 3:30– 4:00
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Brand Positioning Overview – Brand exercise
Everyone think of their favorite brand/a brand that they are loyal to:
– Why is it your favorite/why are you loyal?
– How much would the price have to go up before you switch?
– What would need to happen other than a price increase to get
you to change?
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A Brand is:
Built by the sum of all interactions between a
product, service or company and its key
stakeholders
A relationship based on past experience and future
expectations
Defined by functional and emotional benefits
Intended to influence customer behavior
An asset that must be actively managed
Brand Positioning Overview – Brand Definition
Brands are not optional – whether or not you choose to manage them isBrands are not optional – whether or not you choose to manage them is
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Brand
Equity
Time
• Bridge between existing
reality & desired state
• Aspirational brand associations
• Ideal experience customers should
have with the company & offerings
• Current customer
perceptions
EmployeeEngagement
MarketingStrategy
Current
Brand Image
Brand
Positioning
Aspirational
Brand
CustomerExperience
Brand Positioning Overview – Brand Management
Since brands are not only what we say but also what we do, brand strategy
needs to balance our aspirational goals with a recognition of capabilities
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The following is the positioning framework HawkPartners recommends
using to define a brand positioning
FRAME OF REFERENCE
The category of products/services/companies that the brand exists within
TARGET
The specific stakeholder(s) that the brand is targeting
WHAT IT DOES
How we define the brand’s unique
capabilities and approach to delivering
benefits
WHAT IT DELIVERS
The benefits the brand delivers to target
audiences
REASONS TO BELIEVE
The tangible things the brand can point to that prove that it can consistently deliver on
its promise
Brand Positioning Overview – Brand Positioning Framework
WORKSHOPFOCUS
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Brand Positioning Overview – How Brand Positioning is Used
A brand positioning should be
used…
A brand positioning should NOT
be used…
As a central reference tool to
guide consistent marketing and
communications
To convey the essence of the
product, as well as its tone,
manner and personality
To convey the value of the
product to diverse audiences
Literally in marketing and
communications – it is merely a
basis for ideas and messages
To guide behavior, although it
may inform actions and potential
service ideas
Brand positioning is one piece of a bigger marketing and communications effort
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Brand Positioning Overview – Evaluating Brand Positioning
Relevant
Distinct
Credible
Benefit-Driven
Strategically
Aligned
Addresses a relevant need valued by
customers
Promises something that the product can
deliver
Explains the functional/emotional benefits of
the product vs. just the product attributes
Is different from other products in its
category
Considers the long-term product strategy,
as well as the corporate and related product
direction and desired meaning
A good brand positioning is…
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Workshop Agenda
Workshop Overview 9:00 – 9:15
Brand Positioning Overview 9:15 – 10:00
Brand Analysis and Implications 10:00 – 10:45
Break 10:45 – 11:00
Target Audience Benefits Laddering 11:00 – 11:30
Positioning Concept Brainstorming (Breakout Groups) 11:30 – 12:30
Break 12:30 – 1:00
Positioning Concept Playback/Discussion 1:00 – 2:00
Concept Consolidation and Prioritization 2:00 – 2:30
Break 2:30 – 2:45
Building on Preliminary Ideas 2:45 – 3:30
Wrap-up and Next Steps 3:30– 4:00
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Brand Analysis and Implications – Key Topics
Brand Analysis Topics
Market Opportunity
– Market size and dynamics
– Growth and other trends
– Future state scenarios
Target Audience
– Key roles/segments and influence
– Drivers of preference and decision-making
– Key needs (met and unmet)
Current Brand Assets
– Current awareness, consideration and preference
– Current perceptions
– Potential strengths and weaknesses
Competitive Overview
– Current competitor perceptions
– Perceived strength/weaknesses
– Potential future development/direction
Relevant
Distinct
Credible
Benefit-Driven
Brand Positioning Criteria
Strategically
Aligned
Relevant
Benefit-Driven
The Brand Analysis provides a common fact base to help fuel positioning ideas
ANALYSIS (15 – 20 PAGES) CUSTOMIZED BASED ON SPECIFIC CLIENT BRAND
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Workshop Agenda
Workshop Overview 9:00 – 9:15
Brand Positioning Overview 9:15 – 10:00
Brand Analysis and Implications 10:00 – 10:45
Break 10:45 – 11:00
Target Audience Benefits Laddering 11:00 – 11:30
Positioning Concept Brainstorming (Breakout Groups) 11:30 – 12:30
Break 12:30 – 1:00
Positioning Concept Playback/Discussion 1:00 – 2:00
Concept Consolidation and Prioritization 2:00 – 2:30
Break 2:30 – 2:45
Building on Preliminary Ideas 2:45 – 3:30
Wrap-up and Next Steps 3:30– 4:00
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Target Audience Benefits Laddering – Example
Audience needs should cover those that are both category specific and
more broad
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Functional Attributes
(Most Advanced Technology)
Functional Benefits
(Fastest and Easiest to Use)
Emotional Benefits
(Pioneering )
Self-Expressive
Benefits
(I’m on the Cutting Edge)
Sample Benefits Hierarchy
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Target Audience Benefits Laddering – Brainstorm Benefits
Attribute 3Attribute 2Attribute 1 Attribute 4
Functional
Attributes
Functional
Benefits
Emotional/Self-
ExpressiveBenefits
What are the functional and emotional needs of target
audiences that go beyond the product/service features?
– What day to day challenges are we helping them overcome?
– What are they ultimately striving to achieve?
Attribute 8Attribute 7Attribute 6 Attribute 9 Attribute 10 Attribute 11
Attribute 5
ATTRIBUTES CUSTOMIZED BASED ON SPECIFIC CLIENT BRAND
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Workshop Agenda
Workshop Overview 9:00 – 9:15
Brand Positioning Overview 9:15 – 10:00
Brand Analysis and Implications 10:00 – 10:45
Break 10:45 – 11:00
Target Audience Benefits Laddering 11:00 – 11:30
Positioning Concept Brainstorming (Breakout Groups) 11:30 – 12:30
Break 12:30 – 1:00
Positioning Concept Playback/Discussion 1:00 – 2:00
Concept Consolidation and Prioritization 2:00 – 2:30
Break 2:30 – 2:45
Building on Preliminary Ideas 2:45 – 3:30
Wrap-up and Next Steps 3:30– 4:00
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Positioning Concept Brainstorming – Break-out group assignment
Breakout Group Objective:
Develop 5+ preliminary positioning concepts with the following
questions in mind:
– What is the essence of the positioning concept, and what are
the desired brand associations?
– How does the positioning address the broad emotional and
category-relevant needs?
– Which attributes and benefits best support the concept
(reasons-to-believe)?
SPECIFIC BRAINSTORMING AREAS CUSTOMIZED TO CLIENT NEEDS
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Workshop Agenda
Workshop Overview 9:00 – 9:15
Brand Positioning Overview 9:15 – 10:00
Brand Analysis and Implications 10:00 – 10:45
Break 10:45 – 11:00
Target Audience Benefits Laddering 11:00 – 11:30
Positioning Concept Brainstorming (Breakout Groups) 11:30 – 12:30
Break 12:30 – 1:00
Positioning Concept Playback/Discussion 1:00 – 2:00
Concept Consolidation and Prioritization 2:00 – 2:30
Break 2:30 – 2:45
Building on Preliminary Ideas 2:45 – 3:30
Wrap-up and Next Steps 3:30– 4:00
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Positioning Concept Playback – Regroup Exercises
Playback
Per group, briefly introduce each developed (~15 minutes each)
Consolidation
Together, discuss similarities among concepts and collapse/reorganize
Prioritization
Individually, vote for positioning concepts considered most promising
(relevant, compelling, distinct, credible, etc.)
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Workshop Agenda
Workshop Overview 9:00 – 9:15
Brand Positioning Overview 9:15 – 10:00
Brand Analysis and Implications 10:00 – 10:45
Break 10:45 – 11:00
Target Audience Benefits Laddering 11:00 – 11:30
Positioning Concept Brainstorming (Breakout Groups) 11:30 – 12:30
Break 12:30 – 1:00
Positioning Concept Playback/Discussion 1:00 – 2:00
Concept Consolidation and Prioritization 2:00 – 2:30
Break 2:30 – 2:45
Building on Preliminary Ideas 2:45 – 3:30
Wrap-up and Next Steps 3:30– 4:00
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Building on Preliminary Ideas – Personification Exercise
The purpose of this exercise is to further define and distinguish preliminary
concepts from one another, as well as from competitor brands
What person, place, or thing best embodies or personifies the concept?
Why?
– Celebrity
– Sports Figure
– Movie/TV Character
– Historical Figure
– Superhero
– Fictional Character
How would you embody our key competitors along that same dimension?
Why?
EXERCISE CUSTOMIZED TO RELEVANT CLIENT EXAMPLES
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Building on Preliminary Ideas – Spectrum Exercise
Potential Positioning Dimensions
Narrow FocusBroad Focus
Emotional
Benefits
Functional
Benefits
Long-term
Impact
Short Term
Impact
Power SafeStrong
Timing
Audience Coverage
Benefits
Others???
The purpose of this exercise is to ensure a broad range of ideas have been
explored
SPECTRUMS CUSTOMIZED BASED ON KEY TARGET AUDIENCE FACTORS