Change is not your "friend" when it comes to positioning. Your friend is consistent delivery and repetition. No matter how clever an idea, phrase, or tagline, if you fail to deliver a consistent message over a long period of time, it will fail to reap the benefits of product positioning.
As I said before, the goal of positioning is to help the target market associate a benefit with your product or company. With some effort, time, and money, you can claim a position by consistently communicating an idea that has meaning (this is key) to the target audience, and then repeating it, and repeating it, and repeating it.
Even a weak positioning strategy, consistently executed over a period of at least 18 months, is far more effective than a strong position that is inconsistently executed and that changes once a year.
What Does Being "Consistent" Really Mean?
Being consistent means using the same carefully crafted message strategy in all of your marketing communication. You say you don't have a message strategy? Then you need one. By creating a message strategy, it's easier for you to stay consistent (or "on-message") across all marketing activities, including advertising, web sites, brochures, public relations, and presentations to prospects, customers, industry analysts, investors and, of course, key influencers.
And while you're doing that, keep an eye on your competitors. Those with a consistent message are likely to be toughest ones. Remember, when you evaluate for consistency, first check print advertisements, then direct mail or e-mail campaigns, then your web site, then press releases.
As I said before, the goal of positioning is to help the target market associate a benefit with your product or company. With some effort, time, and money, you can claim a position by consistently communicating an idea that has meaning (this is key) to the target audience, and then repeating it, and repeating it, and repeating it.
Even a weak positioning strategy, consistently executed over a period of at least 18 months, is far more effective than a strong position that is inconsistently executed and that changes once a year.
What Does Being "Consistent" Really Mean?
Being consistent means using the same carefully crafted message strategy in all of your marketing communication. You say you don't have a message strategy? Then you need one. By creating a message strategy, it's easier for you to stay consistent (or "on-message") across all marketing activities, including advertising, web sites, brochures, public relations, and presentations to prospects, customers, industry analysts, investors and, of course, key influencers.
And while you're doing that, keep an eye on your competitors. Those with a consistent message are likely to be toughest ones. Remember, when you evaluate for consistency, first check print advertisements, then direct mail or e-mail campaigns, then your web site, then press releases.
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