One of the most critical marketing activities that you must get right for your vegan business is framing the right positioning . Want to know why?
Let’s check this short excerpt from Geoffrey Moore’s book Crossing The Chasm:
“Positioning is the single largest influence on the buying decision. It serves as a kind of buyers’ shorthand, shaping not only their final choice but even the way they evaluate alternatives leading up to that choice.
Positioning exists in people’s heads, not in your words…..you must frame a position in words that are likely to actually exist in other people’s heads, not in words that come straight out of hot advertising copy.
People are highly conservative about entertaining changes in positioning. This is just another way of saying that people do not like you messing with the stuff that is inside their heads.
When most people think of positioning….they are thinking about how to make their products easier to sell. But the correct goal is to make them easier to buy.
The goal of positioning, therefore, is to create a space inside the target customer’s head called “best buy for this type of situation” and to attain sole, undisputed occupancy of that space.”
Do you now agree why positioning is critical as marketing foundation and why it has to be done right at the start (because it is nearly impossible to change once established)?
The next question is:
How do you frame the right positioning?
Here are steps I follow to frame it:
1.Figure out who the TG is. Without that, you cannot frame positioning. Not possible. (Tips on how to figure this out given here)
2. Speak with that TG informally via a phone call / share a short questionnaire made on Google forms / read reviews written by them on relevant books on Amazon / read comments or posts on relevant FB or Linkedin groups.
3. This will give you a sneak peek into their minds and the words they typically use to describe the problem they are facing or the solution they are wishing for.
4. Find a specific niche which you can potentially dominate profitably. Tips on how to find such a niche given here.
5. Define the 6Ps of your product and brand, in the minutest of details. (Product, Price, Place, Promotion, Proposition, Packaging). Within this detailed breakdown, you might discover at least one element that could give you an edge over others.
6. Thereafter, study the lay of the land i.e. the main players in the market, both domestic and international. Study their positioning, benefits and features. Figure out if there is a gap between what is already out there and what people are expecting or are irritated with.
7. Also study spaces that aim for an equivalent ‘share of wallet’ of your TG. E.g. if yours is a vegan ready-to-eat snack brand, then study not only the entire ready-to-eat snacking space but also study the beverage market (ready made smoothies) or even office canteens that offer hot evening snacks. These too are competing for the same share of wallet of the same TG.
Special step (one that I like to follow)
8. Read Geoffrey Moore’s Crossing the Chasm’s chapter on positioning. The snippets given at the start were thought provoking, right? The rest of the chapter on positioning is as insightful. I have found that the chapter gives my mind direction as I am going through all the steps mentioned above.
And then…
These steps provide the base material i.e. the clay that you can then shape into positioning. One that is not only distinct but that also resonates with the TG.
You will definitely start getting ideas and possible positioning statements as you wade through the above mentioned SWOT, competition analysis, informal customer research.
You could also run a pilot or soft launch, testing 1-2 positioning alternatives. Then see the response and accordingly fine tune before the full fledged launch.
But if the response during the pilot is not as expected or you still feel like you haven’t explored ALL possibilities, you might want to try this tool 💡
My semi-secret Positioning tool
This is my trusty, handy, semi-secret tool that has always helped me cull out all possible positioning angles.
Positioning Roulette by Ulli Applebaum
(It’s not available in India. I had to ask my cousin to get it from the US). He has also written a book that helps in a similar way. That you can get anywhere in the world.
Disclaimer: I am not an affiliate, not associated in anyway. I am simply a happy customer.
Happy positioning framing!
Question to think about : 💡
Which of the other 5Ps of marketing (Price, Place, Promotion, Packaging, Proposition) can you differentiate on instead of just your product?
You know, I am just an email away, should you want to talk.
Until next time…