The world of brand names is one of the hottest current topics in the Marketing world. In the United States alone, there are more than 2,500 books dedicated to the subject of brands or “branding”. However, we shouldn’t confuse the importance of having an attractive name with what really makes it a winning brand: what the customer associates it with in his or her mind. And that’s where positioning plays a vital role: that which allows us to associate a brand with a completely distinguishable concept, which establishes distance from the competition. A good brand and good positioning must always be closely related. They both feed off of each other.

We all know that there are brands that are less attractive advertising-wise than others, but that nevertheless mean so much to the consumer, that the impact of its name takes a back seat. Today, having a good name is not limited to a combination of syllables that sound fresh and modern, but rather it is about planning this brand name in the consumer’s mind and, above all, linking it with one or several elements that clearly distinguish it from the competition.

This is where positioning comes into play. That is, “what makes the product or service different in the consumer’s mind”. Every good brand is well-positioned. And behind a good positioning strategy lies a careful strategy of value generation and differentiation. Quality, service, rigor, professionalism, uniqueness, exclusivity, prestige, glamour, modernity… these are only a few of the many elements that a company can choose in order to position itself and, therefore, position its brand or brands.

There are two key principals to keep in mind when establishing positioning strategies. First of all, positioning means occupying a space and constantly defending it against the competition. Secondly, it is always preferable to be the first and only one to launch a concept and maintain it, than to be the best defender of an attribute shared by several companies. Thus, Volvo “invented” the safe car, and now no one can take away that concept from them, in the same way that Nike and the “athlete’s spirit” are now two inseparable concepts.

The true challenge underlying a correct brand positioning is not only opting for the elements that differentiate us from the competition, but also knowing how to make them reach the customer. He or she should immediately understand the benefit that opting for our brand implies, and that that benefit penetrates his or her mind to such an extent, that they do not even mind paying extra, which will not only differentiate us as a company from the competition, but will also differentiate the customer himself from the rest of consumers.

There is no more successful brand positioning strategy than that one that gets the customer to “show off” for the provider. The company that makes its customers proud to buy from it and vocal about it will have achieved the most difficult of goals. One of the most paradigmatic examples is the case of Apple and its revolutionary “iPod”. We mustn’t forget that behind every brand is a hidden promise, and that promise must be strictly kept.

While bad positioning can easily transform a brand into a “commodity”, conversely, a good positioning strategy can transform the brand into one of any company’s greatest assets, which is why the concept of “Brand Equity” is more and more common. Talking about brands means talking about positioning, and vice-versa. Discover this by reading some of the most relevant texts on this topic…