Activities: Lucozade is positioned as an isotonic drink for sporting
activities.
Personality: Harley Davidson motorbikes are positioned as macho
product with a free spirit.
Origin: Audi clearly illustrates it German origins in the UK market by
the use of the ‘Vorsprung durch technik’ slogan. The hope is the product
will be linked to the German reputation for quality engineering.
Competitors: Pepsi-Cola are positioned as the choice of the next gener-
ation reflecting the fact that in blind tasting tests younger people preferred
Pepsi over competitors’ offerings.
Product class: Kellogg’s Nutrigrain bars are positioned as ‘morning
bars’, a substitute for the traditional breakfast.
Symbol: Esso petrol has used the symbol of the tiger to position itself in
the market.
These are the various ingredients that can be used by an organisation
endeavouring to influence consumer’s perceptions of the product offer-
ing. Companies have to decide which of these they can use and more
importantly how they wish to position their product in the market vis-à-
vis the competing options.
Four factors are of critical importance for successful positioning (Jobber,
1995):
1 Credence: The attributes used to position the product have to be per-
ceived to be credible by the target customers. It would be very difficult
for a Nuclear power generator to position itself as environmentally
friendly.
2 Competitiveness: The product should offer the consumer benefits which
competitors are not supplying. Clairol launched a new shampoo
Herbal Essences in the USA in 1995 which emphased the brand’s
wholesome ingredients. By 1997 this was the fastest growing brand on
the market and ranked number two behind Pantene.
3 Consistency: A consistent message over time is invaluable in helping to
establish a position against all the other products and services fighting
for a share of the consumers mind. An organisation that changes its
positioning on a regular basis causes confusion in the consumer’s
mind. This will mean they have an unclear perception of exactly what
are the key characteristics of the product.
4 Clarity: The positioning statement an organisation chooses has to cre-
ate a clearly differentiated position for the product in the minds of the
target market. A distinct message such as ‘Bread wi’ Nowt Taken Out’
underlines the wholemeal old world nature of Allison’s bread.■ Perceptual mapping
Mapping consumer perceptions can allow an organisation to see where it is
currently placed compared to competitor’s offerings. A simple perceptual190 Strategic Marketing: Planning and Control