Positioning, Marketing Strategy Framework

Question 1

6 C’s of Positioning

Answer 1

Core, Category, Community, Competition, Context, Criteria

Question 2

Messaging Architecture

Answer 2

Message architecture is a framework of components that describe the company, with the positioning statement at the core. It contains coherent branding elements and all the critical elements necessary for consistent, clear marketing and communication.

Question 3

Vision

Answer 3

Message Architecture (MA) component - The desired future state of the world.

Question 4

Mission

Answer 4

(MA) - The actions your company will take to achieve your vision

Question 5

Target Market

Answer 5

(MA) - Your primary customer

Question 6

Target Audience

Answer 6

(MA) - Not only the target market, but also the people who will influence your target market.

Question 7

Core DNA

Answer 7

(MA) - Who your company is and the root of your competitive advantage

Question 8

Differentiator

Answer 8

(MA) - What makes you stand out against your competition (based on DNA)

Question 9

Category

Answer 9

(MA) - The type of company you are. Defines your competitive set.

Question 10

Position

Answer 10

(MA) - Rooted in competitive advantage, the positioning statement articulates your differentiated role in your industry and your ultimate customer relevance.

Question 11

Archetype

Answer 11

(MA) - the human archetype that defines the company (branding)

Question 12

Personality

Answer 12

(MA) - the personified traits and characteristics of your brand (branding)

Question 13

Attributes

Answer 13

(MA) - the aspects that emulate the experience of working with your brand (brand)

Question 14

Brand Driver

Answer 14

(MA) - The core principle of which your brand is aligned around (branding)

Question 15

Voice

Answer 15

(MA) - Choice of language and tone for communication (branding)

Question 16

Category (6 C’s)

Answer 16

where your company fits within the market landscape - no matter the company goal, the category you choose sets the boundaries for the landscape in which you intend to compete.

Question 17

Community (6 C’s)

Answer 17

The target market and target audience of the marketing landscape you intend to operate within. Simply put, your customers and the people who influence them.

Question 18

Competition (6 C’s)

Answer 18

The other companies that operate within your marketing category, or who vie for the attention of the same community (think about the petal diagram: consumers have many options to fulfill a need when making a choice).

Question 19

Context (6 C’s)

Answer 19

The forces that shape and influence the category and community of the marketplace a company is entering (or, the world at large). You have to adapt whatever your company may be within the proper context of the marketplace to be successful.

Question 20

Criteria (6 C’s)

Answer 20

The set of parameters that should come out of examining the other C’s. It’s the last step in creating a positioning statement: it’s the 5-7 factors that you consider when weaving together your statement/message architecture (it could be looked at as a broad “feature set” that appeals to your community contextually within a category.

Question 21

Value Proposition

Answer 21

Defines the key benefit you promise to your most important customers.

Question 22

Elevator Story

Answer 22

The corporate story in brief.

Question 23

Key Messages

Answer 23

Top-line messages to communicate to primary audiences.

Question 24

Core (6 C’s)

Answer 24

Who are you, how do you differentiate yourself?

Question 25

Brand Driver

Answer 25

The single word or phrase that best captures the essence of what your brand stands for. This is a word or phrase that describes your essence in non-emotional terms. It is not a tagline. Instead, it is a concept that informs all your touchpoints with customers.

Question 26

House of Brands

Answer 26

Markets a range of separate brand names - individual brands are given spotlight, while parent company stays behind the scenes (think Unilever’s product offerings with the bunch of brands they operate)

Advantages: Each brand is free to fight its battles on its own terms

Disadvantages: Each brand must be funded, built, and managed separately.

Example: Procter and Gamble = Pringles, Tide, Vicks, etc.

Question 27

Branded House

Answer 27

Parent company is the brand itself and its products or services are subsets of the parent brand.

Advantages: All products and services can share the same budget, customers, and market position.

Disadvantages: All offerings won’t benefit equally from parent brand and competitors can easily outmaneuver offerings saddled with strategically weak meanings.

Example: Disney = Disney Parks, Disney Store, Disney Channel, etc.