Creating a strong brand for your independent business
Module 5: Positioning your brand
How can you stand apart from the rest of the competition?
Positioning your brand
What do your best customers think about your brand? What do you want them to think? An amazing thing about the journey you’ve started to build your brand is that you get to choose what you want your best customers think about your business and brand. Positioning is all about assessing what your best customers think about their other options, and finding a space that only you can fill, in their minds.
When you complete this module, you will know where the brand you are building can win against the key competitors.
Video lesson: Positioning your brand
Worksheet 4.1 Perceptual map template
Working along with the helpful video, you’ll plot your key competitors on this map to find the place in your best customers’ mind where you know your brand can stand apart. Print out several blank copies and have fun trying different combinations of descriptors for the axes.
Video lesson: Perceptual map training
Know your competitors
Now that you’ve researched your best customers, you have to dig in to understand what other businesses are trying to win their business or what other companies they may choose in your place. In this lesson, you’ll gain tools on competitor research to assess the full view of your market and prioritize the companies most likely to compete for the customer you’ve selected for your brand.
> Video (24 minutes)
> Resource list: Competitor tools
> Worksheet: Competitors
> Worksheet: Key competitors
> Worksheet: Obstacles
Positioning your brand
What do your best customers think about your brand? What do you want them to think? An amazing thing about the journey you’ve started to build your brand is that you get to choose what you want your best customers think about your business and brand. Positioning is all about assessing what your best customers think about their other options, and finding a space that only you can fill, in their minds.
> Video (23 minutes)
> Worksheet: Perceptual maps
> Video (20 minutes)
Documenting your brand
Now that you’ve researched your audience, competitors and the market you’re in, you have to free all of the information you have gathered so that you can share it with other members of your company. Employees, partners, key vendors will all need to understand what your brand is about, so they can execute and make sure they deliver on the promise you’re making.
> Video (30+ minutes)
> Worksheet: Brand wheel
> Video (14 minutes)
> Worksheet: Brand pillars
> Worksheet: Stand against
> Video (23 minutes)
> Worksheet: Perceptual maps
> Video (20 minutes)
What? I might need some help.
Have questions? That’s okay. This course combines tools and techniques used by Adam and professional brand consultants and agencies around the world. Videos to set the lesson for each module along with rigorous worksheets formatted for the way you work best.
Adam’s also provided links to research tools you can use at little to no cost to make sure your brand is based on sound logic.
You can reach out here. For technical or basic questions, Adam or a member of the team will get back to you no problem. For brand related questions, or coaching, let’s set an appointment to talk.
Your instructor and coach.
This course was developed and is taught by Adam Pierno, award-winning brand marketer and author. He’s worked with brands you know, like Bona, Domino’s, Dunkin’, Mercedes-Benz, Pocky, State Farm and Verizon, for more than 20 years. His books on brand and marketing strategy are taught at ad agencies, universities and Fortune 500 companies to make marketing simpler to understand and execute.
All of the brand expertise, none of the hassles
If you’ve worked with advertising and brand agencies, you know how much work falls on you and how much it all costs. Brand positioning can cost thousands or more. This course gives you the same tools for a fraction of that investment. With no sacrifice to your results.
This course is based on Adam’s book, Specific. It’s a straight-forward method to build your brand by putting your customers first.
