Brand positioning strategy: What makes you the “only?”

If we asked you today, what makes you different? What would you say? You’d probably have a few things to say about what makes you stand out or how you are different from everybody else, right?

Now what if we asked you about your company or organization? Would you be able to clearly define that?

Do you have a simple, clear, one-sentence statement that defines who you are?

Our brand is the only__________ that__________.

In Marty Neumeier’s book, Zag, he says, “Onliness is by far the most powerful test of a strategic position. Brands need strong positioning because customers have choices—if you don’t stand out, you lose. To win the positioning game, you have to answer one simple question: What makes you the “only?” 

Clutter is the biggest competition to your brand. Did you know that the average consumer is exposed to between 6,000 and 10,000 ads every single day.

So how do you differentiate yourself?

Well, first you need to clarify what business you’re in—your core purpose. The reason you exist beyond making money. Then you have to define what makes you unique. 

Defining your unique identity will allow you to:

1. Resonate with the right audience
2. Empower your people with a simple, clear message about who you are
3. Claim a space in the market that makes you uniquely competitive

Once you’ve defined your point of differentiation or your onliness statement, you have a filter for future decisions. Does it support who you say you are? Does it fall in line with your belief system?

Stepping out and doing or saying something NO ONE else is doing or saying is crazy, right?

WRONG

What’s crazy is following what everyone else is doing and expecting to stand out from the competition.