Product positioning

Positioning of goods is the process of determining the place that a new product should occupy among existing ones. Competent drawing up of the scheme of perception by the consumer of the concrete goods from a competing group is very useful at planning an exit with new products on the market or for definition of ways of modernization and perfection of the goods which are already on sale.

The positioning of the goods is carried out with a view to providing it with a competitive position among the analogues on the market. For this purpose, a set of corresponding measures is developed and implemented. The place of a specific product in the mind of the consumer in marketing is called his position.

In the conditions of the classical market, consumers are overwhelmed with information about the goods and services they offer . Often they are not in a position to make an appraisal of the goods before buying. The position that the product occupies in the mind of the buyer is a whole set of perceptions, sensations and impressions that arise when it is compared with competing analogues.

Consumers try to independently distribute for themselves different goods by category. However, such spontaneous positioning of the goods is not beneficial for producers who, with the help of marketing tools, tend to make this process manageable and profitable for themselves.

To date, three main product positioning strategies have been developed and successfully applied:

1. Strengthening the current position of the brand in the minds of consumers.
2. Search for an unoccupied position, which is of value to a large number of consumers.
3. Ousting competitors from their position in the minds of consumers or repositioning (if necessary, penetration into new segments or new markets).

The strategy of positioning is developed in three stages. The first determines the current positioning, the second selects the desired position, the third - develops the actual set of activities to achieve the desired position.

The basic principles of positioning are the following: consistency and fidelity to one chosen direction for a long time; Accessibility and simplicity combined with the expressiveness of presenting a position; Full correspondence of all components of the business (goods, services, advertising, etc.) to the chosen position.

The key advantage of the product, allowing the consumer to best meet their needs and distinguishing the product from peer competitors, is called the positioning attribute. It is the source of motivation when buying. The choice by the marketers of the attribute begins with the identification of consumer segments for benefits. They are divided into clusters for a number of reasons: on the basis of the price of the product, the image, the quality, the way it is used, the solution of specific problems, or on the basis of a combination of benefits.

The positioning of the product in terms of competitiveness to its counterparts can be carried out either through a new (free in the niche) position, or by ousting competitors from a given position.