A concise internal statement that defines a brand’s target audience, category, key benefit, and point of difference.
A strategic reference used to keep messaging and brand decisions focused.
Short and sweet:
A concise internal statement that defines a brand’s target audience, category, key benefit, and point of difference.
A strategic reference used to keep messaging and brand decisions focused.
See also: Brand Positioning, Value Proposition, Target Audience
A positioning statement is an internal document, usually just a sentence or two, that defines who a product is for, what category it competes in, and why it’s better than the alternative a customer would otherwise choose. It’s meant to guide a team’s decisions rather than be published word-for-word to customers, functioning more like a compass that keeps messaging, product choices, and campaigns aligned with the same underlying strategy. Revisiting it periodically matters too, since a positioning statement written for a market that has since shifted can quietly steer decisions in the wrong direction.
A startup’s positioning statement might read something like: “For busy parents who need quick, healthy dinners, Blue Apron is the meal kit service that delivers pre-portioned ingredients, unlike grocery shopping which takes hours.”
Volvo’s internal version of this document has centered on safety above all else for decades, a single-minded focus that every ad and engineering decision gets checked against.
A new fitness app might define itself this way as the app built specifically for busy professionals who want efficient 20-minute workouts, distinct from competitors chasing bodybuilders or beginners.
