How to write a brand positioning statement

A positioning statement is a short internal sentence that keeps everyone pointing in the same direction. It is not a slogan and customers may never see it. Its job is to make decisions easier.

What it needs to contain

1. The audience. Who exactly is this for? "Everyone" is not an answer.
2. The frame of reference. What category or alternatives will people compare you with?
3. The benefit. What do they get that matters to them?
4. The reason to believe. Why should they trust the claim?

Some versions add a line on how you differ from the main alternative.

A simple template

A well-known format, popularised in technology marketing, can be adapted:

For [target audience] who [need or problem], [brand] is the [category] that [key benefit] because [reason to believe].

A hypothetical example

This example is for illustration and does not describe a real client:

For independent clinics who struggle to look as trustworthy online as large hospital groups, Example Care is the digital partner that makes small practices easy to find and easy to trust, because every message is written in plain language and checked by a clinician.

Notice what it does: it picks an audience, names a real problem, makes one promise and gives a reason to believe it.

How to write one, step by step

1. Gather facts. Customer conversations, sales calls, reviews and what competitors say.
2. List the alternatives. What do customers do if they do not choose you?
3. Find your real difference. Something customers value and competitors do not clearly offer.
4. Draft three versions. Different audiences or benefits, written plainly.
5. Test them with the questions below.
6. Pick one and commit. A position only works if you use it.

Four tests

• True: can you deliver it every time?
• Different: could a competitor say the same sentence?
• Relevant: does the audience actually care?
• Provable: can you show evidence for it?

Common mistakes

• Trying to appeal to every audience
• Using empty words such as "innovative", "quality" and "solutions"
• Describing features instead of a benefit
• Writing something nobody inside the company would say aloud
• Treating the statement as a one-off exercise and never using it

From positioning to messaging

Once you have the statement, derive the things customers see: a short description, a handful of key messages, the language on your website and the themes in your content. Check each new piece against the statement. If it does not support it, change it or drop it.

Where it fits

Positioning is the heart of brand strategy. If you want help shaping yours, our brand strategy and branding service starts there.