October 9

Product Positioning

You probably have a fairly clear picture of where your product fits in the marketplace. Unfortunately, if your customers don’t share that picture, there’s a good chance your product won’t succeed in the market. That’s where product positioning comes in.

Product positioning definition and examples. Positioning is where your product or service fits in the marketplace. It is a strategic exercise that defines what makes your product unique and why it is better than alternative solutions. Distilling the truth of your product in this way informs your messaging so you can effectively explain the value of your offering to potential customers. The folks at Aha! explain what product positioning is, why it’s important to product managers, and provide an example.

(via @aha_io)

What is product positioning strategy? When you develop your product, it’s often hard to imagine how your product will be received once it’s out in the market. Product positioning strategy is planning for the market’s understanding of your product. And while you may say “The product’s position is…” the reality is that your product has a life of its own. The only product positioning that counts is what your customers think of it. The folks at 280 Group take an in-depth look at product positioning strategy and explain how to get your customers to think of your product in the position you want it in.

(via @the280group)

How to develop an effective product positioning strategy. The goal of every business is to ensure it has maximum visibility both in the marketplace and in the minds of its ideal customers. Developing an effective product positioning strategy is one of the methods that can be used to achieve this. If your company’s growth is slow or you’re sensing a shift in your market or customers, it could be time to improve your positioning and redefine your product positioning strategy. Anthea Louie takes a look at what product positioning is, why it’s so important, and how you can develop an effective product positioning strategy.

(via @LighterCapital)

Positioning for product managers. Positioning, while classically considered part of the marketing world, is absolutely essential for every product manager to understand. Positioning refers to the place that a brand occupies in the minds of customers and its perceived differentiation from its competitors. To understand how to develop your product’s positioning, Sachin Rekhi suggests April Dunford’s book Obviously Awesome and covers some key points from the book.

(via @sachinrekhi)

Harvard Business School is wrong about product positioning strategies. Product positioning strategies are key to fostering a unique connection with your customers. When a product or brand is positioned well, there’s no confusion around what the product does and it’s clear how your product differs from its competitors. Jay Haynes explains that instead of using product features to position your product (the traditional Harvard Business School approach), you should position your product based on the steps your customers take to get their job done.

(via @thrvapp)

Kent J McDonald

About the author

Kent J McDonald writes about and practices software product management. He has product development experience in a variety of industries including financial services, health insurance, nonprofit, and automotive. Kent practices his craft with a variety of product teams and provides just in time resources for product people at KBP.media and Product Collective. When not writing or product managing, Kent is his family’s #ubersherpa, listens to jazz and podcasts (but not necessarily podcasts about jazz), and collects national parks.


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