Discuss the strategies for product positioning.

Each approach to positioning must take into consideration the nature of the customer, the product, and the unique selling proposition that will set the company’s product apart from its competitors. Some commonly used positioning strategies are based on the following attributes:
1. Positioning by product attributes and benefits : This strategy basically focuses upon the characteristics of the product or customer benefit. Associates a product with an attribute, a product feature or a consumer feature or benefit . Sometimes a product can be positioned in terms of two or more attributes simultaneously. The price/ quality attribute dimension is commonly used for positioning the products.

A common approach is setting the brand apart from competitors on the basis of the specific characteristics or benefits offered. Sometimes a product may be positioned on more than one product benefit. Marketers attempt to identify salient attributes (those that are important to consumers and are the basis for making a purchase decision)
At time even you would have noticed that a product is positioned along two or more product characteristics at the same time. You would have seen this in the case of toothpaste market, most toothpaste insists on ‘freshness’ and ‘cavity fighter’ as the product characteristics. It is always tempting to try to position along several product characteristics, as it is frustrating to have some good characteristics that are not communicated.
Advantages
1. Communicates consumer wants or satisfaction
2. Communication of characteristic/benefit helps create separation from competitors
3. Can provide clear distinction/separation from competitors
Disadvantages
1. Under or non delivery of promise/expectations can undermine brand and image
2. Competitors can undermine position by matching characteristic or benefit

2.Positioning by price/ quality
Marketers often use price/ quality characteristics to position their brands. One way they do it is with ads that reflect the image of a high-quality brand where cost, while not irrelevant, is considered secondary to the quality benefits derived from using the brand. Premium brands positioned at the high end of the market use this approach to positioning.

The use price/ quality characteristics can also focus on the quality or value offered by the brand at a very competitive price. Although price is an important consideration, the product quality must be comparable to, or even better than, competing brands for the positioning strategy to be effective.
Advantages
1. Can create clear separation with competitors
2. Appeals directly to a fundamental, broad-based consumer want – saving money and getting good value for Disadvantages
1. Detract from perceived value of product when it’s based on low price positioning
2. Position can always be undercut by competition your money
3.Positioning by use or application : Another way is to communicate a specific image or position for a brand is to associate it with a specific use or application.
Advantages
- Strong association with act, time, event, location, etc.
Disadvantages
- Can be limiting
4. Positioning by product class
Often the competition for a particular product comes from outside the product class. For example, airlines know that while they compete with other airlines, trains and buses are also viable alternatives. Manufacturers of music CDs must compete with the cassettes industry. The product is positioned against others that, while not exactly the same, provide the same class of benefits.
Disadvantages
- Might not match consumer want; automatically exclusionary
- Potential for miscommunication
Advantages
- Creates immediate distinction and uniqueness
5. Positioning by product user: Positioning a product by associating it with a particular user or group of users is yet another approach.
Advantages
- Strong association with individual or group
Disadvantages
- Vulnerable to individual behavior/actions
- Can be limiting in some cases
- Inherently exclusionary
6. Positioning by competitor : Competitors may be as important to positioning strategy as a firm’s own product or services. In today’s market, an effective positioning strategy for a product or brand may focus on specific competitors. In this type of positioning strategies, an implicit or explicit frame of reference is one or more competitors. In some cases, reference competitor(s) can be the dominant aspect of the positioning strategies of the firm, the firm either uses the same of similar positioning strategies as used by the competitors or the advertiser uses a new strategy taking the competitors’ strategy as the base
Disadvantages
- Calls attention to competitors
- Could also highlight weaknesses of product/service
Advantage
Generate robust, strong awareness
Opportunity for comparisons; accentuates characteristics versus competition
7. Positioning by cultural symbols : An additional positioning strategy where cultural symbols are used to differentiate the brands. Each of these symbols has successfully differentiated the product it represents from competitors. - In today’s world many advertisers are using deeply entrenched cultural symbols to differentiate their brands from that of competitors. The essential task is to identify something that is very meaningful to people that other competitors are not using and associate this brand with that symbol.
Disadvantages
Meanings may not be shared by all
Some negative connotations associated with symbol (Aunt Jemima)
Advantages
1. Association with positive attributes or feelings
2. Positioning against competitors
3. Positioning by product distribution

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Lellah answered the question on November 5, 2021 at 08:32