How To Create Brand Positioning & Brand Taglines

In our last post, we discussed Brand Mission, Brand Personality and Brand Voice.

Now we jump into Brand Positioning and Brand Taglines.  More specific to this post, we provide you with a framework to develop your brand positioning and brand tagline. We interpret brand and reputation as interchangeable.  

Brand Positioning Primer

All decisions and actions, for internal and external customers, must produce the result we seek based on how we position ourselves in the marketplace.

All actions and communications must produce this assessment by those engaged with our brand. In other words, the space we want to own in the minds of our audiences (We = X).

What’s The Value of Brand Positioning?

1. Draws on company’s strongest assets
2. Illustrates uniqueness and differentiation
3. Centers employee on highest-value action
4. Explains why customers should buy
5. Defines why our brand is the best

Brand positioning portrays the space we want to own in the minds of internal and external audiences.

1. It’s logical, defensible, credible.
2. It’s the first step in cementing a specific,
   single understanding of the organization in
   the minds of all its audiences.
3. It allows for a range of conversations about
   attributes and offers.
4. It allows for organizational evolution over
   time: new markets, acquisitions, services.
5. It founds compelling communications via:

• Words that drive assessment “We = X”
• Creative look, feel illustrating “We = X”
• Internal and external tactics designed to
  create awareness, consideration and
  decisions driven by “We = X”

Brand Positioning Sample Framework

We are the most ___________________, essential to making lives ______________________, by delivering _____________________________, every time for the (target audience) with _________________________________ needs, requiring ___________________________________. 

Brand Tagline Primer

Taglines unify our customers and our employees. Think of it as short-hand or a rallying point. Effective taglines reflect functional and emotional values, capture brand essence, personality, positioning. and contributes to clear understanding of our brand.

The tagline must be strong to carry the day—clearly and concisely—to cut through the marketplace noise and ignite excitement around the value of a brand.

The tagline should be viewed as a highest-order benefit from which all other brand elements can expand upon. Benefit is not to be confused with features of a product, service, person or place. Features are important, but contribute to the overall value or benefit of what a customer needs or desires.

What’s Up Next?

In our next post on Brand Architecture, we will share insights to help formulate your Brand Narrative or story you want told in the marketplace.

[This post is an excerpt from our new eBook: Branding: Much More Than A Logo. It’s Your Northstar! Download here. Prefer podcast? Click here.]

You access easy-to-read, easy-to-implement guideposts to check your brand alignment or develop your brand from the ground up.