Page 241 - DMGT308_CUSTOMER_RELATIONSHIP_MANAGEMENT
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Customer Relationship Management
Notes however, it may become necessary to rethink. Positioning usually involves segmenting
the market and choosing one or more segments.
6. Monitoring the position: How strongly and advantageously a position is maintained in
the market should be monitored periodically by using the tracking studies to measure the
image of the brand or the company. Marketers manage product positioning by focusing
their marketing activities on a positioning strategy. Pricing, promotion, channels of
distribution, and advertising all are geared to maximize the chosen positioning strategy.
According to C. Merle Crawford, common bases used for positioning include:
1. Features refer to objective physical or performance characteristics and are often used to
differentiate products.
Example: Amazon.com has a unique “I-click” ordering facility. Some autos claim “Zero
to 100 Kph in 6 seconds.”
This sort of positioning is more common with industrial products.
2. Benefits are directly related to products, such as Volvo’s emphasis on safety and durability.
Example: “Sticks in a snap,” is positioned for Fevi Kwick. Fairglow soap is “fairness
soap.”
3. Usage includes end use, demographic, psychographic, or behavioural segments for which
the product is meant. It also includes product popularity.
Example: Chayavanprash to build body resistance of children or elders, Farex for small
kids, Bajaj Pulsar “definitely male” for customers of a certain psychographic profile.
4. Parentage means the lineage denoting who makes the product.
Example: “Buying a car is like getting married. It’s a good idea to know the family first,”
advises The Mercedes S Class model. Companies proudly trumpet their names, such as “Sony
Vaio”, “Tata Indica”, “Fiat Palio,” etc.
5. Manufacturing process is often used to position the product. Some expensive watches
claim to be “hand crafted,” an appealing proposition in an age of mass produced artefacts.
6. Ingredients are sometimes highlighted to create a position.
Example: Some garment manufacturers claim “One hundred per cent cotton,” or
“Hundred per cent Merino wool.”
7. Endorsements are made either by experts or a common person with whom the target
customers are likely to identify.
Example: Michael Jordan using Nike shoes, and the unforgettable Lalitaji (a savvy middle
class housewife concerned about family budget) and her enduring advice that “Surf Ki Kharidari
Mein Hi Samajhdari Hai.” (It’s wise to buy Surf).
8. Comparison with a competitor’s product is a fairly common positioning approach.
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