Page 119 - DMGT408DMGT203_Marketing Management

Marketing Management/Essentials of Marketing

Notes 5.4.3 Positioning Approaches

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:
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.

Benefits are directly related to products, such as Volvo’s emphasis on safety and durability.

Example: “Sticks in a snap,” Fevi Kwick. Fairglow soap is”fairness soap.”
Usage includes end use, demographic, psychographic, or behavioural segments for whom 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.

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.
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 artifacts.

Ingredients are sometimes highlighted to create a position.

Example: Some garment manufacturers claim “One hundred per cent cotton,” or
“Hundred per cent Merino wool.”
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).

Comparison with a competitor’s product is a fairly common positioning approach.

Example: Avis compared itself with Hertz, stressing that it tries harder because it the
second-biggest can rental company. Samsung Laser Printer compared itself with HP Laserjet... and
thereby jumped cleverly onto the same platform.

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