Brand positioning is often talked about but rarely executed well. Why?

Because it requires unwavering discipline and commitment. It demands that a company has a singular focus on the position it wants to own in the market. It means that everything you do is intentionally designed to reinforce and earn that singular position — consistently in the market — every day.

Below are a few quotes from CEOs and marketing experts that will quickly remind you of what brand positioning is and why it is so critical to success:

“A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.”
Seth Godin, Marketing Expert and Author

“Brand is the sum total of how someone perceives a particular organization. Branding is about shaping that perception.”
Ashley Friedlein, CEO and Founder of Guild

“Too many companies want their brands to reflect some idealized, perfected image of themselves. As a consequence, their brands acquire no texture, no character, and no public trust.”
Richard Branson, Virgin Group Founder

“If you don’t give the market the story to talk about, they’ll define your brand’s story for you.”
David Brier, Author of Brand Innovation

One of the best quotes that sums up the impact of brand positioning is from Jeff Bezos at Amazon:

“Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
Jeff Bezos, Amazon Founder

If fact, when HBR asked business leaders what factors they believe have the greatest impact on business performance — effective communication was second on the list.

So, we’ll ask the question again: What position do you want to own in the minds of your buyers? What do you want them to say about your business when you’re not in the room?

Business leaders who have a crystal clear answer to this question — have an immediate competitive advantage in the market. Those leaders who ensure every member of their organization understands and is 100 percent behind that positioning — will win. End of story.

That’s Your OnMessage Minute.