Positioning brand positioning

Alexander Koene wrote this article on August 14, 2008. It's older than some marketing managers, but the core still holds up.

The word everyone uses, but nobody understands

Brand positioning. You hear it everywhere. From the design studio making a logo ("we position your brand!") to the ad agency rolling out a campaign ("we position your brand!") to the web designer talking about Google ("we position your brand!"). Everyone positions. But what are we actually doing?

We often think it's done with a punchy line. Apple = "tools for creative people." Nike = "just do it." Renault = "créateurs d'automobiles." Done, let's do lunch.

But wait. Is that really all Apple is? I don't think so. And neither do you.

A brand is a story, not a slogan

A brand lives in people's minds. It's a network of associations — images, feelings, memories. And you don't build that in an afternoon with a whiteboard and three Post-its.

Take Volvo. That story begins in the Swedish cold, where you simply have to build solid cars to survive. Harsh winters, frozen roads, and the occasional unfortunate reindeer. That brand grew into something people feel: safety, quality, love for what matters most to you. One sentence doesn't cover that.

A brand story has chapters. It evolves. It surprises. And it needs to keep moving you emotionally, year after year.

What Absolut teaches us about boredom

Absolut Vodka was celebrated for years for the consistency of their bottle campaign. Awards. Praise. Admiration. And then... yawn.

Because consistent can be beautiful, but predictable is deadly. Fortunately, Absolut understood this in time. New flavours, fashion icons, Icebars and a campaign that took us to an ideal world. The brand repositioned itself without disowning its past. That's the real work.

Positioning as a framework, not a straitjacket

A brand positioning isn't a dogma carved in stone. It's a dynamic framework: it establishes which choices you make, why they're right and what must never disappear. It leaves room for a new chapter, but keeps the storyline intact when the baton is passed.

And yes, sometimes a good line helps with that. As an encore. Not as an endpoint.

The real challenge

Strong brands captivate, surprise and touch you somewhere deep inside. They can't be captured in three words. They grow. They breathe.

The real challenge for brand builders? Keep striking the right chords. Renew without forgetting. And tell a story that people want to keep following, even when they already know it.