Stages of product positioning. Stages of developing a positioning strategy Essence of the main stages of the positioning process

Positioning, carried out according to two indicators - quality and price, should be carried out in the following sequence.

1. Evaluation of the goods of a given enterprise and its main competitors according to two criteria: an integral indicator of quality and price.

2. Plotting of all investigated goods on the field of the matrix "quality - price" using, if necessary, the volume of sales (radius of the circle) as the third coordinate.

3. Determination of the average value of the quality indicator and price for the entire set of analyzed goods.

4. Determination of the severity of competition in the markets by the degree of concentration of products of competing enterprises in different quadrants of the matrix.

5. Adjustment of the production and sales policy of the enterprise in terms of quality, output price and market segment.

Types of prices in marketing

Different types of prices are used in the marketing system. Some of them are presented in table.

Price name	Characteristic

Baseline	It is used to determine the quality of the goods and serves as the initial basis for determining the price of the actually delivered goods, when its properties differ from those specified in the contract, agreed between the seller and the buyer
Textured	Determined by the terms of delivery specified in the contract. Is the purchase and sale price
World	It is consistent with the type of goods and is determined by: - the price level of exporting or importing countries (usually for raw materials); - prices of exchanges, auctions; - the prices of leading specialist firms in the production of this product
Monopoly	Set by the monopolies well above the production price
Dumping	The price of the product is lower than in the domestic or world markets
Nominal	Published in price lists, reference books, stock quotes
Wholesale	The price of goods when they are sold in large quantities to trade and industrial enterprises
Offers	Specified in the offer (official offer of the seller) without discounts
Production	Consists of production costs and average profit for all advanced capital
Demand	Buyer's market price
Retail	It consists of the costs of production and circulation of goods, profits of production and sales organizations and turnover tax (the latter is not always set). At this price, the sale is carried out by individual buyers in very small quantities (1-3 pcs.)
Market	Determined by the ratio of supply and demand
Sliding	It is established by an agreement depending on certain conditions (inflation, stock quotes, etc.)
Background	Reflects the level of actually concluded transactions for a certain past period and is used in negotiations to establish the initial price. It is usually used for the constant sale of small quantities of goods (for large quantities, discounts to the reference price are used)
Solid	It is established in the sales contract and cannot be changed
Auction	The selling price of the goods sold at the auction. It is based on the market price, however, the auction price can differ significantly from the market price, since it reflects the conjuncture of local markets for unique and rare types of goods and largely depends on the skill of the auctioneer
State	Price set by the state
a commercial	Free (market) price applied to goods that are freely sold in the presence of fixed government prices for the same goods, distributed in a centralized manner
Adjustable	Price, which can deviate from the baseline according to the rules set by the state
Standard	A price that is set for an extended period of time. Instead of revising it when increasing the product, they usually reduce the size of the package, the weight of the product
Changing	The company deliberately changes the price - this is a reaction to changes in costs and demand
United	The price is the same for all consumers wishing to purchase a product. Used to build customer confidence
Flexible	Price that varies with consumers' bargaining power or purchasing power
Discriminatory	Different prices for almost the same products sold in different markets. Its existence is explained by the characteristics of consumers, the difference in time and place of purchases, the specifics of the product, etc.

Direct marketing

Direct marketing- an interactive marketing system for the distribution of goods, using various means of direct communication with potential consumers in order to complete a transaction.

Direct Marketing Benefits:

ü communication selectivity;

ü personification of messages;

ü establishment and development of stable ties;

ü significant time savings when purchasing goods;

ü reduction of costs for the maintenance of sales personnel;

ü use of modern computer networks.

Direct marketing is gaining ground in three business areas

Rice. 6.6. Types of direct marketing

Direct Selling Marketing(known in the literature as "direct marketing") provides the shortest path to reaching customer contact to receive orders. This

the form of sale provides benefits for both market participants:

For the manufacturer - significantly reduces costs,
increases the efficiency of control over sales volumes;

For the consumer - it is prompt, convenient
a form of contact that allows you to adapt to changes in market conditions.

Direct Selling Marketing Forms:

ü sale of goods by catalog - sale using universal and specialized catalogs for goods. The buyer gets the opportunity to slowly think about the upcoming purchase;

ü Mailing list ("direct mail") - sending various offers, announcements, reminders with well-thought-out content to a specific address. Color illustrations, advertising materials are used: a self-addressed envelope must be attached. Both a personal appeal to a specific person - direct mailing, and an addressless printed offer - indirect mailing, when a printed offer is dropped into a mailbox, can be applied. Experience shows that direct mail is of interest to 0.5-5% of recipients;

ü sale by phone (telemarketing) - oral presentation of goods by phone calls to potential customers. There is a possibility of offering goods from the advantageous side. Intonation, psychological persuasion are used. An agent performing such work must have professional telephone communication skills and be ready to improvise; his proposals should be concise and understandable to anyone. Experience shows that telemarketing can attract from 0.75 to 5% of consumers when it comes to consumer goods and up to 15% in the case of working with industrial goods;

formation of a customer data bank - lists of target groups of customers are drawn up. In recent years, a special position has appeared at the enterprises - a data bank manager, whose duties include the formation, sorting, clarification of information about customers, maintaining card files using modern technical means.

Marketing in computer networks (network marketing) assumes the presence of a computer connection via a modem with a telephone line for the use of information services.

Network Marketing has the following advantages:

Prompt receipt of the necessary information;

Insignificant costs of both time and money
funds;

Wide audience;

The ability to quickly take into account market conditions.

There are various distribution channels in network marketing:

ü electronic stores - on the Internet or in a commercial network line. They contain a description of the store, catalogs of offered goods, information about the possibilities of communication with the store, the conditions for ordering goods;

ü forums - discussion clubs with libraries and rooms for real-time communication by special subscription;

ü teleconferences - discussion of a certain topic by PC users in real time;

ü electronic bulletin boards - specialized network services by subject and user groups;

ü e-mail - communication of the company's clients in real time.

· First of all, you need to deal with competing firms of similar products. After analyzing the situation, you can see whether the company will be competitive, whether it will be able to take its rightful place in the market of goods and services.
It is necessary to conduct a study of consumer demand in order to find out the general trend of perception by clients (buyers) of the type of services (goods) of interest to us, it is important to determine the main criteria for selling and buying. By means of questionnaires, social. surveys, the marketer must find out what factors are determining when choosing a particular product from potential buyers. The main task of positioning is to create a certain value of a product, its need, create a certain image (in other words, an image) and present it to the target audience for which it will be of interest. To assess the position of a product on the market, you need to have an idea of competing firms and know the characteristics of the products they represent. This allows you to better understand the degree of attractiveness of various brands to buyers and develop your own strategy for introducing your name to the masses.
Using the product category as an example, let's say a firm is going to launch a series of hair care products on the market. Since in our time this will not surprise anyone, and there are a great many different hair care products, a marketer needs to know the combination of factors that determine attractiveness to buyers and, on the basis of this, create a product that will meet these requirements, stand out from the crowd.

· Now we come to the second step of positioning - the creation of defining attributes.
This means that the product must meet the desired characteristics, be relevant for a wide range of users of different ages and professions, in other words, be universal for everyone.
Attributes can be as follows:
- beneficial use of the product. An example is the company "Styx", which produces cosmetics, including hair shampoos. The benefit of these shampoos is that they are very economical to use and last for a long time.
- versatility. An example is a cloth for dust, it is for glass, does not require detergents.
- popularity with a wide audience. Take the same shampoos, it is known that everyone wash their heads, both adults and children.
- an advantageous comparison with the products of other manufacturers, substantiation of the uniqueness of your product.
- ecological justification. This immediately positions the company from the advantageous point of view (the same dust rag that does not require detergents, which means that using our rags, you care about the environment)
- geographical location (famous French cheeses)
Here is a rough list of factors that can play a decisive role in customer attractiveness. It is important not to overdo it here, otherwise there may be the opposite result and instead of the expected interest in the public, you may cause distrust and confusion.
You can choose one or more attributes as a basis and stick to them. And the task of the marketer is to find out which characteristics of the product will be decisive and influence customer demand.

Collecting information about buyers' perceptions of competing products
After the list of competing products has been formed, it is necessary to analyze which characteristics of the products are decisive for a given target market and product category. Typically, this information about the market is obtained through ad hoc research, such as a focus group survey, aimed at identifying defining attributes. Further, a quantitative analysis is required, which can be carried out by interviewing buyers about their perception and evaluating competing products for individual characteristics. There are other analytical and statistical tools that are useful at this stage of positioning.

Analysis of the current position of a product in a competitive set
Regardless of whether a new product is being positioned for the first time on the market, or it is about repositioning an existing product, it is necessary to use tools that will help determine the positioning of competitive products. A so-called perception map (or positioning grid) can help with this. In case it is necessary to compare the positions of goods by two defining characteristics, the positioning grid will show a visual picture of perception. To analyze product positioning for three or more attributes, multilevel grids are used.
However, a trademark or a specific product, which the consumer does not yet know about, cannot take place in his mind. Often, the set of goods known to the buyer in a given product category is 3 or less brands. Consequently, informing the consumer about a new brand is the first step towards gaining a distinctive position for it. For this, like the entire marketing strategy in general, and the marketing communications strategy in particular, should provide for the creation of a close relationship between the brand and a set of attributes that influence the decision to purchase. Without this, the efforts of all those creating product awareness, in particular advertising agencies, will be ineffective.
The marketing opportunity for gaining a distinctive position when a customer prefers a limited number of brands is to gain a profitable position by focusing on an attribute that consumers in a particular market segment value. However, this is only effective when the segment is not dominated by a large brand.
Restrictions, with a strong position. If the market changes in such a way that the value that the consumer attaches to the defining attribute decreases, it may be difficult to reposition a brand with a strong position on that attribute. Repositioning carries the threat of losing (regardless of the success of the product in the new target segment) a significant part of current consumers.
You should also not overexploit the strong brand position, for example, by using its name for new products or when expanding the range. New products may not match the original position and weaken the brand image.

Determine which attribute combinations are most preferred by buyers
Analysts identify customer preferences and incorporate them into positioning analysis in several ways. So, when conducting surveys, respondents are asked to form in their imagination an image of a product or brand with ideal, from his point of view, qualities. After that, the respondent gives marks to his “ideal” and other “real” products according to a number of criteria. You can also ask the respondents to assess the similarity of the proposed real brands, combined in pairs, and identify the pair that best meets their requirements and expectations. By processing the results with the appropriate statistical methods, the analyst places ideal points of the respondents on the map of the commodity space in their assessment of the place of real brands.
Also, the preferences of buyers and the trade-offs that are acceptable in this case are studied using joint analysis, a method used in statistics. Respondents are asked to prioritize modifications to a wide range of products, each of which has qualities that change systematically. As a result of the analysis, it is possible to draw conclusions about the most significant properties of the goods for the buyer. Also, this data can be used in the analysis of product positioning described above.
Price, as an indicator of the position occupied, is usually not used, unless price is the main factor in the marketing strategy. Let's consider the reasons for this. As you know, competitors can set a similar price. In this case, if the firm has no real reason to lower the price (advantages of the technological process, etc.), the situation can turn into a price war, from which only buyers will benefit. Also, buyers do not trust the statement about the cheapness of a product or service due to the prevalence of such an advertising move. Therefore, in order to achieve a stable result, it is more logical to use other advantages of the product.

Consider the alignment of possible positions with the needs of consumers and the attractiveness of the segment
In differentiating market segments, one of the most important criteria was the difference in benefits for different consumers. Differences in ideal shoppers' points imply differences in the benefits they would like to find, and market positioning studies will highlight distinct market segments and brand localization. On a product space map, a segment is each relatively isolated group of ideal shoppers. For the purposes of analysis, each group is represented by a circle, which includes most of the ideal points of a given segment, the size of the circle is proportional to the number of buyers in this segment.

· Identifies niches of new products in the existing product space to maximize the satisfaction of demand and completes the analytical stage of the positioning process, forming a product positioning decision. Also, during positioning, positions for placing new additional products will be clearly presented.

Prepare a positioning report or value proposition for the marketing strategy executive
Analysis of target markets and market positioning will lead to a conclusion about the positioning or repositioning of the brand. At the same time, the new position must meet the requirements of a specific market segment and take into account the present positions of competing brands.
In addition, it should reflect not only today's but also tomorrow's needs of the target market - its size, development prospects, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of competitors. This information, combined with the calculation of the costs of conquering the market and keeping the occupied niche, allows a preliminary calculation of the economic results of various market positioning options.
If the product is identical to existing ones, it is problematic to achieve real success. For a successful marketing strategy, you need to clearly identify all actions in relation to the product, its place among competitors. An option would be to write a positioning report. More common today is the creation of a value proposition for a product.

Positioning and branding

Confusion constantly occurs with the definition of the word (and concept) "brand" - still b O more than with the word "positioning". The most interesting definition that the author has encountered over several years of work in marketing is also the most comprehensive. At trainings, the author cites it as an example of a kind of "universal weapon": if a marketing department representative needs to confuse the financial director or director of an enterprise, then this very definition can "turn off" the opponent for 10–20 minutes. Authorship by Paul Feldwick, former director of strategic planning at DDB: "A brand is a collection of perceptions in the consumer's mind." No one will be able to refute or confirm this phrase, since it is hardly possible to explain what “perception” and “imagination” are. Nevertheless, such a definition may have a right to exist. As, however, and this: "A brand is an identifiable product, service, person or place, designed in such a way that the consumer or customer perceives a unique added value that meets his needs in the best way" (Leslie De Chernaton - Leslie De Chernatony).

In our work, we use a more complex definition, which has incorporated several others: "A brand is a coherent set of functional, emotional and self-expressive, consistently fulfilled promises to target consumers that are meaningful to them and meet their needs in the best way." Usually, at trainings or when communicating with clients, our company employees give a detailed explanation of this definition. As part of this article, we invite readers to independently understand it [v].

Almost none of the modern branding theorists have been able to connect the concepts of positioning and branding. It is impossible to guess from the books and articles of experts how these two ideas relate, although they are mentioned simultaneously and separately in each of the publications more than one number of times. Obviously, the problem lies in the methodological (how it should work in theory) and in the practical part (how it actually works). Brand models - due to their complexity and multidimensionality, which means that due to the problematic nature of transferring to real life, they often remain on paper, and positioning - due to the seeming ease of its development - has gone on a walk in minds and advertisements. Although, with a more or less thoughtful analysis, it becomes clear that the vast majority of products are not positioned in any way, but are simply promoted under (sometimes) bright advertising slogans.

It is not in our power to fix the practical part of creating positioning: after all, talent, insight and painstaking work "in one bottle" that lead to success are a great rarity. But in ours - to explain the theoretical combination of the brand model and positioning, which will help marketers to more accurately and quickly create positioning based on brand elements, and if there is a successful positioning, integrate it into the brand model.

We at BrandAid use the following formula for combining brand model and positioning: positioning is the brand element (s) that the manufacturer communicates to the market at the moment. Since a brand (at least its essence) does not change over time, positioning can reflect those aspects of the brand that currently best meet the needs of the market and the behavior of competitors.

Thus, as long as a brand is an all-encompassing concept of the existence of a product, then the idea of product positioning is a “sub-concept” of the brand.

The only confirmation of this postulate we can find in the work of David Aaker (David Aaker) Building Strong Brands, in which he gives his model of the relationship between the internal structure of the brand and positioning (Fig. 1).

Any theorem can be proved in different ways. Moreover, theorems are often refuted by thoughtful students or observant descendants. Since the author of the article, thank God, is still alive, he has the opportunity to engage with anyone interested in a discussion on the topic "Positioning and brand: how they relate." Nobody knows how the discussion will end. It is known for sure that the questions of how to correctly position the goods and create their own brand are tormented today by the majority of domestic entrepreneurs. And the one who finds the answer to them will deserve the installation of a bust in the homeland during the life of the hero.

Method of building perception maps for product positioning

In many companies, this is how the issue is resolved. An arbitrary, depending on the personal considerations of the marketing specialist, the choice of two or three indicators representing the most important properties of the product, such as price, taste, etc., is carried out. about the products on the market, a graph is built that demonstrates the differences between the products of the company and competitors according to the selected indicators.

This approach to perceptual mapping is described in all marketing textbooks. Its apparent simplicity makes it difficult for marketers to understand its shortcomings.

Firstly, two main indicators are used to evaluate goods in a two-dimensional plane - taste and price of the goods. There is no guarantee that they are the criteria for differentiating the products of different enterprises in the mind of the consumer.

Secondly, other indicators by which consumers can evaluate products are immediately dropped from the analysis. Their influence is not taken into account.

The problem with this approach is that, existing in three dimensions, we can only build a system of objects in one, two or three dimensions. A large number of measurements, in our case, indicators characterizing products, can only be described analytically. Therefore, to construct a perception map that would not have the above disadvantages, methods of multidimensional scaling are used.

Multidimensional scaling is a field of mathematical psychology, and its first task is the analysis of subjective perception. In this sense, multidimensional scaling is an ideal tool for creating a positioning map, which, in fact, reflects the subjective perception of the target segment of certain objects (goods or brands) in the space of incentives, in our case, positioning indicators, for example, price - taste. ...

In the general case, the method of multidimensional scaling makes it possible to locate a significant set of object characteristics (n> 3) in a space of a lower dimension, for example, the most convenient two-dimensional or three-dimensional space for visual perception. In this case, the new dimension of a smaller order will be expressed in the form of implicit variables that aggregate the basic properties of the initial indicators. A certain part of the information is lost in this case, however, due to some loss of the initial information, we get the opportunity to visually observe and compare the location of objects in relation to each other.

In our case, the objects can be trade marks or goods that are evaluated by the consumer according to a certain number of indicators that form a multidimensional space. By the method of multidimensional scaling, the multidimensional space of indicators is reduced to two- or three-dimensional, while the axes of the two-dimensional space are formed by implicit variables.

The technique of such an algorithm is rather complicated, therefore, at present, the multidimensional scaling procedure is carried out exclusively on the basis of modern software, such as, for example, SPSS or Statistica.

The quality of the resulting model, i.e. the quality of compression of the original dimension from the standpoint of preserving the original information is most often investigated using the S-stress indicator proposed by Takein and RSQ. Without going into a technical description of these indicators, we note that a close-to-zero S-stress indicator means a good fit of the model, close to one means a low quality of the results obtained. And on the contrary, RSQ, close to one, speaks about the high quality of the model, close to zero - about its meaninglessness.

Conclusion

Guided by completely different motives, it is necessary to understand that with a variety of demand in a competitive environment, each individual person will react differently to the offered goods and services. Satisfy the needs of all consumers without exception, for example, a number of consumers who preferred high-quality goods and are ready to pay the corresponding price, while others had the opportunity to purchase goods of lower quality at a low price. It may also turn out that the average number and set of properties at an average price will not satisfy any of the consumer groups.

In-depth market research suggested the need to consider it. In this regard, when planning my business, I considered the market as a differentiated structure depending on consumer groups and consumer properties of the product, which in a broad sense defines the concept of market segmentation.

The market segmentation strategy allowed the company to take into account its strengths and weaknesses when choosing marketing methods, to choose those that will ensure the concentration of resources in those areas of activity where the company has maximum advantages or, at least, minimum disadvantages. When identifying segments and choosing a target, one should always take into account the scale of the market and the emerging trends in it.

Having discussed the many variables that can be used to segment the market. The task was to sort these variables and decide which ones were most likely to be useful. Sometimes marketers simply gather data on as many potentially useful variables as possible and then use data analysis to segment shoppers. In addition, I have found that product-specific variables are more closely related to market decision making.

The objects of segmentation were primarily consumers. Highlighted in a special way, possessing certain common features, they constituted a market segment.

Tobacco products refer to a specific type of product that is designed to meet specific needs of people.

The formation of the tobacco product program began with the development of general goals, the development of preliminary forecasts, supported by data from the study of consumer demand, and with the analysis of competitors' proposals.

Simultaneously with the development of the company's strategy, an advertising campaign was being developed, which is aimed at potential customers.

The specificity of advertising of tobacco products was that most often cigarettes of a higher class produce their own posters, the presence of which is necessary, first of all, at the points of sale of this type of product, carry out various advertising campaigns with the receipt of prizes that also attract the attention of consumers of tobacco products ...

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Positioning is usually done in three steps:

I. A detailed market research is conducted to determine which attributes are important for a given market segment, and the priority of these attributes is established.

II. A list of competing products with identified attributes is compiled.

III. The ideal level of attribute values for a specific market segment is established. A comparative assessment of the attributes of the positioned product brand in comparison with the ideal level and in comparison with competitors' products is carried out.

Based on the results of positioning, market segments and directions of product differentiation are finally selected. For example, a passenger car manufacturer might focus on the durability of its vehicles, while a competitor might focus on economy. In this example, positioning is carried out by one advantage. However, in practice, positioning can be carried out using two or even three attributes. For example, Aquafresh toothpaste is promoted on the basis of three advantages: fighting caries, fresh breath and teeth whitening.

Preparing the foundation for marketing strategies: the positioning process. Positioning a new product in the minds of buyers or repositioning an existing product on the market involves a number of steps:

1. Determine the appropriate set of competitive products serving the target market.

2. Establish a set of defining attributes that outline the "product space" in which the positions of the current offers are located.

3. Collect information by examining a sample of buyers and potential customers about the perception of each product by defining attributes.

4. Determine the current position of the product in the commodity space (positioning) and the strength of its position.

5. Determine the most preferred combination of defining attributes for buyers.

6. Examine the correspondence between the preferences of market segments and the current position of the product (market positioning). Determine the positions that new additional products can occupy.

7. Draw up an opinion on positioning and develop proposals for the further development and implementation of a marketing strategy.

These steps apply to goods and services, in domestic and international markets, and to new and existing goods. This does not mean that the defining attributes of a product and consumer perception of different competitive offerings will remain the same across countries or other market segments; they are likely to be different for most products. Once managers have selected an appropriate set of competitive offerings that serve a target market (step 1), they must formulate a set of critical or defining product attributes that are important to buyers in that target market (step 2).

Step 3 involves gathering information from a sample of buyers about their perception of different offers, and in step 4, researchers analyze this information to determine the current position that the product occupies in the minds of buyers, the strength of its position, as well as the position of competitors.

After that, managers establish the most preferred combinations of defining attributes for buyers, which requires additional data collection (step 5). This makes it possible to study the correspondence between the preferences of a given target segment of buyers and the current positions of competitive offers (step 6). Finally, in Step 7, managers write a short summary that states the positioning decision they made.

Step 1: determine the appropriate set of competitive products.

Positioning analysis is useful at many levels: a company as a whole, a business unit, a product category, a specific product line or brand. At the company or business unit level, this analysis helps determine how the company or business unit is positioned relative to its competitors.

At the product category level, the analysis examines shoppers' perceptions of the types of products that they might consider to be substitutes satisfying the same basic needs. For example, suppose a company is contemplating introducing a new instant breakfast drink. The new product will have to compete with other breakfast items like scrambled eggs and bacon, breakfast cereals, and even fast food. To assess the position of a new product in the market, the marketer must get an idea of the perception of buyers of the new product in relation to the likely interchangeable products for a variety of attributes that define it, which corresponds to stages 3 and 4 of the positioning process.

If competitors are introducing multiple products in the same product category, positioning analysis at the product or brand level can be helpful to better understand how different brands are attractive to customers, to position proposed new products or brands, or to reposition existing ones and identify sources of new ones. competitive opportunities.

At whatever level the positioning analysis is carried out, the choice of competing products (product categories, firms) by the analyst is critically important. Companies that neglect important fungibles or potential competitors run the risk of being hit by unforeseen competitors under the auspices.

Step 2: set defining attributes.

Positioning can be based on a variety of attributes that include the desired characteristics or benefits. The following are the most common types of positioning blades.

Seeking benefits, like traits, are directly related to the product. Use includes end use - versatility statement). Demographic basis; psychographic or behavioral basis and popularity.

In theory, consumers can use many attributes to evaluate products or brands, but the number of attributes that actually influence consumer choice tends to be small, in part because consumers can only view the attributes they are aware of. The more variables are used when positioning a given product, the higher the likelihood of confusion and even distrust on the part of some consumers. Positioning activities should be as simple as possible and complexity should be avoided at all costs.

When using one or more attributes as the basis for brand positioning, it is important to be aware that the meaning given to these attributes is often different. For example, while brand names of a hotel-provided soap or shampoo may be an attribute that some consumers use when evaluating hotels, it is unlikely that most people would attach much importance to it when deciding which hotel chain to use. Even an important attribute may not greatly influence consumer preferences if all alternative brands are perceived to be roughly equal in this dimension. The safety of the deposit is an important attribute that is considered when choosing a bank, but most consumers perceive all banks as equally safe. Consequently, the safety of the deposit is not a defining attribute: it does not play an important role in helping buyers differentiate alternatives and determine which bank they prefer.

Marketers must rely primarily on defining attributes when defining product space in positioning analysis. The question is how a marketer can figure out which product parameters are defining attributes. This task usually requires some kind of marketing research in accordance with the marketing research process described in the previous chapter. This brings us to step 3.

Step 3: Collect information about the perception of the competing products by the buyers.

Having formed a set of competing products, the marketer must find out which attributes are defining for the analyzed target market and product category. He also needs to figure out how different products in a set of competitive products are rated by buyers for these attributes. Typically, this market knowledge is gathered primarily through qualitative research, such as focus group interviews, to identify defining attributes. This is followed by quantitative analysis, such as asking consumers about their perceptions, to gather information about how competing products are ranked on individual attributes. Later in this chapter, we will discuss several statistical and analytical tools that you may find useful in this part of the positioning process.

Step 4: Analyze the current positions of the products in the competitive set.

Whether the positioning process is for a new product not yet on the market or repositioning an existing product, it is important to provide a clear understanding of the positioning of products that have been identified as part of a competitive set (see step 1). A useful tool to accomplish this is a positioning grid, also called a perceptual map. A positioning grid provides a visual representation of the positions of various products or brands in a competitive set based on (typically) two defining attributes. When more than two attributes need to be considered in a positioning analysis, multidimensional or multiple meshes are created. But not all products or brands exist in the minds of most consumers.

A brand that is unfamiliar to a consumer cannot, by definition, take a place in that consumer's mind. Often the set of goods that a consumer is aware of for a given product class is 3 or fewer brands, even if the number of brands on the market is more than 20. Thus, many, if not all, brands are poorly remembered or not remembered by consumers at all. For example, over the past 10 (or so) years, more than 200 new soft drinks have been introduced, most of which customers have not noticed or remembered. Thus, the first step in a brand gaining a distinctive position is to create brand awareness. To achieve this goal, a brand must be strongly associated with one or more ideas regarding a buying decision. Distinctive position is most easily achieved by creating a close relationship between the brand and a limited number of attributes. Determining the attributes on which product positioning will be based is the main outcome of the positioning process and the driving force behind the marketing communications strategy, as well as the marketing strategy in general, that will ultimately be developed. Without clear guidance on the intended position of the product, advertising agencies, marketers, and all those responsible for creating product awareness and acceptance in the marketplace will be ill-equipped to do this important job.

Marketing opportunities to gain a distinctive position. In situations where the minds of consumers are dominated by one or a limited number of brands of a certain class (or type) of goods, the main opportunity for competitors is usually to gain a profitable position within a market segment in which the leading brand does not dominate. Head-on competition with leaders based on the attributes chosen by larger competitors is likely to be ineffective. The best choice is to focus on an attribute that members of a given market segment value.

Constraints imposed by a strong position. While companies must strive for a distinctive and strong brand position, gaining that position imposes constraints on their future strategies. If changes in the market environment reduce the value that buyers attach to the current defining attribute, companies may have difficulty repositioning a brand that has a strong perceived position on that attribute. Repositioning carries the threat of losing some or all of the current consumers of the product, regardless of success in its new target group. The success of its repositioning could indeed lead to the loss of its current consumer group.

Another danger associated with a strong brand position is the temptation to over-exploit that position by using the brand name when expanding a product line and for new products. The danger here is that new products may not match the original positioning and the strong brand image is weakened.

Step 5: Determine which attribute combinations are most preferred by buyers.

There are several ways that analysts can identify customer preferences and incorporate them into positioning analysis. For example, survey respondents may be asked to come up with an ideal product or brand within a specific product category — a hypothetical brand that has the ideal combination of attributes (from a customer’s perspective). The respondents are then asked to cordon off their ideal product and existing products by a number of attributes. An alternative approach is to ask respondents not only to rate the degree of similarity of certain pairs of existing brands, but also to indicate their level of preference for each pair. In either case, the analyst, using appropriate statistical techniques, can locate respondents' ideal points in relation to the positions of various existing brands on the product space map.

Another method of assessing customer preferences and the trade-offs between buyers is a statistical technique called collaborative analysis. Customers are asked about their preferences for a variety of real or hypothetical product configurations, each with attributes that change systematically. By analyzing the resulting data, the marketer can find out which of several attributes are more important than others. These results can then be used to conduct a positioning analysis like the one we described.

Using price as one of the metrics in a positioning grid, or as the key attribute by which a product is positioned, is usually not very useful unless price is the key driving force of your marketing strategy. This is true for two reasons. First, the price is easily imitated by competitors. If a firm does not have a clear cost advantage over competitors due to its manufacturing process or other sources of efficiency, using a low price as the basis for positioning can quickly lead to a price war in which there are no winners (except consumers). Secondly, claims that a product - a product or service - is cheap are sometimes not very trustworthy, because so many sellers make such claims. It is often better to position against more robust differentiation factors and let price speak for itself more skillfully.

Step 6: Consider the alignment of possible positions with the needs of consumers and the attractiveness of the segment.

An important criterion in determining market segments is the difference in benefits sought by different buyers. Because the differences between the ideal shoppers' points reflect the differences in the benefits they are looking for, market positioning analysis can simultaneously identify individual market segments as well as the perceived positions of different brands. When ideal shoppers are grouped in two or more locations on the map of the product space, the analyst can consider each group as a separate market segment. For analytical purposes, each group is represented by a circle that contains most of the ideal points for that segment; the size of the circle reflects the relative proportion of customers within a particular segment.

Step 6 not only completes the analytical part of the positioning process and formulates a positioning decision, but also helps to identify places in the product space where additional new products can be placed to meet customer needs that are poorly served by current competitors. A possible side benefit achieved during the positioning process is the identification of underserved positions where new complementary items can be placed.

Step 7: Create a positioning report or value proposition for the marketing strategy executive.

The final decision on how to position a new brand or reposition an existing one should be determined by both the analysis of the target markets and the results of the analysis of market positioning. The position chosen should be consistent with the preferences of a particular market segment and take into account the current positions of competing brands.

It should also reflect the current and future attractiveness of the target market (size, expected growth and environmental constraints) and the relative strengths and weaknesses of competitors. This information, together with an analysis of the costs required to win and maintain these positions, makes it possible to assess the economic consequences of different market positioning strategies.

Provided that there are no real differences between products, as in the case of so-called “me-too” products, or differential user benefits, success is difficult to achieve and some ethical issues may arise. Once the desired product positioning has been identified, it is good to document this so that those responsible for developing and implementing the marketing strategy have a clear understanding of what is planned for the product and how it will be positioned in relation to other products in the competitive set. Two approaches are commonly used for this purpose. According to the classical approach, a positioning report is written. A newer approach, which is being adopted by an increasing number of firms, involves creating a value proposition for a product.

Drawing up a positioning report, or value proposition. A positioning report is a summary that identifies the target market for which the product is intended and the product category in which it competes, and sets out the unique benefits of using the product offered.

Likewise, a value proposition defines what a product means to a customer (and sometimes what it does not) and usually also includes information about prices compared to competitors. Both the positioning report and the value proposition must reflect the unique selling proposition that the product embodies. In this sense, they reflect the basis on which a company plans to gain a significant competitive advantage by differentiating its product from other products in the competitive space. At its most concise, a value proposition usually looks like this:

Target market;

Proposed (and non-offered) benefits;

W price range (compared to competitors).

It is important that the positioning report or value proposition outlines the benefits to the consumer of the product, rather than the characteristics or attributes of the product itself, or vague or questionable trivial claims of high quality or superior service. By benefits, we mean the practically measurable results that the consumer will receive as a result of using a given product, compared to others.

The marketer's positioning report and value proposition is used internally and by other organizations, such as ad agencies, that are involved in developing a marketing strategy. They are short and concise, and are usually written in a language that is not difficult for consumers to use, despite the fact that they are often accompanied by easy-to-remember slogans and key phrases to communicate with customers. Usually they are compiled for a product line or brand, but sometimes for a single product or for a company as a whole. When it comes to reporting on products or brands, they play several important roles. They provide guidance to R&D and product development staff on what kinds of attributes should be changed or added to existing products. They provide guidance to those who design ad campaigns as to what these ad campaigns should focus on. The value proposition guides the pricing decisions. Thus, the positioning report, or value proposition, literally forms the foundation on which a marketing strategy is built. More generally, when these reports are used at the business level, as is sometimes the case, they express the strategic direction of the company in all areas. Promising the target market some kind of positioning or value is one thing. Keeping such a promise is another matter. Clear and concise positioning statements and value propositions can play an important role in the success of your intended strategy.

I. GLOBAL HISTORICAL PROCESS AS A PRIVATE PROCESS IN THE GLOBAL EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS OF THE BIOSPHERE

After selecting the target segment, the business must decide which position it should take in each segment.

Positioning - taking steps to ensure that the product produced by the company takes a clear, special and desirable place in relation to competing products in the minds of target customers. (F. Kotler)

Positioning is a system for determining the place of a new product on the market among the number of products already there, taking into account the nature of perception of all competing products by consumers. (A.N. Romanov)

Positioning is the perception of a product offer in the minds of a target group of consumers in relation to competitors' products according to the advantages and benefits that they can receive. (B.A.Soloviev).

target market positioning products

Positioning - actions to ensure the goods have a competitive position in the market and the development of an appropriate marketing mix.

The positioning of the product, therefore, consists in the fact that, based on the assessments of consumers in the market for a particular product, to select such parameters of the product and elements of the marketing mix that, from the point of view of target consumers, will provide the product with a competitive advantage.

Product positioning consists of several stages, we will consider them in table no.

Positioning is two interrelated processes: working with the minds of potential consumers and working with a product. The first one is a way of penetrating into the consumer's consciousness, allowing to assess how the consumer really perceives the product. The second is the actions that need to be taken in order for a given product to take a certain place among competing products, from which consumers make their choice.

Positioning includes a set of marketing elements, with the help of which people need to convince people that we are talking about a product created especially for them, so that they identify the proposed product with their ideal.

Table No. 4 - Stages of positioning

	The essence		Events	Result
1.Study of competing firms	To assess the position of a product on the market, you need to have an idea of competing firms and know the characteristics of the products they represent.	It is necessary to conduct a study of consumer demand, to find out the general tendency of customers' perception of the type of goods of interest, to determine the main criteria for selling and buying.	Questionnaire, social polls.	After analyzing the situation, you can see whether the company will be competitive, whether it will be able to take its rightful place in the market of goods and services.
2. creation of defining attributes.	The product must meet the desired characteristics, be relevant for a wide range of users of different ages and professions.	Find out which characteristics of the product will be decisive and influence customer demand.	Selection of one or more attributes as the basis.	Beneficial use - versatility. - popularity favorable comparison with products of other manufacturers uniqueness - ecological justification.
3. Collecting information about the perception of competitors of competing products	Carrying out activities to collect information using statistical and analytical tools.	It is necessary to analyze which characteristics of the products are decisive for a given target market and product category.	Special studies, focus groups, customer surveys.	Formation of a sufficient systematized information base.
4. Analysis of the current position of the product in the competitive set	Determination of positioning of competitive products.	analysis of product positioning according to the required attributes	perception map (or positioning grid).	Revealing the real position of the product on the market
5. Determination of the most preferred combination of attributes for buyers	Determining customer preferences and incorporating them into positioning analysis	Placement of ideal points of the respondents on the map of the commodity space in their assessment of the place of real brands.	Conducting polls	Determination of the "ideal" qualities of the product
6. Consideration of the correspondence of possible positions to the needs of consumers and the attractiveness of the segment	Market positioning studies will highlight independent market segments and brand localization.	Completion of the analytical stage of the positioning process, the formation of a decision on product positioning.	Positioning map	Defining a niche of new products in the existing product space to maximize demand satisfaction

When positioning goods, you need to use only those characteristics that meet the needs of the market, i.e. important to consumers, and on the basis of which they make their choice. In this regard, we will consider some directions of positioning (Table No.).

Direction	Characteristic
1. Positioning based on the distinctive quality of the product	The company positions itself according to some specific indicator: size, number of years of existence, etc.
2. Positioning based on benefits or problem solving	The product is positioned as offering the greatest benefits.	Knott's Berry Farm can position itself as the place where the consumer gets "the most benefits" for the same money.
3. Positioning based on specific use	the best product for a specific purpose	Japanese Deer Park can position itself as a place where tourists can spend their only free hour with maximum pleasure.
4. Positioning based on a break with a certain category of goods	Assumes that a product is being marketed as a leader in a specific product category.	The Marineland of the Pacific Park can be positioned not as a "recreation park", but as an educational institution.
5. Positioning focused on a certain category of consumers	The best product for certain people.
6. Positioning in relation to a competing brand	The product is positioned as superior in some way to a named or implied competitor.	Lion Country Safary can convey to consumers that they can see significantly more variety of animals in it than in Japanese Deer Park.

Positioning of an already existing product usually takes the form of repositioning - a process by which a company tries to adapt its product to changing consumer requirements, taking into account the changing external environment.

Before choosing a positioning strategy, marketers carefully analyze the main competitive advantages of their products or services. The full positioning of a particular brand is expressed in a value proposition, i.e. a whole range of advantages of a product or service, on the basis of which the positioning strategy is built. In fig. No. shows the possible options for offering value according to F. Kotler, on the basis of which the company positions its products.

Figure # 1 - Possible options for a value proposition

The figure shows five winning value proposition options that companies can use to position their products:

1. More for more.

Using this strategy, the company offers a high quality product or service at a higher price to cover its higher production costs. Such products testify to the high status of the consumer and are associated with representatives of high society.

2. More for the same.

Companies offering goods of approximately the same quality at a lower price can be a real threat to firms that choose a more-for-more strategy.

3. More for less.

Of course, the most attractive price offer seems to be according to this strategy, and many companies have chosen this policy. However, in the long run, it will be very difficult for companies to keep their products in that position. Offering high quality products is usually associated with high costs.

4. The same amount for less.

This principle can be a great strategy, as anyone will agree to a good deal.

5. Less for much less.

There will always be a market that offers goods of low quality at a low price. This strategy is able to satisfy consumers with low requirements for quality or functional characteristics of goods at minimal prices.

So, companies that recklessly choose one of three losing strategies, "as much for more," "less for more," and "less for the same price," inevitably lose to their competitors. Consumers quickly notice that they have overestimated the brand, tell their friends about it, and no one simply buys the goods of such a brand.

According to E. Golubkov, the analysis of potential sources of providing more value to consumers can be carried out using the so-called value chain (Fig. No.).

Figure # 2 - Value chain

The value chain includes all activities of the organization aimed at creating value for the customer. In the classic organization model, these activities include developing, manufacturing, marketing, selling, and supporting their products. These activities are grouped into five main activities and four supporting activities, involving the acquisition of everything necessary to conduct the main activity.

Supporting activities relate to the conduct of all core activities. In a more detailed model of the organization, each of the nine types of its activities, in turn, can be specified, for example, marketing - according to its individual functions: marketing research, product promotion, marketing development of a new product, etc.

The organization's challenge is to check the costs and outputs of each of the nine activities and find ways to improve them. By comparing this data with competitors' data, ways of gaining a competitive advantage are identified.

There is also another approach to identifying positioning strategies, in which there are 2 directions:

1. Identification is the definition of a category of goods with which the consumer mentally correlates a certain product in his mind, or in other words, determines which category he will belong to. The choice of positioning is to identify the specific place of the product on the market and, based on it, direct competitors for its offer.
2. Differentiation consists in identifying one or more features of a given proposal that distinguish it from other similar proposals.

Differentiation, in turn, is itself subdivided into directions, which we will consider in table. No.

Direction	Characteristic
Product differentiation	Actions aimed at giving the product distinctive features in relation to competing products. Expansion of the characteristics of the product itself, the duration and reliability of operation, design and design, service (including consultations), repairs and others.	Household appliances market, cell phones, car market.
Service differentiation	Some companies have achieved a competitive advantage through faster, more reliable and accurate delivery. Installation and commissioning, consulting is also performed by different companies in different ways.	Service centers, consulting firms, banks.
Image differentiation	Formation of a different attitude towards different brands of goods.	Marlboro cigarettes, due to their unusual image, have about 30% of the world market.
Differentiation of personnel	Improvement of the work of sales personnel, registration of goods, consultation and training of consumers of products, provision of a number of other trade services.	Requirements for personnel: competence, friendliness, reliability, responsibility, communication skills.

With a differentiated approach, the company can more accurately identify the needs of consumers, and therefore offer them a product or service to which they will be more receptive. Since the level of competition in many markets today is quite high, most companies choose this strategy for promotion.

However, not all products can be differentiated. Examples are generic, standardized commodities such as oil, gas, wires, nuts, etc. The business must carefully examine the needs and behavior of customers in order to understand what they consider important and valuable for what they are willing to pay. Then, taking into account the results obtained, give their products one or more distinctive characteristics. Differentiation may be unsuccessful if the increased price that buyers are willing to pay does not cover the additional costs associated with product differentiation.

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