Define Your Business Marketing Position and Brand

It is important to include your brand and positioning statements in the marketing section of your business plan. Your position is the niche that your company — and only your company — fills in your customers’ minds.

To gain a market position, you first define how your company and its products and services offer a meaningful and unique solution that isn’t duplicated by any competitor. Then you use marketing communications and customer experiences to consistently convey the distinct advantages you offer in order to win a preferred position in your customers’ minds.

Your brand is the set of beliefs that consumers associate with your name. You build your brand by consistently conveying a meaningful, relevant promise that consumers can relate to and believe in.

For example, instead of taking just any babysitting job, an 18-year old may position herself as the trustworthy babysitter who’s available to travel on vacations as a nanny. After parents rely on her services, they may brand her as the “best surrogate big sister our kids could’ve wished for.”

The form shown provides a formula to follow as you write positioning and brand statements for your company. Use this form to develop positioning and brand statements to guide your marketing messages.