Has brand positioning been repositioned?

[Originally published this on B2B Brand Debate, where it got some comments including one comment from Al Ries himself.]

Before Al Ries and Jack Trout wrote their seminal book “Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind,” David Ogilvy—one of the true Mad Men—set the stage for their thesis, stating “It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product.” Ogilvy’s “big idea”—one that reflects the qualities of the brand and differentiates it from competitors—is Ries and Trout’s “position.” A quick glance at the websites and whitepapers of today’s leading branding firms suggests that elements of this definition remain intact. They speak of “relevant differentiation in the marketplace” (Landor) and ensuring that customers “can tell the brand apart from others” (Interbrand’s Brandchannel.com). Some experience in the world of branding firms and a look at the work posted on their sites, however, reveal that definitions and deliverables don’t always align.

Increasingly, the original, simple definition of positioning is being obscured by a self-important desire to complicate what should be, in Ries and Trout’s words, an “oversimplified message.” Positioning, as they and others have described it, involves choosing or developing a very straightforward idea before embellishing it creatively. As an example, Ries and Trout cite Volvo’s position as “Safety.” One word. Easy to conceptualize. If asked to complete the sentence “Volvo is the ____ car,” you can easily fill in the blank.

But while Volvo is invariably held up as an example of brilliant positioning, this level of simplicity is rarely tolerated at major branding firms today. Brand consultants are pressured—by superiors, clients, and their own egos—to come up with an “idea” that delivers an immediate emotional impact. All too often, this pressure leads to the creation of little more than fun phrases and punchy copywriting. Sometimes consultants who slip into this trap—and I’ll admit I’ve been guilty—manage to clearly communicate a simple idea and simultaneously present something that dazzles. But sometimes not.

For example, a prominent firm claims to have recently positioned a satellite network as “Closer, by far.” Using the Volvo example as a template, does that mean it’s the “closer, by far satellite network?” If so, what would that mean? A deeper understanding of the satellite industry would surely help clarify, but the fact that this phrase requires more explanation is evidence that it may not be simple enough. A tip: the less explanation it requires, the closer it is to the core idea. “Closer, by far” is a tagline, obviously created more for the wordplay of “close” and “far” than a wish to cleanly express an idea. In fact, this client did adopt “Closer, by far” as their tagline. By comparison, I doubt you’ll see Volvo using “Safety” as an advertising sign-off. Peruse the case studies of major branding firms and you’ll find countless examples of “big ideas” or “brand essences” that sound more like taglines than strategic ideas.

I’m sure there is a bright idea behind “Closer, by far,” and by no means do I suggest that every positioning idea must be as utilitarian as Volvo’s. But in order to pass the test, a brand position does need to convey an idea. “Just Do It” accomplishes both goals. A tagline, yes, but often cited as another holy grail of brand positioning because it speaks to the sense of self-motivation that still sets Nike apart from other sports brands. Brand consultants who assume their responsibility is to deliver the raw emotional power of “Just Do It” without the strategic foundation that makes it work are mistaken, and will end up handing over cute phrases that only cloud their strategic point of view. But the point of view is the brand position. It may sound like a semantic argument, but it’s an important distinction nonetheless. After all, it is a positioning idea (not a tagline) that informs decisions about brand architecture, identity design, messaging, and so on.

Working with brands calls for a blurry line between ‘strategy’ and ‘creativity,’ and the best brand ideas are borne of a healthy overlap between the two. But brand consultants have a responsibility to protect this line between simplicity and profundity—blurry or not. After all, it is still the “big idea” that builds the brand and provides strategic value to clients, and—unless positioning has been repositioned since Ries, Trout, and Ogilvy employed their versions of it—a good idea is what makes brand positioning work.