Brand repositioning

A clear whisper into the right ear is more powerful than a shout into the crowd.

Strong brand positioning provides absolute clarity around who you are, what you do and where, why and how you do it, and who you do it for. And that clarity is vital, internally and externally.

Sometimes it’s about new brands, but it can also be about repositioning to get back on track. That’s because businesses usually start small, when everyone knows what’s what: but over time, things change, until suddenly you realise that what was once so clear has been lost or blurred along the way.

Why is brand positioning important?

Unless you’re very fortunate, your market is probably very competitive or even saturated. However, a strong brand positioning can help you to:

• Find a place to lead, and then future-proof it
• Create a clear proposition that customers understand and want
• Avoid competing purely on price
• Withstand market shocks and business knocks
• Avoid wasting money on the wrong marketing
• Prevent getting side-tracked by unfocused activities
• Avoid short-term or knee-jerk tactics.

The inherent risks in brand positioning

Brand positioning is so important that you can’t afford to get it wrong. You could end up with the wrong positioning, or one your people or customers can’t buy into. You need a carefully crafted strategy – and, because branding is so sophisticated nowadays, you’ll almost certainly need expert help.

We are very proud of the new brand which has had an impact well beyond our expectations and has enabled us to make great progress and improved engagement across the organisation.

Helen Vernon, Chief Executive, NHS Resolution