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by Michel Fortin

Positioning, the latest buzzword to emerge in the world of business marketing, is often purported to be the key to success. While that may not always be true, it surely is to the degree to which it is effectively used. It's not so much the positioning process (or the lack of it) that causes a company to fail but the tools with which it is carried out.

What is often referred to as "institutional" or image-based marketing can be extremely seductive, particularly to the small businessperson, since it is intoxicatingly flattering to the ego. Yet, when a business markets itself as a better company with a better product or service at a better price, it usually winds up with very poor, long term results.

Obviously, if a statement is made wherein the author proclaims that his or her company or product is number one in the marketplace, such a statement will all but make that information more suspect. Even though there is "clear" evidence to substantiate that claim, there will no doubt be a "clear" lack of credibility.

In this day and age where consumers are more educated and more sophisticated than ever before, such a claim can never be made without it somehow being criticized or at least questioned.

Implication, Not Specification
As the saying goes, "You never have a second chance to make a good first impression." Therefore, if you make such a claim (even if you back it up with statistics or surveys), you will have a hard time in creating a lasting impression.

An old mentor of mine once said, "Implication is remarkably more powerful than specification." In other words, if you specify that you're the best, you'll be questioned. But if your marketing implies that you are, without stating it outright, you will not only get the message across but you will also anchor that message (and position yourself) more effectively in the minds of your target market.

For instance, when Coke saw Pepsi doing their famous "Taste Tests" in the 80's, they thought that a newer, better-tasting Coke would beat Pepsi -- hence, the introduction of the New Coke. But where is the New Coke today? Not only did Coca-Cola have to reintroduce the older version under the banner "Classic Coke," the New Coke has now disappeared from the grocery stores' soda isles.

Specify Benefits to Imply Superiority
But Coke wasn't the only culprit. Pepsi made a similar mistake with its "clear" brand in the mid-80's. Of course, during the last decade there was a fad with clear consumables. Clear soaps, clear deodorants, clear dishwashing liquids, clear sodas, and of course clear foods were stocking up shelves. At first, they were selling quite well, "But what Pepsi didn't count on was the 'curiosity factor' in its research," says Jack Trout, the author of "The New Positioning."

In essence, there is no "clear" benefit in a clear product over its darker version. People are astonishingly attracted to benefits, whether consciously or subconsciously. And clear colas were "hip" because the initial perception was that "clearer" meant "healthier" -- it was this perception, the perception of more benefits, that drove their initial success.

However, once the market realized that this was not true in that clear sodas have just as many calories as their darker counterparts, they were dropped. The only "clear" consumable that really stood the test of time was the deodorant. Why? It prospered because people can't stand white, powdery residue on their clothes (and it is terribly inconvenient to wait for the deodorant to dry) -- thus, clear deodorant has a benefit!

Position with Benefits
Having an impressive portfolio, including a slick ad campaign, a superior product or service, or a number one company, will not work for you in the long run. That's institutional marketing, which is not effective (unless you have a million dollar ad budget with money to burn in repetitious commercials).

If you run a business or sell a product or service, make sure that when you position it you do so by marketing its main, core benefit or benefits. A benefit that is clear, practical, and direct will, in your promotional efforts, naturally convey a sense of superiority let alone credibility -- without having to state it outright.

In short, make your benefits clear.