What is B2B brand positioning and why does it matter?

Brand positioning is hugely important in B2B organisations. When your brand positioning in the marketplace is crystal clear, every team member can push forward in the same, cohesive direction.

Brand positioning helps set your brand apart in often a competitive environment. How can you clearly convey what you’re all about in a way that makes your target audience choose you. That’s where brand positioning comes in!

This blog shares what B2B brand positioning is and how it helps organisations to get ahead.

What is B2B brand positioning?

Renowned marketing expert, Philip Kotler, offers a helpful definition for brand positioning as ‘the act of designing the company’s offering and image to occupy a distinctive place in the mind of the target market’. Ultimately, it’s what you want your brand to be known for, and remembered for, by your ideal customers.

What makes up B2B Brand positioning?

Target audience

Having a deep understanding and continuous pulse on your target audience – knowing their needs now and anticipating their future needs.

Differentiation

How you highlight what makes your approach unique from competitors, your purpose and beliefs. What sets you apart so your target audience feels compelled to choose you?

Brand value proposition

Creating a clear and compelling proposition which brings to life the key messages that make up your positioning including your purpose, differentiated approach and what you do.

Brand personality

Absolutely key for emotional connection and distinctiveness, having a brand personality means you authentically share your values, point of view and tone of voice.

Social proofing

Evidencing where you’ve done what you say you can do with your target audience’s peers is essential to build trust.

Why does B2B brand positioning matter?

If you don’t have a clear brand position, then the impact can be that your audience doesn’t know what you’re all about or why to choose you. Often B2B organisations convey mixed messages which creates ambiguity. The audience needs to see with clarity what your purpose is, where you’re heading, what’s special about you, that you are experts at what you do and can demonstrate where you’ve achieved similar goals to theirs before.

You know when you’ve got a successful brand position when your market share is increasing — your target audience is seeing your services/products as a no-brainer, the obvious choice. That’s when you know you’ve nailed it! A strong brand position should make you memorable, drive loyalty and ultimately help achieve business growth goals.

Interested in how we can help develop your B2B brand positioning to meet your business growth goals? Get in touch today to speak to a B2B brand strategy expert.

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