Brand positioning isn’t just a slogan. It’s the foundation of how customers remember or forget you. It tells people who you are, what you offer, and why it matters, while brand perception reveals what they actually believe.
Look at it as something similar to the unique selling proposition (USP), but for the brand. On the other hand, brand perception is how people actually see and experience the brand in real life. The thing with these two is, they don’t always align, and when they don’t, your brand pays the price.
Brand positioning is what you can control, while perception is what others take away from what you put out. But a strong and consistent positioning strategy can strongly influence how your brand is perceived. Thought-out brand positioning makes you easier to remember and gives people a reason to choose you over someone else.
In this article we’ll explain how positioning works, how it shapes brand perception, and what you can do to make sure your brand is saying the right thing. You’ll see examples, practical tips, and common mistakes to avoid.
Components of Brand Positioning You Don’t Want to Oversee
Despite the common emphasis that you must be, brand positioning is not about being the best in your category. It’s about being the right choice for a specific group of people, for a specific reason.
That said, effective positioning is never vague. Rather, it’s built on a few key elements that work together to shape your brand’s identity and direction. We’ll break them down through key questions for each element.
Target audience
Who are you talking to? What do they care about? Why do they care?
The more specific and detailed the questions, the stronger your message becomes.
Market category
What space do you work in? What’s your niche? What do you specialize in?
Define your category, as it will help people understand exactly what kind of product or service you offer.
Unique value proposition (UVP)
What’s different about your offer? What do you have that no one else does?
This should be clear, specific, and easy to remember.
Brand personality and tone
How do you come across in terms of communication? Is your tone serious, helpful, or friendly?
This forms how people relate to your brand emotionally.
You have a better chance of establishing credibility and standing out when these elements are constant and easy to see.
Definition and Drivers Behind Brand Perception
Brand perception refers to how people perceive your brand based on what they have seen, heard, or experienced. Whether we like it or not, every interaction with your company, your actions, and the values you uphold shape our perception.
Perception encompasses both emotional and practical aspects. It’s all about how people feel about your brand and what they believe about it.
Things that shape your brand’s perception include:
- Your marketing and messaging, aka your communication strategy
- Product and service quality
- Customer experience
- Design, presentation, and packaging
- Word of mouth and reviews
It doesn’t matter if you represent your brand as helpful, premium, or innovative; if customers have a different experience, perception wins.
Perception isn’t built in a single moment. Rather, it comes from repeated experiences. One negative review, one broken promise, or even a confusing interface can be enough to change how someone sees your brand. And once perception is formed, it’s hard to change.
That’s exactly why positioning must be backed by action. It has to show up in the details, such as how your site is built, how your team speaks to customers, how reliable your services are, etc. If those pieces don’t match your message, people won’t believe it.
Brand Positioning vs. Brand Perception: How To Bridge The Gap
As we said, positioning is how you want to present your brand, while perception is how others see it. In an ideal world, these two should match, but there’s often a gap, which comes from many directions, such as overpromising, lack of customer support, or failed product experience.
It would be best to keep the gap between positioning and perception as minimal as possible. The closer your actual product or service gets from intended positioning to perception, the stronger your brand will become.
Positioning is what you paint on the shop window. Perception is what customers see when they walk inside.
Learning From Successful Examples
Strong positioning helps people understand what your brand stands for, and it also makes it easier for them to explain it to others. When someone can accurately describe your brand in a sentence that aligns with your goals, you’ve mastered positioning.
And, as we like to learn from good examples, we believe this would be helpful for you as well.
Mailchimp
The leading email marketing company, Mailchimp, has positioned itself as a simple and creative platform for small businesses by opting for friendly language, quirky illustrations, and clear tools instead of the usual tech jargon. Mailchimp as a brand feels empathetic, helpful, and human, and that’s exactly what sets them apart in the realm of marketing platforms.
Nike
The “Just Do It” brand has set the centre of their positioning on performance, personal drive, and pushing limits. From the beginning, Nike wasn’t just about athletic gear but about motivation and mindset, and their messaging supports that across every channel. People (and their customers) see Nike as more than just sportswear. They are a symbol of ambition and movement.
Netflix
Netflix positions itself as a highly personalised on-demand entertainment platform, and its recommendation engine, global content library, and user-friendly design all deliver on that promise. Of course they invested a lot of money into marketing and communication strategy, but the point is that their service actually reflects what they have been advertising. That’s why, for Netflix, the gap between its positioning and public perception is nearly nonexistent.
IKEA
The famous Swedish furniture company has designed its entire business model to support its positioning around affordable, well-designed furniture items for everyday life. The whole deal. Warehouse format, flat-pack products, and wordless instructions, they all reinforce the idea that IKEA is not a luxury but something valuable and practical that you probably need in your space.
These examples show that brand positioning strategy is more than just a clever marketing tactic. It’s how you stay recognizable, relevant, and trusted. When every part of your business reflects a clear idea, people will remember it. Good positioning and equivalent action turn a brand into something people believe in and come back to.
Best Practices for Effective Brand Positioning
Brand positioning works best when it’s simple, specific, and consistent. If your message only makes sense to people inside the company, it won’t work outside it. Use plain language and make sure your value is easy to understand and repeat.
Don’t try to appeal to everyone. It’s impossible and will confuse people who are naturally inclined to your brand. Focus on the ones who actually need what you offer.
Clearly articulate your unique qualities and consistently demonstrate them throughout every aspect of your business. Consistency should be maintained across all channels and in the development of your strategy as you scale.
Positioning isn’t something you finish and forget. Check in once in a while and rethink some tactics. If people perceive your brand differently than intended, identify the reasons and make adjustments as necessary.
Here’s How To Measure and Monitor Brand Perception
Knowledge is power, and not just in a quote. Understanding how people perceive your brand can help you revisit your strategy and make adjustments to maintain the desired positioning.
Surveys
Surveys are a simple, direct, and anonymous way to ask customers what they think of your brand and how it compares to others.
Social Listening
There are social listening tools, such as Sprout Social, Hootsuite, and BuzzSumo, that track mentions of your brand online, which shows how people actually talk about it. Social listening is not about evaluating your marketing but brand perception in real life.
Customer Feedback and Reviews
Customer feedback and reviews are also a good place to look for genuine information on brand perception. If you are a local business owner and are lucky enough to have a bunch of reviews that come regularly, you can spot patterns in complaints or praise and find out how people experience your brand.
You should keep an eye on these resources regularly so that when perception shifts, you can act before it becomes a bigger issue.
Final Thoughts
Brand positioning and brand perception have always been closely linked, but the way people are connecting with brands is changing.
Customers now expect more than just transparent messaging. They crave authentic experiences that match the communication of your brand.
New brands enter the market by leaps and bounds, and digital channels multiply just as fast, so consistent positioning will become even more important, but so will listening to customer feedback and adapting accordingly. Brands that rethink their positioning from time to time and stay honest about their offering will succeed. Positioning is an ongoing process, not a one-time task.
Take a moment to consider your brand’s position. Is it clear and honest? Does it reflect what your customers truly experience? If not, now is the time to adjust.
Start by defining your core message simply and testing it with your audience. Small, deliberate steps can lead to stronger connections and better trust.
If you’re not sure where to begin, we can help. At Ginger IT Solutions, we work with brands to clarify their message, align it with how they want to be seen, and create digital experiences that support that positioning at every touchpoint.
Ready to align your brand positioning with how customers see you? Contact us and let’s build a brand that resonates digitally and emotionally.
