POSITIONING AND REPO SCRIPT

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POSITIONING
	Positioning (or product positioning) is how the product is designed to be perceived in the marketplace by the target market against its main competitors. In other words, it’s basically how consumers understand the product offering and how it differs from similar competitive offerings.
	Positioning was described by Trout and Ries as “the basic position” in the consumer’s mind occupied by a brand. Trout and Ries saw positioning as an antidote to the “overcommunicated” society, in which consumers were drowning in a sea of advertising messages. The key, they argued, was to occupy a unique position in the consumer’s mind to cut through all the confusion caused by brand proliferation and advertising clutter.
	The term positioning is widely used within the marketing and advertising community today, and its meaning has expanded beyond the narrow definition from Trout and Ries. The term is now often used as a broad synonym for marketing strategy. However, the terms positioning and marketing strategy should not be used interchangeably. Positioning should be thought of as an element or component of strategy, not as the strategy itself.
Positioning is how consumers perceive a product relative to the competition. Companies want to have a distinctive image and offering that stands out from the competition in the minds of consumers.
	One way to position your product is to plot customer survey data on a perceptual map. A perceptual map is a two-dimensional graph that visually shows where your product stands or should stand, relative to your competitors, based on criteria important to buyers.
	Many companies use taglines in their advertising to try to position their products in the minds of the buyer—where they want them, of course. A tagline is a catchphrase designed to sum up the essence of a product. You perhaps have heard Wendy’s tagline “It’s better than fast food.” The tagline is designed to set Wendy’s apart from restaurants like McDonald’s and Burger King—to plant the idea in consumers’ heads that Wendy’s offerings are less “fast foodish,” given the bad rap fast food gets these days.
REASONS FOR REPOSITIONS
1. Mostly falling or stagnant sales is responsible for repositioning exercises
2. Image mismatch between current and desired position.
Example: 	For instance, Dettol toilet soap was positioned as a beauty soap initially. This was not in line with its core values. ( delivering quality and trusted hygiene products). Dettol, the parent brand (anti-septic liquid) was known for its ability to heal cuts and gashes. The extension's 'beauty' positioning was not in tune with the parent’s“germ-kill” positioning. The soap, therefore, had to be repositioned as a “germ-kill” soap (“bath for grimy occasions'') and it fared extremely well after repositioning. Here, the soap had to be repositioned for image mismatch. 
3. For increasing product relevance to the customer
Example: Gucci has always been a hugely profitable luxury brand. Nonetheless, its initial audience was growing older. The characteristics of the brand that made it appealing to its previously targeted demographic did not appeal to newer generations.
When Marco Bizarre became CEO in 2015, he and creative director Alessandro Michele implemented a new brand repositioning approach that highlighted their Italian history and opulence while adding a contemporary touch.
Building a new focus on Instagram-style communication, a polished-up logo that was front and center on all items, and an empowering position on gender fluidity were all part of their attempts to update the brand. Within the next few years, this strategy catapulted the brand to unprecedented heights of prosperity.
4. For increasing occasions for use
Example: Coca-Cola have recently launched a new advertisement that will air each Saturday evening on ITV. The aim of the latest marketing campaign is to reposition the Coca-Cola brand as a meal-time accompaniment: their key message emphasised is “meals taste better with Coca-Cola”, which will be featured in the majority of their marketing material. Where as, the television advertisements will feature the lines “Saturday night tastes better with Coca-Cola and ITV1”.
	This is evidence of behavioural segmentation, based on occasion. This is when a large market, such as for Cola, is broken down into sub-sections according to when the product is used or purchased; in this case, Coca-Cola want consumers to associate meal-times with the drink to build up product consumption, and thus sales. Hence, this is a market penetration strategy.
It is a relatively low-risk approach to generating sales: effectively encouraging consumers to purchase more of the product – as meal times require large quantities of drink – it is an efficient way to boost sales.
5. Making the brand serious