Brand strategy & identity
Brand positioning
Brand positioning is agreeing what a business should be known for, by which clients and why, compared with the alternatives they consider. Zelexis develops the position from research into the business, its clients and its competitors, and records it in a positioning statement that guides the identity, website, proposals and marketing that follow.
The positioning statement, part by part.
The five parts of a positioning statement, drawn in outline, each labelled with the question it answers.
- 01 ForThe clients the business most wants to win
- 02 Who needThe problem those clients are trying to solve
- 03 We areThe category clients would place the business in
- 04 UnlikeThe alternatives they would otherwise choose
- 05 BecauseThe proof that makes the difference believable
Who it is for
Positioning suits an established business that is good at its work but hard to tell apart from its competitors, or one that has grown into work its clients do not yet associate with it. It is the starting point for most Zelexis brand projects, because every later decision depends on it.
How it works
We begin by understanding the business: its history, its best clients, the work it wants more of and where it is heading. Then we look at the market from the client’s side, including the competitors and the other options clients consider, such as doing nothing or keeping an existing supplier. From that research we draft a position, test it with the owners in a workshop and refine it until it is specific, true and useful.
What you receive
A positioning statement, the key messages that follow from it and guidance on voice, written so the team can use them in proposals, emails and conversations from the next day. The position then becomes the brief for the identity, website and marketing work that follows.
Questions about this service.
Straight answers, written to make sense on their own.
Still deciding?
You do not need a finished brief. We can talk through what you need and where to start.
What is a positioning statement?
A positioning statement is a short internal description of who a business serves, the problem it solves, the category it belongs to, how it differs from the alternatives and the proof behind that difference. It is not public copy. It guides the identity, website, proposals and marketing so they all say the same thing.
How is brand positioning different from a tagline?
Positioning is the decision about what the business should be known for and by whom. A tagline is one short line that expresses that decision in public. A tagline written without an agreed position tends to sound like everyone else’s, because there is nothing specific behind it.
Do we need positioning if we already have a logo?
Usually, yes. A logo identifies the business, but it does not explain what the business is best at or why a client should choose it. Positioning provides that explanation, and it often shows that the existing logo can stay while the messaging and presentation around it change.
Related reading.
The service behind this page, the guides that go deeper, and the pages nearby.
- Brand strategy & identity A position people remember, and an identity that holds it.
- What is brand positioning? With a positioning statement template What brand positioning means for an established business, a positioning statement template you can fill in, and how to test whether your position is strong enough to use.
- How to differentiate your business from competitors Why most established businesses describe themselves in the same words as their competitors, and a practical way to find and prove a difference buyers will notice.
- What is brand strategy, and what does it include? A plain explanation of brand strategy for established businesses, the parts it includes, what it produces and how it guides the identity, website and marketing that follow.
Tell us what you are working on.
We will tell you honestly whether this is the right place to start, and what can wait.
Discuss a project 5.0 on Google, from client reviews- You tell us the problemA short form. No finished brief needed.
- We reply within 1 to 2 business daysWith a time to talk, or a few questions first.
- A clear scope and tailored quoteThe work, the timing and the investment, before anything begins.