May 1, 2024
Updated May 10, 2025
19 minute read
Product positioning is the strategic process of defining how a product or service is perceived in the minds of consumers relative to competing offerings. It involves identifying a product's unique value and communicating that value to a specific target audience to establish a distinct and favorable place in the market. Think of it as crafting the narrative that helps customers understand not just what a product does, but why it matters to them and how it stands apart from the alternatives. This process is fundamental to marketing and sales, ensuring that all decisions and communications align to create a consistent and compelling customer experience.
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Reading list
We've selected 32 books
that we think will supplement your
learning. Use these to
develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a
deeper understanding of the topics covered in
Product Positioning.
A highly practical and contemporary guide, this book provides a clear, step-by-step methodology for effective product positioning, particularly relevant for technology companies and B2B markets. April Dunford offers actionable frameworks and real-world examples to help you identify and articulate your product's unique value. This must-read for product managers and marketers seeking a modern approach to positioning that can be immediately applied.
This is the foundational and classic text that introduced the concept of product positioning to the marketing world. It explains how to create a unique and compelling place for your product or brand in the customer's mind. Essential reading for anyone seeking a broad understanding of the core principles of positioning that remain relevant today. It serves as a vital reference for both students and professionals.
Considered a definitive guide to brand management, this book dedicates substantial coverage to brand positioning as a central element in building strong and valuable brands. It explores the concepts, models, and strategies for establishing a powerful brand position and managing brand equity over time. Essential for students and professionals focused on the strategic aspects of brand building and positioning.
Provides a comprehensive framework for developing and implementing a successful product positioning strategy, with a focus on building strong brands.
Provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and implementing brand positioning, with a focus on the role of product positioning.
Provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the principles and practices of product positioning, with a focus on the role of brand storytelling.
This comprehensive and authoritative textbook covers the breadth of marketing theory and practice, with significant sections dedicated to market segmentation, targeting, and positioning. It provides a robust academic foundation and detailed frameworks essential for a deep understanding of positioning within the overall marketing strategy. Widely used in university programs, it serves as an invaluable reference for both students and marketing professionals.
Building directly on the positioning concepts from 'Obviously Awesome,' this book provides a practical guide to creating compelling sales pitches that effectively communicate your product's value and differentiation. It offers a structured approach to translating your positioning into a narrative that resonates with potential customers. Essential reading for sales teams and product marketers involved in the sales enablement process.
Crucial for understanding how to position and market innovative and disruptive products, especially in technology markets. introduces the Technology Adoption Life Cycle and the critical 'chasm' between early adopters and the mainstream market. While broader than just positioning, it provides essential strategic context and frameworks for successfully positioning new products for wider adoption. It is considered a classic in tech marketing.
Offers a step-by-step guide to developing and implementing a successful product positioning strategy.
Provides a practical guide to implementing product positioning strategies, with a focus on the role of storytelling and customer experience.
Examines the relationship between product positioning and brand differentiation, providing practical guidance on how to create a unique and memorable brand identity.
Offers a set of principles that guide effective marketing strategies, including a chapter on product positioning.
Provides a practical guide to product positioning for startups, offering step-by-step guidance on how to find your niche market and develop a winning positioning strategy.
Provides a modern perspective on product positioning in the digital age, exploring the impact of social media and online marketing on positioning strategies.
Focusing on the unique aspects of managing products in the digital realm, this book includes coverage of strategic planning, market analysis, and product positioning for digital offerings. It addresses the specific considerations and approaches needed to effectively position products in the fast-changing digital landscape. Valuable for product managers and marketers working with digital products and services.
This contemporary book aims to clarify the often-misunderstood role of product marketing within an organization. It covers various key responsibilities of product marketers, including developing product positioning and messaging. Useful for gaining a clearer understanding of how product positioning fits into the broader context of product marketing and its importance for business success.
Presents a series of concise and memorable principles that govern success in marketing. Many of these laws directly relate to establishing and maintaining a strong position in the market relative to competitors. It offers timeless wisdom and strategic insights that complement the core concepts of product positioning. A classic that provides valuable context for marketing students and professionals.
Offers a powerful strategic framework for creating new market spaces where competition is minimized or irrelevant, which form of strategic positioning. It encourages businesses to shift their focus from competing in existing markets to creating new demand. While not a tactical guide to product positioning statements, its insights into value innovation and market creation provide a valuable strategic lens for positioning decisions.
Provides a clear framework based on storytelling principles to help businesses clarify their message and connect with customers. While focused on overall marketing messaging, its emphasis on identifying the customer's problem and positioning your product as the solution is directly applicable to developing a compelling product positioning narrative. Useful for ensuring your positioning is easily understood and resonates with your audience.
Building upon the foundational ideas of positioning, this book strongly emphasizes the critical need for differentiation in today's competitive landscape. It provides strategies and numerous examples of how companies can create a unique identity and offering that stands out in the minds of consumers. It's a valuable resource for deepening the understanding of how effective differentiation is key to successful positioning.
A companion to The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, this book focuses specifically on the principles of building and maintaining strong brands. It presents a series of laws related to brand identity, extension, and positioning. Useful for understanding the close and crucial relationship between establishing a strong brand and effective product positioning.
A follow-up to The Brand Gap, this book focuses on the power of radical differentiation to create a unique and dominant brand in a crowded market. It provides a framework for identifying your 'one thing' and building a brand around it. Highly relevant to product positioning as it champions finding a distinct and defensible space in the customer's mind.
For more information about how these books relate to this course, visit:
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