positioning

Definition

The strategic art of defining how a product, brand, or service occupies space in the consumer's mind relative to competitors—essentially, it's competitive mind-gaming. In marketing, it's about carving out your unique spot in an overcrowded marketplace by convincing people your mediocre product is somehow different. Good positioning makes people willing to pay $8 for coffee that costs 30 cents to make.

Example Usage

Our positioning strategy is to be the 'ethical alternative,' which means we charge more and use recycled packaging while still manufacturing in the same factory as everyone else.

Source: Common industry terminology

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