positioning statement

Definition

A internal document declaring who you are, who you serve, and why anyone should care—that almost nobody outside your marketing team will ever see. It's the North Star that guides messaging, assuming anyone reads it.

Example Usage

Our positioning statement says we're 'the project management tool for creative teams who hate project management tools.'

Origin

Formalized by Al Ries and Jack Trout in their 1981 book 'Positioning'

Fun Fact

Most positioning statements follow a rigid formula and end up sounding identical, which kind of defeats the purpose of differentiation.

Source: Brand strategy and marketing frameworks

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