Question

Topic: Branding

Need Help Re-write My Positioning Statement

Posted by Anonymous on 2/11/2009 at 7:45 AM ET 125 Points
Hi
We teach English online, our target customers are high school and university students. Thanks to Phil and another guy/girl's help (sorry, I forgot your name), the USP is much better, it is

"Enjoy learning English, anytime, anywhere"

Here is a positioning statement that I came up with

"For high school and university students who want to enjoy learning and improving your English, www.example.com enables you to enjoy learning English at your own pace, anytime, anywhere."

My positioning statement looks so messy and doesn't seem "killer" enough, could you guys please help me re-write it to be more selling and killer ?

Thank you.
J
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by L. Duggan on 2/11/2009 at 9:13 AM Accepted
    A positioning statement is typically an internal document that serves as a way to remind you of what and how you should be delivering on your brand promise to the market place. Businesses and organizations don't position themselves through positioning statements and clever tag lines. Consumers position you relative to competitive alternatives in the market place.

    For example, Walmart and Nordstroms are both retailers. However consumers position them differently, not because of what they say but because of what they have done consistently over the years to deliver on their promise of "Always Low Prices'-Walmart and Superior Customer Service-Nordstroms.

    Focus on your delivery mechanisms, and the way you will meet and/or exceed your customer expectations, then after some time talk to your customers and ask them how you compare to competitive alternatives, including the alternative of doing nothing. Use your positioning to help you develop the types of programs and services you will provide in order for your customers to position you in the way that you want them to.

    Hope this helps.
  • Posted by kevin.shoesmith on 2/11/2009 at 9:59 AM Accepted
    I agree with "wordofmouthguru." But if you are looking for a statement to include in marketing materials, try an active question:

    Do you want to improve your English skills? www.example.com makes it easy and fun. Log on to learn English anytime, anywhere.
  • Posted by SteveByrneMarketing on 2/11/2009 at 3:01 PM Accepted
    I also agree with wordofmouthguru.

    A positioning statement, comes from researching the competitive marketplace, the perception your customers have of the players in your marketplace, discovering a segment or niche that is currently going unfulfilled or under fulfilled by competitors and then filling it by what you do more than what you say you're going to do.

    Usually several paragraphs to a couple of pages in length as a written internal document to ensure all management is on the same page. Then reduced to a summary sentence or two for public view, and creatively further reduced to a tagline keeping keywords in mind for executing SEO and SMO.

    Hope this helps,

    Steve
  • Posted on 2/11/2009 at 10:35 PM Author
    Hi Phil, good to see your response, I was looking forward to it. I was thinking to print my positioning statement on Ads, posters, flyers, so I need a killer positioning statement :)

    Hi wordofmouthguru, thanks for your help, very helpful indeed. You remind me something very important I studied in university

    "Businesses and organizations don't position themselves through positioning statements and clever tag lines. Consumers position you relative to competitive alternatives in the market place" (You are not what you think you are, but what people think you are).

    "Use your positioning to help you develop the types of programs and services you will provide in order for your customers to position you in the way that you want them to", this sounds like a branding. That's why I need help in re-writing my positioning statement :)

    Hi Kevin, thanks for your help, it's better than mine, but isn't abit too long ? :)

    Hi Steve, thanks for your response.
    If my USP is "Enjoy learning English, anytime, anywhere", how to creatively shorten it to be a tagline ? Phil is good in this :D

    Should we use positioning statement than USP on advertising materials (Flyers, posters, ...) ?

    Thanks for all your help
    J
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 2/12/2009 at 7:55 AM Accepted
    How about:

    "(Are you a) high school or university student? Want to improve your English in a fun way? MyCompany teaches you at your own pace, anytime, anywhere."
  • Posted by SteveByrneMarketing on 2/13/2009 at 1:31 AM Member
    There is a difference between a USP and a positioning strategy. A USP is a benefit strategy. Positioning in a segment strategy.

    "Enjoy learning English, anytime, anywhere" is a claim that sounds generic, meaning anyone of your competitors could probably use it as easily as you could.

    A positioning statement will be something that you uniquely claim that others could not or have not claimed. Unfortunately, a great positioning statement requires resources for great research, analysis and creative brainstorming.

    Do you have a budget?

    Steve
  • Posted on 2/13/2009 at 9:19 PM Author
    Hi Steve, thanks for your answer

    What different us from competitors is that we are the 1st one that takes advantage of IT, and we are completely online based. That's why we came up with our USP "Enjoy learning English, anytime, anywhere". But you are right, it sounds generic. That's why I need help come up with positioning statement :)

    Our competitors have a traditional way of teaching. I mean for example, students must go to school at a certain time or they will miss the class.

    What happens often is that students miss 2 or 3 classes, then they say they can not catch up with the class, so they drop the class.

    I found a fomular on internet and come up with this statement
    "For high school and university students who want to enjoy learning and improving your English, www.example.com enables you to enjoy learning English at your own pace, anytime, anywhere."
    It does not sound pro and killer enough though.

    J
  • Posted by SteveByrneMarketing on 2/14/2009 at 3:38 AM Member
    "1st one that takes advantage of IT, and we are completely online based."

    Being first with anything is a position and the basis for your positioning statement. But your really have to be "the first" and it has to be believable.

    Try to confirm this claim with independent research before you use it.

    Steve

  • Posted on 2/15/2009 at 9:49 PM Author
    wow thanks alot Steve, I've never think of this possibility.

    what about this

    "Do you want to enjoy learning English ?
    www.example.com is a complete only school that take advantages of IT to enable you learning English at your own pace, anytime, anywhere with your own lessons"

    hmm abit too long? lol

    Thanks alot Steve
  • Posted on 2/15/2009 at 9:56 PM Author
    What about

    "Enjoy learning English, your time, your place, your pace, your own lessons"

    I believe our way of teaching is much more enjoyable than competitors and students can customize their own lessons, they can make their own lessons.

    J
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