Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It

Imagine standing at the foot of a mountain, looking up at a peak bathed in the soft glow of dawn. This mountain represents the journey every product must take to reach its customers effectively. The path to the summit is not just about the product itself, but about how the world sees it—this is the essence of positioning. Positioning is the deliberate act of defining how you are the best at something that a defined market cares deeply about. It’s not just about what your product does, but how it fits into the mental map your customers use to make decisions.

Consider the story of a virtuoso violinist who plays breathtaking music in a grand concert hall, earning standing ovations and sold-out shows. Now imagine the same musician performing the exact same pieces in a bustling subway station during rush hour. Despite the brilliance, the crowds rush past, indifferent or oblivious. Why? Because the context—the environment and the signals it sends—does not invite the appreciation the music deserves. This illustrates a profound truth: even the best products can be ignored if their context fails to communicate their value.

In the marketplace, customers rely heavily on context to make sense of new products. They gather clues from messaging, pricing, branding, and the company’s reputation to decide where the product fits in their world. Without the right context, customers might misinterpret the product, compare it to irrelevant alternatives, or simply overlook it. This is why positioning is far more than crafting clever slogans or marketing messages—it is about setting the stage so the product’s unique strengths shine through effortlessly.

Many businesses unknowingly fall into the trap of assuming their product’s context is obvious. They launch with a default positioning based on their original idea or the market they initially targeted, without questioning whether that is truly the best frame of reference. But markets evolve, products change, and customer perceptions shift. Failing to adapt your positioning can leave your product lost in the noise or misunderstood, no matter how good it is.

As you embark on this journey of understanding positioning, remember that the goal is to create a mental space where your product’s value is obvious, compelling, and aligned with the needs of your best customers. The mountain is high, but the path is clear once you know how to set the right context.

Let us now move from understanding the power of positioning to breaking down the components that make positioning effective, so you can build your own framework for success.