¶ … positioning affect segmentation and targeting strategies when entering a market?
Positioning strategies serve as the foundational framework for strategic marketing plans and planning, execution, management and evaluation of marketing strategies. Positioning is also used for defining how a company's products or services are differentiated within a customer segment. For example, Apple uses positioning very effectively selling its high-end iPads. This specific positioning strategy by Apple concentrates on only those consumers willing to pay for premium performance, reliability and convenience the iPad offers. Apple does this to position themselves above the myriad of Google Android-based tablets who are competing primarily on price. Apple also uses positioning successfully to sell more on value and less on price. Positioning not only defines the competitiveness of a given product or service relative to competitors, it also communicates the unique value and differentiated features as well (Perreault, Cannon, 2012). Apple excels at this type of positioning and market execution. Apple is positioning the iPad targets consumers with higher levels of discretionary incomes, using income and occupation as a means to further target the market of customers most interested and capable of buying an iPad.
Does the maturity of the business have any effect?
The maturity of any business has a direct and long-lasting effect on the positioning strategy any company uses to market its products. For start-ups, their positioning strategy will often focus on innovation and how their new products are completely redefining existing markets and leading to entirely new ones being created. Startup companies must continually innovate to stay alive, and their positioning strategies reflect a more focused message on replacing substitute products and services that may have grown obsolete and less useful to customers. The success of the new electric car models from Tesla are a case in point. The positioning being used by Elon Musk who runs Tesla is showing the value of having an all-electric vehicle that doesn't pollute, is cheaper to maintain than an internal combustion engine-based vehicle and is sleek, stylish and very quiet to travel in. All of these product features and benefits of the Tesla are used for defining its positioning as a disruptive innovation in automobile design. Conversely, General Motors' (GM) many variations of car brands all show how a company much more mature uses product line repositioning and product line extensions to continually differentiate their vehicles. GM concentrates on making slight variations to their positioning so they can support marketing and selling strategies from a product perspective. GM is also very focused on cost reduction, while Tesla is obsessed with building market share right now. Given the youth of Tesla and their focus on disruptive innovation as a positioning statement relative to the staid, conservative approach of GM, these positioning directions make sense. This examples shows how positioning varies by startups vs. very mature companies. Positioning will also vary by the stage of the product lifecycle of a given product or service, and in broader terms, entire industries (Perreault, Cannon, 2012).
You’re 86% through this paper. Sign up to read the full paper.
Sign Up Now — Instant Access Already a member? Log inAlways verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.