New video: how to build a positioning statement April 10, 2013
Posted by Mike Gospe in Positioning.Tags: positioning statement
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Since the term “positioning statement” has been consistently the most often searched term on this blog, I’ve posted a short video on how to build a positioning statement. This material is taken directly from my book, The Marketing High Ground where you’ll find more examples, templates, techniques, and case studies that you can apply to your business. Let me know your questions or other topics of interest and I’ll post additional materials.
Kind regards,
Mike
Positioning statements: how to be first in a new category March 20, 2013
Posted by Mike Gospe in Positioning.Tags: categories, category, positioning statement
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When crafting a positioning statement, one of the most challenging items is the category. When done well, new categories feel obvious. Here’s one of my favorite examples of a company that forever changed the way we watch television.
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Features vs benefits: 5 tests for defining the best benefit March 9, 2013
Posted by Mike Gospe in Positioning.Tags: positioning statement
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A common mistake is confusing features and benefits. When developing a positioning statement, one of the key ingredients is in identifying the most compelling benefit relevant to the target audience or persona. Here’s 5 criteria to help guide you to selecting the best benefit. (more…)
What’s your marketing team’s charter? February 22, 2013
Posted by Mike Gospe in Leadership, Marketing Operations.Tags: charter, marketing vision exercise, roles and responsibilities
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One of the biggest challenges marketers face is in setting expectations with their internal “customers.” Unnecessary friction results when marketers and sales managers don’t understand the hand-off points between the two organizations. Or even when marketing functions don’t agree on the boundaries of their roles. Documenting a team charter goes a long way to aligning all marketers for best success. (more…)
Secrets to building the most effective “positioning statement” February 6, 2013
Posted by Mike Gospe in Positioning.Tags: positioning statement
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Looking for tips and templates for building a “positioning statement”? Check out my mini-guidebook: The Marketing High Ground series: Positioning Statements. This guidebook reflects much of the best practices shared on this blog as well as my Marketing High Ground blog.
This action-oriented mini-guidebook provides everything you need to work the exercise with you colleagues. You’ll find background information on the exercise, examples, techniques, and tips for working cross-functionally.
Not only will you discover how to build a strong positioning statement, you’ll learn how to critique your work. And perhaps most importantly, you’ll learn how to use the positioning statement tool to successfully navigate internal political discussions that can derail your marketing campaigns.
How advisory boards can shape your marketing strategy January 25, 2013
Posted by Mike Gospe in Customer Advisory Boards, Leadership.Tags: advisory council, advisory councils, CAB, CABs, Customer Advisory Board, Customer Advisory Boards, Customer Council, customer councils, executive forums, Leadership, marketing strategy
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The customer advisory board (CAB) is quickly becoming a popular tool for aligning a company’s vision and product direction with the needs and priorities of its best customers. If your company is thinking about sponsoring a CAB, or if you want to compare how companies are using theirs to achieve competitive advantage, check out my new two-volume set of guidebooks about CABs. (more…)
How to get strategic insight from your best customers January 18, 2013
Posted by Mike Gospe in Customer Advisory Boards.Tags: CAB, CABs, Customer Advisory Board, Customer Advisory Boards, Customer Council, Leadership
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Many companies are now discovering that a Customer Advisory Board (CAB), council or executive forum can greatly help them develop, validate, and enhance crisp business strategies that deliver sustainable competitive advantage while maintaining customer loyalty. If you are a company with more than $50M in annual revenue, you should have a customer advisory board. Your competitors do. This post gives you the basics of what you need to know to get the most out of your CAB. (more…)
The marketer’s irony December 15, 2012
Posted by Mike Gospe in Integrated Marketing, Marketing Operations.add a comment
Last week I conducted a marketing workshop with a cross-functional group of a dozen marketers. Together we reviewed examples of the deliverables they’d been working on: product overview sheets, sales playbooks, website, etc. When looked at by themselves, each deliverable was actually quite good. Unfortunately, when the deliverables were reviewed side-by-side, a confusing value proposition emerged with variations of target audience priorities and contradictory messaging. This reminded me of a lesson I learned the hard way years ago. It’s called the marketer’s irony. (more…)
