Examples of Effective Brand Positioning

These days, when you think about getting a cup of coffee, there’s a good chance that you’d think about Zus. When you watch Lewis Hamilton racing in the F1, the first brand that stands out to you as a Malaysian would probably be Petronas. If you want to drive-thru for a quick meal, McDonalds it is, right?

Have you ever considered how we sometimes refer to brands directly for certain things, not the thing itself? What does that mean?

Okay, referring to the examples above, when you want to get coffee, do you say, “let’s go get coffee” or “let’s go get Zus”? For burgers, do you say, “let’s go get burgers” or “let’s go mekdi”?

In both cases, it’s probably the latter. That shows that these brands have made themselves memorable to you, whether you realize it or not. This is called brand positioning.

What is Brand Positioning

In simple terms, brand positioning means making your customers remember you. You could be selling products, services, or even yourself (as a brand); it’s about making it notable and positioning yourself in your customer’s mind.

There are several approaches to making your brand stand out. You could position yourself as something that is useful and serves your customers well. Or you could just position yourself as the “cool kid” on the block so your customers and users feel premium when they own something of your brand.

Brand positioning is all about strategy. Your brand should have a plan and direction on when, how, where, and why to say it about yourself. Brand positioning is not merely about people’s impression of your brand. It is also about your value proposition.

People should know what they can expect when they hear about your brand. They should what they can get from you. At the end of the day, branding is a people’s game. It’s all about how the customers feel about you, and it’s simple, if they like you, they’ll come back; if not, they won’t.

Why is Brand Positioning Important?

Let’s start this with a very simple question. Consumers have so many options to choose from, so why do you?

As you try to answer this question, you would probably be listing down a list of reasons to why your brand is significant and why people should take note of you.

Good.

Now that you know why your brand is special, you must convey that idea to your audience. If no one is watching, this is the time to gain attention through strategic planning.

Brand positioning is so important because, even if you have the best product in the world or the best service worldwide, if no one knows about it, it’s no good. A good rule of thumb would be to be as delusional as possible about your brand and then make your customers believe you.

When your audience buys into your ideas, they will turn into customers. And when they love your idea, they will be loyal to you. We want that because customer loyalty translates to positive brand sentiment, increased ROIs, and consistent sales.

How to Successfully Position Your Brand?

Brand positioning starts internally. You need to be clear about the brand identity you wish to create and curate a well-fitted positioning strategy for that. To do so, you need to define three things:

The “Who”

This is your audience. Define who are your target audience

The “What”

This is your product/service. Define what you will be offering your audience and customers

The “Why”

This is your reasoning. Define why your audience should care about you.

Next up is researching about competitors. The idea behind brand positioning is to make yourself more favourable to your audience than other brands. Check metrics such as consumer engagement, sentiments, and things of that nature. That should give you an idea of what has worked and what didn’t. With that information, you can curate a more relatable and engaging positioning strategy for your brand.

Never forget your unique value proposition (USP). Always strategize with your USP at the centre of it. This will further reinforce your brand identity amongst your audience. Experiment with different ways to get the idea across to your audience.

Coming up with a brand positioning statement shall also help. If you need a guide on that, check out our article here. Brand positioning statements are good elevator pitches to your audience and even investors. This can be a crucial element in turning a passerby into a customer.

Figuring these things out will help you narrow down appropriate strategies for positioning your brand. Once there’s a plan in place, it’s time to execute. Obviously, in this day and age, social media is the way to go. So leverage that to your benefit and see what else works. It’s different for every brand, as strategies depend on circumstances.

Examples of Successful Brand Positioning

There are lots of memorable brands that have managed to position themselves well within the markets of Malaysia and even internationally. You’d be surprised at how some of these brands were founded in Malaysia and have a name for themselves worldwide.

AirAsia

AirAsia is a low-cost airline founded in Malaysia by a Malaysian named Tan Sri Tony Fernandes. It aimed to make airline travel affordable to everyone and it did exactly that.

Positioning Strategy	Why It Works
Strong Brand Identity	AirAsia has established itself as a bold, dynamic brand, often associated with youthfulness, innovation, and adventurous spirit.
Efficiency and Punctuality	Despite its low-cost model, AirAsia maintains a reputation for operational efficiency and punctuality, ensuring timely departures and arrivals.
Emphasis on Customer Experience	AirAsia emphasizes delivering a pleasant flying experience for passengers, despite the low fares, by focusing on service quality and comfort within budget constraints.

ZUS Coffee

Many people are still not aware that ZUS is a Malaysian brand. This is one of the brands that were birthed post covid and did exceptionally well. Now there’s a ZUS almost at the corner of every neighbourhood and is winning the hearts of many coffee lovers.

Positioning Strategy	Why It Works
Local Coffee Culture	ZUS Coffee embraces Malaysia’s rich coffee culture, offering traditional Malaysian coffee blends and flavours that resonate with local tastes.
Community-Centric Approach	ZUS Coffee fosters a sense of community by providing cosy and inviting spaces for customers to gather, socialize, and enjoy their coffee experience.
Digital Engagement	ZUS Coffee utilizes digital platforms and loyalty programs to engage with customers, offering promotions, collecting feedback, and fostering a sense of belonging within its coffee community.

Bonia

Bonia is a luxury fashion and lifestyle brand based in Malaysia. It was founded back in 1974 and has been relevant since then. Now, there are more than 700 Bonia outlets in Asia alone and is well-known worldwide. Bonia users take pride in its reputation and consider it as a premium brand.

Positioning Strategy	Why It Works
Craftsmanship Excellence	Bonia upholds a tradition of craftsmanship excellence, employing skilled artisans and utilizing premium materials to create durable and luxurious fashion pieces.
International Presence	With a strong global presence, Bonia has established itself as a prominent player in the luxury fashion industry, with stores and boutiques in key fashion capitals worldwide.
Exclusive Collaborations	Bonia collaborates with renowned designers, artists, and celebrities to create limited-edition collections and exclusive pieces, offering customers unique and aspirational fashion experiences.

Maybank

Possibly one of the most favored banking service provider in Malaysia. Maybank was formerly known as Malayan Banking. It operates mainly in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. Whether it’s savings accounts, loans, or investments, Maybank would always come to Malaysians’ minds.

Positioning Strategy	Why It Works
Customer-Centric Approach	Maybank places a strong emphasis on customer satisfaction, offering personalized services, expert financial advice, and tailored solutions to meet the unique needs and goals of its clients.
Strong Market Presence	Maybank maintains a strong market presence in key sectors such as retail banking, corporate banking, investment banking, and Islamic banking, contributing to its reputation as a trusted and reliable financial institution.
Corporate Banking Expertise	Maybank has established expertise in corporate banking, providing comprehensive financial solutions, advisory services, and capital market solutions to businesses and corporations across different industries.

Genting Group

Genting Group is mainly an investment holding and management company. They specialise in the hospitality and management sector, investing across many sectors throughout Asia. Initially started in Malaysia and has expanded internationally with much influence. Genting Highlands is a testament to that.

Maxis

Maxis is a telco and internet service provider in Malaysia. This is yet another Malaysian-made brand that has become so successful that it has monopoly power over the local industry.

Positioning Strategy	Why It Works
Comprehensive Service Portfolio	Maxis offers a comprehensive portfolio of telecommunications services, including mobile plans, broadband internet, fixed-line solutions, enterprise solutions, digital solutions, and value-added services, catering to the diverse needs of consumers and businesses.
Corporate Social Responsibility	Maxis demonstrates corporate social responsibility through various initiatives, including community development programs, digital literacy initiatives, environmental sustainability efforts, and disaster relief efforts, contributing to positive social impact and sustainable development.
Business Connectivity Solutions	Maxis provides comprehensive connectivity solutions for businesses and enterprises, including dedicated business lines, data services, cloud solutions, cybersecurity solutions, and enterprise mobility solutions, empowering businesses to optimize their operations and stay competitive in the digital age.

How We Do It

What and how Brand360 does their branding
How they would serve their customers to do the same

When it comes to branding, we take our job seriously. At Brand360, we help you go from zero to hero, providing crucial services such as brand design, brand strategy, and marketing. We are a team of industry professionals who can take your ideas and brand dreams and make them a reality.

We genuinely believe in the importance of having effective brand positioning strategies. How do we brand ourselves, you may ask?

First off, we offer all the significant services necessary for quality branding. As a customer, it is a one-stop shop for you. Then, we leverage social media kaw-kaw. That’s where the attention is.

We ensure our customers’ needs are met and strive for excellence in delivering our services. We are known to accelerate your brand growth with strategy, design, marketing, and digital.

Takeaways

In conclusion, effective brand positioning is essential for businesses to distinguish themselves and resonate with their target audience. By crafting a unique brand identity and delivering value-driven messaging, brands can increase awareness, drive loyalty, and achieve success. Through examples across various industries, we’ve seen how successful brand positioning strategies differentiate brands and foster connections with consumers.

At Brand360, we offer comprehensive branding services to help businesses elevate their brand presence and accelerate growth. From design to marketing strategy, our team is committed to helping clients achieve their branding goals in today’s competitive landscape.

Ready to elevate your brand? Contact us today to learn how Brand360 can help you stand out and thrive in the marketplace.