Describe Three Positioning Strategies and Give an Example of Each

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The Answer is There are seven from which to choose:
1. Umbrella positioning - this strategy entails creating an overall image of the company around which many products can be featured individually. This strategy is appropriate for very large corporations with diversified product lines.
For example, Woolworths' umbrella positioning is 'Fresh Food People'.
2. Positioning against the competition - as the name implies, comparing your product directly against your rival.
For example, Duracell ads state 'Duracell lasts up to three times longer than Eveready Super Heavy Duty (In AA, AAA, C and D sizes only)'. In Australia, Herron has run a successful campaign against Panadol and most recently Nurofen with its latest campaigns positioning the brand and products as Australian owned and produced.
3. Positioning based on a specific benefit - slogans and campaigns that smartly and precisely depict the key benefit of the brand they promote and have effectively positioned these brands in the minds of consumers. Effective depictions of a core benefit often include memorable imagery.
For example, Cadbury Chocolate has an emblematic picture of 'a glass and a half [of full cream dairy milk]' on its packaging.
4. Finding an 'unowned' position - in highly competitive markets, finding a niche unfilled by other companies.
For example, a clever approach in finding an 'unowned' position was Palmolive's claim to 'soften your hands as you do the dishes'; today, even though many people no longer wash dishes by hand, Palmolive still positions its dishwashing liquid as 'tough on grease, soft on hands'.
5. Filling several positions - because unfilled gaps or 'unowned' perceptual positions present opportunities for competitors, sophisticated marketers create several distinct offerings, often in the form of different brands, to fill several identified niches.
For example, Colgate-Palmolive, one of the largest producers of laundry detergents (which are actually commodity-like products, since the physical make-up of almost all detergents is largely identical), offers consumers such brands as Fab (deeply cleans, softly protects fabrics, and whitens and brightens clothes), Dynamo (for front-loading washers), Cuddly (extra softness and freshness), Sard Wondersoap (for pre-treating and shifting tough stains) and several other detergents. It would be difficult for a manufacturer to penetrate the detergent market with a product that offers a benefit that is not already provided by a Colgate-Palmolive brand.
6. Packaging as a positioning element - packaging must convey the image that the brand communicates to buyers.
For example, 'Earth Friendly' laundry powders are in green or plain recyclable packaging, signifying their environmentally friendly nature. Their packaging is thus consistent with their positioning as products that 'touch the earth lightly'.
7. Product repositioning - regardless of how well positioned a product appears to be, the marketer may be forced to reposition it in response to market events, such as a competitor cutting into the brand's market share or too many competitors stressing the same attribute. For example, rather than trying to meet the lower prices of high-quality private-label competition, some premium-brand marketers have repositioned their brands to justify their higher prices, playing up brand attributes that had previously been ignored.
For example, David Jones attained exclusive deals with fashion designers (such as Collette Dinnigan) and various suppliers (such as Witchery) to achieve a point of distinction from its closest competitor, Myer. Complementing its service levels, store ambience and range of goods, exclusive offerings allowed David Jones to retain its loyal consumers and avoid price wars in the marketplace.

Describe Three Positioning Strategies and Give an Example of Each

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