April Dunford's Positioning Template
This template helps businesses position their product or service effectively by following April Dunford's structured approach outlined in her book, 'Obviously Awesome'.
This template is useful for startups, marketing teams, product managers, and entrepreneurs, especially those in the early stages of developing a marketing strategy, launching a new product, or repositioning an existing product due to market changes. It is also valuable when entering a new market, seeking investment, or rebranding.
To use the template, follow these steps:
Competitive Alternatives: Identify what customers would do if your product didn’t exist. List the main competitors or substitute products.
Unique Attributes: Determine the features or capabilities of your product that stand out compared to the alternatives.
Value (and proof): Articulate the benefits these unique features bring to the customer and gather evidence, such as testimonials or case studies, to support these claims.
Target Market Characteristics: Define the characteristics of the customers who care most about the value you provide. Be as specific as possible regarding demographics, psychographics, and pain points.
Market Category: Decide on the market category you want to position your product in. Consider where your product fits best and how you want it to be perceived.
Relevant Trends: Identify industry trends that enhance the relevance of your product. Explain why your product is important right now.
Tips for using the template:
Conduct market research to inform your positioning.
The components are interrelated, and their order should be followed.
Bring in team members, consultants, or advisors to get different perspectives.
Revisit and adjust the positioning as your product and market evolve.
The template includes an illustrative example based on Miro to guide you on how to use it.