The Right Position
As I mentioned in the previous post Positioning is all about finding your spot in the marketplace. Finding this special spot is one of the first and most important steps in creating your brand.
Let’s do a quick example. Let’s say I want to start a basic contemporary female tee shirt company Gloss Tees. I plan to sell to stores like Nordstrom and sit in their SAVVY section with designer denim and other contemporary tee brands.
Within that environment my direct competition includes James Perse known for their super soft luxury cottons and C and C California famous for their sheer layering effects and lean fit. Both are priced around the same as my company Gloss Tees ranging from the $35 to $70 price point.
Ok, great… so if I consider C and C and James Perse as my biggest competitors how can Gloss stand out?
Well, my tees are made with a special lycra that has a shaping effect for a smooth silhouette. That’s my niche. I have to make a point/position this so that prospective consumers clearly understand why I am different and consequently the only option for a great fitting tee.
See, even though Gloss Tees will still be reminiscent of any basic shirt, by focusing on the shape I put it out there that while I am not the only choice for a tee shirt in the SAVVY department but I am the only choice for a tee shirt that gives you a great shape. I’ve crated a category of one.
That’s what any good brand needs to do. Create a category of one. Think about how you can pull out the best in your product and create a category for your business.
Ralinda Harvey is the owner of Gloss Marketing, marketing and merchandising firm specializing in contemporary fashion companies. Ralinda has worked in merchandising and marketing for Michael Stars as well as Gap Inc. brands Gap and Old Navy. She has also served as an adjunct marketing instructor at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.
She currently consults a network of clients while conducting fashion marketing seminars with organizations such as Fashion Business Inc.
Website: http://www.glossmarketing.com
Blog: http://www.glossmarketing.com/blog/
Tags: c california, cottons, designer denim, fashion companies, gap inc, gloss, great shape, james perse, marketing, michael stars, nordstrom, old navy, point position, prospective consumers, reminiscent, right position, tee shirt company, tees