Brand positioning, along with segmentation and targeting, is crucial to successfully marketing a product or service. Three organizations performing this activity in their respective marketplaces include Sling TV, an American streaming service, Sephora, a French multinational retailer of personal care and beauty products, and Spiralyze, a conversion rate optimization marketing agency based in Atlanta, Georgia. 

This article analyzes the brand positioning via advertisements currently in market for each business and assesses whether their products or services are properly positioned. Results indicate that each organization’s advertising supports its brand positioning by integrating similar language, values, and concepts into text, images, and video. Target market segmentation types and sizes, hybrid positioning, and positioning caveats are also explored.

Brand positioning is a challenging but critical aspect of marketing any business. To be successful, every organization must:

• understand that customers are different because they have different needs

• be able to define their unique value proposition (USP)

• direct advertising messages about their USP to targeted audiences interested in their products or services

Each of the three businesses analyzed has developed positioning that creates a perception of difference in the minds of their audiences. 

Brand Positioning: Choice and Control

In 2018, Sling TV launched campaigns positioning them as a flexible live streaming service providing more choice and control. One commercial on other streaming services such as Peacock (NBC) features Doris Burke, an American sports analyst, announcing that she watches sports on Sling TV “because they’ve got every [playoff] game…for the best price.”

This ad speaks to a segment of people who like watching basketball games on streaming services and are especially interested in the playoffs. This segment is likely to recognize Doris Burke and be comfortable with the ad’s format of a sports announcer with a microphone speaking directly into the camera. A booming male narration emphasizes “every game” and “best price,” accompanied by those words in all capital letters on a lightboard, another common experience for the sports enthusiast, and one that generates excitement for upcoming games.

This advertisement positions the brand well as it fits into the characterization of Sling TV as providing “choice and control;” customers can watch what they want, from the comfort of their homes, while spending the lowest amount of money possible. 

Two types of segmentation support this brand’s positioning. The first is psychographic, referring to user lifestyle including interests and activities – using streaming services and watching sports. The second is behavioral, which is the best basis for explaining customer behavior in the marketplace and really gets to the “why” behind customer behavior.” The ad reaches a streaming audience since it is placed on another streaming service, and the sports analyst, announcer, and lightboard further narrow the target to people who enjoy watching playoff basketball games and might be interested in paying another streaming service for access. 

Brand Positioning: Inclusive Prestige

Sephora’s mission is to “create a welcoming beauty shopping experience for all” while being “a leader in prestige omni-retail,” an interesting dovetail of aspiring to a high status without being exclusionary. The cover photo on Sephora’s Facebook page, which boasts 19.7 million followers, illustrates the mission by “championing all beauty” and proclaiming that “you are included.” The brand’s Facebook posts are also aligned with this positioning, using the second person “you” often and avoiding categorization of its products for any particular gender.

Sephora’s inclusionary advertising not only aligns with its positioning but strategically expands its demographic from the traditional one for cosmetics, cisgender women, to people of all genders, avoiding what is called the demographic trap of segmentation that is a risk when organizations combine too many variables and are unable to properly target segments. This is an invaluable opportunity in the red ocean of the beauty industry, which is crowded with categories, brands, and promotions at all pricing points; it fulfills a positioning caveat that positioning must set off the product/brand from the competitors since many beauty brands continue to feature only cisgender women in advertising. 

Brand Positioning: A/B Testing with a Price Guarantee

Spiralyze is a full-service advertising agency that specializes in A/B testing for software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies. The value proposition on the home page of their website is simply stated as “30% more conversions.”  It is critical to link the benefits sought by the target market to the positioning strategy. Throughout its website and social media advertising, Spiralyze avoids the jargon often used in business-to-business (B2B) marketing by saying, for example, that the agency “gets visitors on your site to convert.” By focusing on one aspect of online advertising for a single industry, Spiralyze ensures that it is not trying to be all things to all people and creates just-right content aimed at a narrow target constituency.

The challenge is to ensure that enough of the total addressable market of SaaS businesses with a need for conversion rate optimization (CRO) find the agency’s services compelling, become customers, and drive agency revenue. CRO is not required to create or maintain a marketing program, and could be managed in-house, so Spiralyze’s service may be considered a luxury, not a necessity, by some prospects. 

On their website and in LinkedIn posts, Spiralyze supports their effective targeting and brand positioning with client testimonials. One LinkedIn post features a quote that “they have doubled my revenue”  from the CEO of another advertising agency; another, from a software company vice president, says they have “not only increased the conversion volume but the conversion quality” suggesting a value-added benefit and encouraging diffusion throughout the target market.  Also, Spiralyze’s pay-for-performance pricing model, in which customers “don’t pay a dime until after you see results” supports their positioning with a guarantee, a tactic that enables low perceived risk. 

All three of these companies support brand positioning by understanding the voice of the customer and using hybrid positioning: Selection and price for Sling TV, prestige and inclusion for Sephora, and performance and price for Spiralyze. This presents more challenges to competitors who want to enter the space and enables each business to evolve positioning as required by changes in their respective competitive markets. 

About the author: Rachaelle Lynn is the SEO Chair of Austin Women in Technology and has over 20 years' experience in digital marketing, with the last seven years in B2B tech. She currently manages SEO at SailPoint and holds certifications in Google Analytics and Conductor (SEO platform). Rachaelle frequently volunteers at AWT events and has presented at events like Apps We Love. Her special interests include cybersecurity and privacy in Artificial Intelligence. Rachaelle holds a bachelor's degree in Communications and is pursuing an MBA with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. Her hobbies include talking to her two cats, visiting quirky museums, and listening to live music. Connect with Rachaelle via LinkedIn.   

Social media has changed how business is done and how consumers shop for and buy products and services. Social media is an important marketing tool even for – or perhaps especially for – entrepreneurs who are more familiar with, and comfortable with, traditional marketing techniques, and it cannot be ignored; influencers have a high level of influence in targeting consumer groups and their purchase behavior.

 Social media micro-influencers, defined as 100K-1 million followers, and nano-influencers, identified as less than 5K followers, are a critical aspect of reaching target markets via personas that members of these target markets like and follow, lending credibility to the enterprises that those influencers support. This article further defines micro-influencers and nano-influencers and what target markets they have typically been used to reach and explains how they can be used by small businesses to market products and services. Additionally, strategies and guidelines on connecting with the right influencers are provided.  

Social Media Influencers: Definition, Strategy, and Guidelines

A social media influencer is an independent third-party endorser who shapes audience attitudes through blogs, tweets, and the use of other social media. A micro-influencer is a deep dive into the data associated with an influencer, in that they offer specific content, authenticity, secret sharing, and the meaning of the influencer. 

With a micro-influencer, there may be more associated credibility than with a simple influencer, if a solid match between the brand and the influencer is achieved. A mismatch may result in lost credibility and authority for both the brand and the influencer. 

Nano-influencers also have credibility associated with their brand, but the brand is more nebulous since they are not considered professional influencers – even though they are making money via the brand. Interestingly, nano-influencers form the first step in the development of influencers that have the highest engagement rates among all the categories of influencers and are more open to unpaid partnerships to build their profile, and they often reach out to their own brands to foster partnerships which may make them more attractive to small businesses. 

As with a micro-influencer, association with a brand that does not support the nano-influencer’s image can result in difficulties, but a positive relationship can create a symbiotic interaction. Brand evangelism with both micro-influencers and nano-influencers is a tremendous benefit, as this deep passion and emotion can influence not only purchases, but brand loyalty. 

Target Markets for Micro-Influencers and Nano-Influencers

Target markets for micro-influencers are many and varied, as would be expected from influencers expected to focus on smaller, niche audiences. Four key characteristics of micro-influencers include authenticity, the meaning of the influencer, specific content, and secret sharing (personal stories). 

Social media influencers have a significant relationship with brand attitude when they can provide trust, expertise, and attractiveness in giving brand influence positively over the products they endorse.

Strategies and Guidelines on Connecting with Influencers

A top priority when connecting with influencers is defining and understanding the target audience. This requires a brand to be viewed as offering a strong, positive, unique, and relevant product or service to users, and to understand that most brands are operating in a crowded market with many conflicting messages. Strategies to support connecting with influencers include the following. 

• Understand how to appeal to the target market, using a permission-based approach so prospects expect and appreciate communications.

• Find influencers who truly represent the target market and are willing to create posts to attract them. Focus on influencers who generate specific content that corresponds to their interests since their followers are most likely to feel that this content is relevant to them. 

• Seek opportunities for detailed reviews and capitalize on them: A high word count makes readers feel that the review is more useful. 

• Encourage influencer brand engagement and brand love rather than a simple one-off post or mention. Brand love not only positively affects purchase behavior but helps prospects and customers to be more resistant to negative comments.

• Offer a purchase option, as liking posts can translate to sales. Although the interaction between the brand and users is brief, it can be effective in generating sales conversions. 

• Review influencer details for a clear picture of what will be provided, since new ventures typically have small budgets with little room for error. Knowing how the investment will be spent, and the expected results, is a top priority for any entrepreneur. 

• Provide thorough reporting and analytics, as entrepreneurs are challenged to connect the cost of social network promotions to sales they generate. Clarity regarding the return on investment will support either the continuation of working with these influencers or a pivot to those that will better serve the target market.

Social media influencers, particularly micro-influencers and nano-influencers, are becoming increasingly critical for small businesses looking to reach their target markets. These influencers offer authenticity, specific content, and secret sharing that resonates with their followers, and they have the potential to create a symbiotic interaction that can positively impact purchases and brand loyalty. 

When connecting with influencers, it is crucial to focus on defining and understanding the target audience, finding influencers that truly represent that market, and encouraging brand engagement and love. By implementing these strategies and guidelines, small businesses can leverage the power of social media influencers to grow their brand and generate sales.

About the author: Rachaelle Lynn is the SEO Chair of Austin Women in Technology and has over 20 years' experience in digital marketing, with the last seven years in B2B tech. She currently manages SEO at SailPoint and holds certifications in Google Analytics and Conductor (SEO platform). Rachaelle frequently volunteers at AWT events and has presented at events like Apps We Love. Her special interests include cybersecurity and privacy in Artificial Intelligence. Rachaelle holds a bachelor's degree in Communications and is pursuing an MBA with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. Her hobbies include talking to her two cats, visiting quirky museums, and listening to live music. Connect with Rachaelle via LinkedIn.  

Brief Overview

The Power of TED is a fictionalized explanation of real-world self-improvement concepts and techniques. The fictional aspect is a first-person account of how the author was introduced to The Empowerment Dynamic; The Empowerment Dynamic itself is a set of possible responses to being caught in The Karpman Drama Triangle. The Karpman Drama Triangle, reframed as The Dreaded Drama Triangle in this text, revolves around the three intertwined roles of Victim, Persecutor, and Rescuer.

The main character, David, realizing the problems created by falling into these roles in response to life crises, is guided to a better understanding of his behavior and three new roles, Creator, Challenger, and Coach that he can consciously adopt to generate more positive outcomes for himself and others. The two guides, Ted and Sophia, gently remind David (and the reader) of instances when one might easily slip into a role that hurts them and others. This includes the Rescuer, which has a more positive connotation but describes a person who unintentionally reinforces and enables the Victim.

The antithesis of the Victim is the Creator, who sees everyone else as a Creator as well, and operates with the intention of encouraging and enhancing all Creators, including themselves. The Challenger replaces the Persecutor; “they coax, cajole, and entice you to move in the direction of your heart’s desires”. And the Coach supports others not by validating Victims as the Rescuer does, but by reinforcing the Creator’s power and agency.

Critique

The description of the Dreaded Drama Triangle and the roles that can be adopted in response is truly meaningful. The Triangle is pervasive in our culture, and it’s incredibly difficult for people to realize their unconscious participation unless it’s pointed out to them, and they are ready to accept it. Also, realization that one is stuck in the Triangle often comes during a time of great emotional challenges, as it did for David, when the person is seeking a better way to live but is at a loss as to how to find it.

Another helpful aspect of the book is that it does not try to present the transitions to Creator -Challenger-Coach roles as easy, and it explicitly states that taking on these new roles does not mean that the person will be free of struggles or negative influences for the rest of their life. For example, Deconstructive Challengers “may be unwelcome people, conditions, or circumstances”. They may be in the Creator’s life to teach them what they don’t want, and it is up to the Creator to understand that without internalizing it and slipping into the Victim orientation.

One criticism of the book is that in its simplicity, it is a bit heavy-handed. The messages are easy to understand, though not to implement, so the story is repetitive. One solution might be to integrate relevant “Questions for the Journey” from the end of the book into each chapter and encourage the reader to journal throughout, so they can identify action items for implementing The Empowerment Dynamic into their lives as they process the concepts. An accompanying workbook might also be helpful.

Recommendation

This book is highly recommended, with a score of 9 out of 10. The missing digit is due to the lack of action items or journaling prompts that would slow the reader down and help them integrate the material into their daily lives. It is a great text for organizational leaders, who may unconsciously cast themselves in the roles of Victim-Persecutor-Rescuer as they navigate stressful situations. It’s also a great read for anyone who realizes they self-sabotage, not just in relationships but with addictions, and needs clarity on ways to change their thinking and behavior.

Reference

Emerald, D. (2016). The power of ted: the empowerment dynamic. (10^th Ed.). Polaris Publishing.

About the Author: Rachaelle Lynn is the SEO Chair of Austin Women in Technology and has over 20 years' experience in digital marketing, with the last seven years in B2B tech. She currently manages SEO at SailPoint and holds certifications in Google Analytics and Conductor (SEO platform). Rachaelle frequently volunteers at AWT events and has presented at events like Apps We Love. Her special interests include cybersecurity and privacy in Artificial Intelligence. Rachaelle holds a bachelor's degree in Communications and is pursuing an MBA with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. Her hobbies include talking to her two cats, visiting quirky museums, and listening to live music. Connect with Rachaelle via LinkedIn.