Pig & Poultry 2009: Clear positioning brings marketing benefits

Consumers are more likely to buy your products if they understand where your business is positioned within the market place.

Taking retailers as an example, Martin Williams of Shirlaws Business Coaching highlighted that each retailer occupied a distinct position in the market place, which ranged from Harrods at the top end to the discounters at the bottom.

Consumers easily recognised that Waitrose was more towards the top with a focus on quality, while Asda was more focused on price.

He stressed the marketing benefits of a clear position by highlighting the success of Easyjet. “Easyjet has been so successful, as everybody knows its positioning, effectively offering a service which is stripped to the basics and they sell to a market who want cheap holidays. Singapore Airlines is just as successful, but offering a more premium service.

“Therefore, when consumers visit the Easyjet website, they are already predisposed to buy, as they already know what it stands for.”

Mr Shirlaws believed this also applied to pig and poultry businesses. “You should be asking yourself what type of producer am I and where do I want to position myself? There is a huge range of businesses from large intensive units through to small, niche producers. Do your customers know where you fit in the market place?.”

Marketing statements like Tesco’s “Every little helps” help customers understand your position, whether you were focused on price or the premium quality end. “So which phrase does your business own,” he said.