Brand positioning is a phrase we might hear thrown around a marketing meeting, but do we really understand what it means and what it can do for our business?
At James Hillman, we believe every incredible fashion brand should have a brand positioning strategy to match. If you’re wondering what all of this means, or exactly how to position your fashion brand, and need your questions answered, keep reading this handy guide to learn all the basics and more.
What is Brand Positioning?
Brand positioning is a vital sector of brand strategy. It is the position of your brand in the mind of the consumer. It is where you differentiate yourself from your competitors and show your target consumers exactly what your fashion brand is about and what you stand for.
Where is your brand in the consumer's minds? If you can’t answer that question, you may especially need to read the rest of these tips.
Why is Fashion Brand Positioning Important?
When it comes to fashion, reputation is everything. Your brand positioning should instigate a carefully crafted feeling within your target consumer — a space in their mind that only your brand occupies. Here are some of the key reasons brand positioning is an increasingly valuable asset that your business should be utilising:
● Increased Brand Recognition comes with strong brand positioning, as it makes your brand more memorable. The aim is to take up a small but permanent spot in the consumer's mind, so, if done effectively, your brand will stay with your target audience long-term.
● Authoritative Industry Reputation as knowing the ins and outs of whatever it is that you stand for makes you the experts. Utilise that!
● Well-Defined Target Audience which makes your wider marketing strategy much smoother and more effective. If you know exactly who is interacting with your fashion brand, you can target them in more creative and engaging ways.
● Increased Reach as your target audience engages with your branding.
● Increased Sales as your reach increases and your reputation builds.
Even brands like Burberry are redefining their brand positioning, with a new chapter in the brand’s creative strategy underway after chief creative officer Christopher Bailey announced he was leaving after 15 years. This just shows us that even the big players in the fashion industry are developing along with the times and finding their place in the eye of the consumer. Should all fashion brands be doing the same? We think so.
To reap these benefits and keep up with industry frontrunners, you’ll need to work on your own brand positioning strategy. If you’re wondering exactly how to do that, keep reading this handy guide or Find Out More About Fashion Consultancy Services Now.
Find Your USP
As brand positioning is all about your unique place in the minds of your target audience, the first thing you need to position your fashion brand effectively is an awareness of your company’s Unique Selling Points (USPs). These USPs will direct your brand positioning, as well as your wider brand strategy. The stronger and more memorable your USPs are, the better. Try to take note or brainstorm around this when creating your brand strategy.
What problem are you fixing for your target audience? Is your fashion brand true top-end luxury? Or maybe you run a sustainable fashion brand — use this to guide your brand positioning! Any great business will know their strongest selling points and be able to create a distinct and clear place in the public mind using them.
A couple of great examples of fashion brands with strong USPs and brand positioning are:
● Stella McCartney: As a lifelong vegetarian that translates these values seamlessly into the fashion industry, Stella McCartney is a great example of strong brand positioning tied to a strong USP. Ethics are a huge part of the brand positioning here, making that likely what comes to mind when you think of this brand.
● Chanel: Radiating a classic elegance across numerous strands of the industry,
Chanel takes up a specific spot in the consumer's mind, and a luxury one at that.
Struggling to find your USPs or translate them into creative brand ideas? Try a Fashion
Concept Creation Service today for effective expert advice!
Research Competitor Branding
Another vital part of brand strategy and in particular fashion brand positioning, is competitor research and audits. You can’t navigate the mind of the consumer if you don’t know where the competition sits! Take a look at what your competitors are doing and how the consumer feels about them and interacts with them.
Do your research! It will likely make it much easier to find your gap in the market and target audience, which in turn builds and improves your brand positioning. Using spreadsheets (or any marketing tools that you can get your hands on!) you can create a detailed analysis of competitor positioning and branding, what works and what doesn’t, and more.
Use Influencer Marketing
Having a clear and concise definition of your target audience includes awareness of the influencers they follow, the press outlets they read and the events they attend. Which social accounts are your target audience paying the most attention to? If you can connect with influencers that fit your brand positioning, this could earn you a huge stream of backlinks and boost your positioning and brand authenticity even further.
Understanding your audience and how they interact with brands and influencers will help you to collate information and make decisions on which to collaborate with. If you don’t think reaching out to influencers or building a brand strategy is a task you can do effectively enough alone, there are a range of outsource services available to help.
Outsource Your Marketing Strategy
There are a few different ways you can outsource your marketing strategy, all with great benefits to your business. The most effective way to help you position your brand is to consider employing Expert Fashion Brand Consultancy Services. These services extract the essence of your brand's DNA and really get to know you before carefully and expertly bringing to life what your brand stands for. If you’re wondering how to position your fashion brand, an expert fashion consultant could be the perfect solution.
Another option when it comes to outsourcing your fashion marketing strategy is to employ a marketing agency that will create a brand strategy and brand positioning strategy for you. As marketing professionals, agency teams are dedicated to bringing you results, which could work for some companies. Do some research around marketing agencies to see if this option could work for you.
Be aware: marketing agencies are likely to cost more than a specialist brand consultant, and the likelihood is they won’t have the same level of expert knowledge! Remember this when making your outsourcing choices.
Boost Your Fashion Brand Positioning Today with Expert Consultancy Services By James Hillman
James Hillman is a luxury Fashion Brand Consultant with bespoke and tailored services created to help your fashion brand reach its full potential. With years of first-hand experience in the fashion world, we work closely with fashion brands to ensure that they achieve their goals, especially when it comes to brand strategy and positioning! Get in Touch to find out more.
