The Foundational Statement of Your Company's Positioning

How you position your product can help you connect with the people who most need it, unlocking rapid growth for your company. But first, you need a solid foundation. Today, Christian and Meghan discuss what product leaders get right vs. wrong when positioning their products. Led by Meghan's insights in product marketing, we'll also walk through a process any team can use to find a position that will give you a cutting edge while letting you stay true to who you are.

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Takeaways:

• To create a positioning strategy, you need:
• • A foundational statement that is the truth of your product
  • Benefit pillars that focus on your differentiators
  • A description of your product features as proof
• Positioning work is internal, but it should inform the external.
• Test your positioning's effectiveness by asking if it's simple, meaningful, repeatable, and relevant.

Things To Listen For:

[1:30] Friday recordings, turning 40, and why smart people have worse memories

[2:30] Icebreaker: if you could debate anyone, real or not, who would it be?

[3:00] Meghan's hot take: "90% of cars are so much uglier than they have to be"

[4:00] Christian's defense of minivan designs and the 2014 Toyota Sienna

[9:30] Today's topic: how we shape perceptions of our product with positioning

[10:00] Positioning says who you are and why you matter

[11:00] "Positioning at its core is your north star; it should set the course"

[12:00] How appreciation for positioning in product has evolved over time

[12:30] Increasingly, product marketers and product designers are working together to bring positioning to life (see our episode on Pinterest)

[13:30] Can you tell if a product is positioned well from an outside perspective?

[14:30] Your positioning works if it's simple, meaningful, repeatable, and relevant

[15:00] Positioning statements must be factual and true to who you are

[16:30] Positioning explains why your designers are designing, and for whom

[18:00] How to start applying your positioning to a product roadmap

[20:00] What to do about positioning when you're an in-house product marketer

[24:00] Why to revisit positioning as your company grows and hires new leaders

[25:30] Consider changing your positioning when something foundational shifts

[28:00] Previewing our upcoming series, Unlock Product Marketing