Have you ever been part of a brand team that decided not to move forward with a differentiated positioning that tested well with customers because the team or its management were not personally excited by it? We have.
Over the past few years, we’ve noticed this trend among a select group of companies. They’ve engaged in a rigorous positioning development process that included a broad group of cross-functional stakeholders. They identified an overall idea for their brand that clearly differentiates it from the competition, and during validation research, physicians expressed excitement about the idea and a desire to quickly incorporate the product into their practice upon approval. So, why was the team not excited?
In these situations, the feedback we hear is the final positioning leaves them, and they believe will leave their organization uninspired despite its ability to motivate physicians and drive the behavior they desire.
When we dig a bit deeper, we find these teams don’t distinguish between their brand positioning and a rallying cry for the internal team, however, these should be distinct marketing deliverables with different audiences. These are the key elements of each.
Brand Positioning
- Description – The unique space a brand owns in the mind of the target audience that differentiates it from its competition
- Informed by – Pivotal data, prescribing label, scientific information, core market insights, and customer unmet needs
- Bound by – FDA regulatory rules and a company’s interpretation of those rules
- Sets the foundation for – Promotional communications, creative campaign, market access value proposition, etc.
- Consumed by – Cross-functional team and key agency suppliers responsible for developing HCP and patient communications
Internal Rallying Cry
- Description – A powerful, concise slogan used within an organization to inspire and motivate employees toward a common goal or mission
- Informed by – Your core organizational values and validated brand positioning
- Bound by – Your team and agency creativity
- Sets the foundation for – Internal brand communications and sales meetings
- Consumed by – Employees, regardless of their connection with end customers
If a team attempts to modify a differentiated and validated brand positioning to satisfy and motivate internal employees, they risk diluting or eliminating the results they worked to achieve with their customers. Instead, they should use the validated positioning as a starting point for the creation of a distinct, but related internal rallying cry that will energize and motivate their organization without compromising the brand positioning.