How do you build and test a brand positioning statement? Walk through the key components you include and how you validate them.

Situation

When I was a marketing intern at a local skincare startup, the founder asked me to draft a positioning statement for a new natural deodorant line targeted at active urban women.

Task

My goal was to create a positioning statement that clearly differentiated our product in a crowded market, and to validate it before the product launch.

Action

I started by defining the target audience: 'urban professional women, 25-35, who value fitness and natural ingredients.' I established the frame of reference: 'natural deodorants' compared to mainstream aluminum-based alternatives. The point of difference was our 'probiotic skin-balancing formula that prevents odor without blocking pores.' The reason to believe was 'clinically tested probiotic strain lactobacillus, combined with locally sourced bamboo charcoal.' To test this, I co-created a survey with our insights team, presenting the positioning concepts to a panel of target consumers and measuring clarity, relevance, and uniqueness scores.

Result

The consumer validation showed a 90% relevance score, and the final statement was used to brief the agency and develop launch materials. The product gained a 5% share in the natural deodorant category within three months.