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Obviously Awesome book cover
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Obviously Awesome

by April Dunford

Obviously Awesome

Core Concept

Positioning establishes context enabling customers to understand and compare new products against existing reference points. It influences marketing, sales, customer success, and product development across organizations.

Key Points

1. Deliberate Positioning Strategy

Organizations should intentionally position products rather than accept default positioning. Example: Marketing “cake pops” as lollipops versus “cake on a stick” creates different customer perceptions.

2. Weak Positioning Indicators

Warning signs include:

  • Customer confusion
  • Extended sales cycles
  • High churn rates
  • Price pressure
  • Mismatch between company perception and prospect understanding

3. Positioning Statements (Why They Fall Short)

Traditional statements often fail because they assume predetermined answers, reinforce existing assumptions, and provide insufficient guidance for implementation.

4. Five Core Components of Effective Positioning

  • Competitive alternatives
  • Unique attributes
  • Value (supported by evidence)
  • Target market characteristics
  • Market category designation
  • Optional: Relevant industry trends

5. Ten-Step Positioning Process

  1. Identify best-fit customers
  2. Form positioning team
  3. Establish consistent vocabulary
  4. List competitive alternatives
  5. Identify unique attributes
  6. Connect attributes to value themes
  7. Determine stakeholder priorities
  8. Select market frame of reference
  9. Evaluate trend applicability
  10. Document and distribute positioning organizationally

6. Three Positioning Styles

Head to Head: Competing directly within established markets

Big Fish, Small Pond: Targeting subsegments within existing markets

Create a New Game: Establishing entirely new market categories

7. Trend Integration

Organizations can layer current trends into positioning when relevant, requiring careful execution to maintain clarity.

8. Organizational Implementation

Distribute positioning across departments, translating for B2B sales narratives covering problem definition, current solutions, ideal solutions, and value themes.