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5

 

How do we become first choice?

To decide on this it is necessary to know how to position within the marketplace relative to 

competitor offerings. 

Positioning

 is related to how a consumer perceives a product in terms 

of the elements of value described above. It is related to Positioning in Figure 8.14. A posi-

tioning statement is often developed to encapsulate this. Companies then need to decide how 

to highlight the benefits as a 

differential advantage

 over rivals’ products.

Having a clear, powerful positioning is crucial online, since it is so easy for customers to 

compare service providers when initially selecting a product. It is also important to customer 

retention since the first experience of a brand will determine whether the customer naturally 

returns to the supplier as first choice or initiates another search to find alternatives.

In a digital marketing context (as mentioned in Chapter 5), the differential advantage and 

positioning can be clarified and communicated by developing an