Rossiter, J.R. (2011). Brand positioning: the three-level positioning procedure. In: M.D.
Uncles (ed.): Perspectives on Brand Management. Prahran (Australia): Tilde University
Press, pp. 61-74.
The purpose of positioning a brand is to sell more than would
be sold if the brand was just offered to potential buyers without
ads or information. A brand wants to create brand awareness
and brand attitude.
Brand positioning is conceptualised as a management decision
process that consists of three levels:
• Macro: T-C-B model: Target – Category - Benefits.
➔ The lower two levels dive deeper into Benefits:
• Meso: I-D-U model: Important - Deliverable - Unique.
• Micro: A-B-E model: Attributes / Benefits / Emotions.
Macro: T-C-B model
To Target customers, the brand has to meet Category needs, by best delivering Benefits.
The manager must choose:
• Target audience: who is the product for? Best prospects are
New Category Users (NCU). Later Favourable Brand
Switchers (FBS; already like your brand) and Other Brand
Switcher (OBS; may switch to you) and Other Brand Loyals
(OBL; weak loyals). Last Brand Loyals (BL).
• Product category: has to be clear for customers, for
example by naming it ‘Coke Zero’. Two choices, position as
a central brand or a differentiated brand.
Market leaders or me-too brands should go for
central and other brands for differentiated.
• Key benefit: choose to make the user or the
product the hero. Novice audience means it’s
difficult to explain the product.
Meso: I-D-U model
This is an expansion of the benefit decisions. The brand should be positioned on benefits that are
Important to the audience, Deliverable by the brand, and Unique in their category.
Positioning rules:
1. Emphasize the brand’s Important and Unique benefits: show off with your key benefit.
2. Mention it’s Important but equal entry-ticket benefits: to be seen as legit players.
3. Trade off Important benefits on which the brand has inferior delivery: trade off to your good
benefits.
Benefit emphasis strategies (the lower the more difficult):
A. Increase or maintain the uniqueness of the brand’s perceived delivery on important benefits.
B. Increase the importance of a benefit on which the brand will be seen as delivering uniquely.
C. Weaken a competitor’s perceived delivery on an important benefit to eliminate a unique
competitive advantage.
Uncles (ed.): Perspectives on Brand Management. Prahran (Australia): Tilde University
Press, pp. 61-74.
The purpose of positioning a brand is to sell more than would
be sold if the brand was just offered to potential buyers without
ads or information. A brand wants to create brand awareness
and brand attitude.
Brand positioning is conceptualised as a management decision
process that consists of three levels:
• Macro: T-C-B model: Target – Category - Benefits.
➔ The lower two levels dive deeper into Benefits:
• Meso: I-D-U model: Important - Deliverable - Unique.
• Micro: A-B-E model: Attributes / Benefits / Emotions.
Macro: T-C-B model
To Target customers, the brand has to meet Category needs, by best delivering Benefits.
The manager must choose:
• Target audience: who is the product for? Best prospects are
New Category Users (NCU). Later Favourable Brand
Switchers (FBS; already like your brand) and Other Brand
Switcher (OBS; may switch to you) and Other Brand Loyals
(OBL; weak loyals). Last Brand Loyals (BL).
• Product category: has to be clear for customers, for
example by naming it ‘Coke Zero’. Two choices, position as
a central brand or a differentiated brand.
Market leaders or me-too brands should go for
central and other brands for differentiated.
• Key benefit: choose to make the user or the
product the hero. Novice audience means it’s
difficult to explain the product.
Meso: I-D-U model
This is an expansion of the benefit decisions. The brand should be positioned on benefits that are
Important to the audience, Deliverable by the brand, and Unique in their category.
Positioning rules:
1. Emphasize the brand’s Important and Unique benefits: show off with your key benefit.
2. Mention it’s Important but equal entry-ticket benefits: to be seen as legit players.
3. Trade off Important benefits on which the brand has inferior delivery: trade off to your good
benefits.
Benefit emphasis strategies (the lower the more difficult):
A. Increase or maintain the uniqueness of the brand’s perceived delivery on important benefits.
B. Increase the importance of a benefit on which the brand will be seen as delivering uniquely.
C. Weaken a competitor’s perceived delivery on an important benefit to eliminate a unique
competitive advantage.
