Positioning is used to describe how a marketing programme is perceived by the buyer relative to that of a competitor's firm. Product positioning therefore entails how the product is seen or perceived by the customers and accepted as such. An international marketer is expected to create a niche for itself standing out in the crowd of competitors and be counted as different and positioning itself very strongly in the minds of consumers.
Others could go the extra mile of making its brand a generic name among competitors. Examples in this category include Omo for detergents Big for ball pens and coke for soft drinks e.t.c.
A positioning strategy will therefore help a firm to differentiate itself from competitors in a mass product market or position a firm to serve target customers in one or more product market niches. It is on this note that Schiffman and Kannk as cited by Inyanga (2003 : 353), emphasized that the result of a successful positioning strategy is a distinctive brand image on which consumers rely in making product choices.
This becomes imperative with the realization that consumers carry mental image of particular brands along with them.
When the time for purchasing decision comes, it is the brand that these consumers have in mind that is easily asked for. An international product positioning strategy should therefore be part of an integrated corporate and marketing objectives of a global marketer consisting of the following decisions ;
i. The product or service offering.
ii. How distribution will be accomplished.
iii. Choice of a pricing strategy and
iv. selection of a promotional strategy.
No comments:
Post a Comment