From Positioning to Practice – Brand Positioning in an Over-Communicated Society

The purpose of this thesis is to identify the whole positioning process by means of existing positioning theories as well as interviews with marketing practitioners and consumers. Furthermore, the authors wish to provide the reader with an overview of the complete positioning process as well as how it is used in practice today in order to better understand how well suited positioning theories are for today’s markets, thus aiding companies to gain a deeper understanding of how a successful positioning strategy can be developed. In order to get deeper insight into the positioning process and how it used today, a qualitative research method has been used. Both primary and secondary data have been collected. The theoretical focus has been put on theories regarding positioning and how it should be applied. The empirical foundation consists of three interviews with marketing practitioners in Sweden as well as nine interviews with consumers in the ages of 21-28 in order to get valuable insight into how positioning is used today as well as how positioning is perceived amongst consumers. The theories studied and the interviews conducted have led to the conclusion that a good positioning strategy is built on strong brand values that is maintained and communicated through all times. Furthermore, it is of great importance to consult the market and identify the consumer wants and needs, in order to successfully develop a position. The theories and processes presented in this thesis are meant to function as guidelines for developing a successful positioning strategy, however empirical data has shown that in practice some strategies seem to be easier to follow, whereas others have lost their validity due to the changes in the markets as well as consumer attitudes