Trout: the pursuit of “differentiation” positioning

He was one of the last eight years old old man, he is the world’s leading marketingstrategy guru, his positioning theory is called the “history of United States of most marketing ideas and concepts”, he is the father of positioning theory jieke·telaote.

Positioning is the pursuit of “differentiation”

For many years, by continuously enriching and development of positioning theory, significance of the pursuit of new and practical utility, but change ten thousand times without departing from the original aim or stand is the tireless pursuit of difference. Please summarize the most refined language, locating the core theory is the essence of what?

Trout: positioning theory the most central place, bringing together, psychology and marketing, the intersection is “positioning”. From the perspective of global competition, companies create strong brands is the key to establishing differentiated positioning in customer mind.

“Difference” or “different” is positioned under the strategic thinking is the most important principle.Chinese companies in an extremely competitive business environment, how to do the “difference” or “different”?

Trout: in an era of greater competition, enterprises and only exist in two ways: either towards the survival of difference, or no difference and gradually disappearing. This means that enterprises to survive, build the differentiated only by the customer mind. This is to position ourselves as a root cause of primary responsibility for today’s entrepreneurs.

China is at a critical crossroads, making cheap Chinese products have made great development, but rising labour costs, income inequality, environmental issues, as well as the demand for innovation means important not to create more affordable products, but better marketing. Only then can China make more money, pay higher income, environmental and other costs. This means that China must be represented by a “manufacturing” in transition “market power”. In other words, China must take into account a new road, I called it “brand of high-speed road”, that is, China will have to explore a path of creating a local brand and international brands.

Consumer mind immutable

Do you think the battle of the nature of the business is not a product, but customers mind battle. In the increasingly developed commercial and competition, the product itself is always very easy to imitate and follow up, and difficult to change mental cognition. So what is the key to win the battle of the mind?

Trout: the mental is the battlefield, only if we can beat opponents on the battlefield, or is being phased out. For decades I have been studying the topic: how the mind works?

In our minds there is a ladder, called mental position ladder, an emotional position stepped in, ranking first of course is the best, the second is also good. Because changes may occur at any time between first, second, third face many threats, ahead of IV could be eliminated. So we must have this concept, as far as possible to do the first or the second. First, the second after facing a lot of difficulties and pressures, third, fourth, often going to compete through price wars, and I always compare price war against.

Changing minds is the greatest challenge, because the mind is not changed, so you will lose so much input. If you accept one of its tasks is to change customer’s mind, then you better not to accept the task.As a business, if you make a mistake, you have to do is immediately corrected. If the impact on customers minds, should be based on the fastest speed to minimize the losses from this error, instead of this error was cured in the customer’s brain and mind to change in the future, it is very difficult.

Negative brand and product line extensions

You used to be firmly denied by the brand extension, and also strongly negative product line extensions. But in fact, the success of many enterprises are representative of the brand extension, such as Nike, wahaha, Yamaha ⋯ ⋯ do you think this phenomenon?

Trout: first of all, the most important purpose is to have a clear position, such as Nike’s success, it’s certainly a very rich product line, but Nike has been positioned in the “the world’s best athletes to wear clothes”, their purpose is “wearing”, if you leave this piece of garment industry, I think that Nike does not have too much success.

China’s specific situation I’m not too sure, but in the United States this is the case, there were doing really great brand extension, possible new brand once recognized by the US, old brand is so fragile, it is easy to leave competitors with opportunities at this time. My suggestion is that you can do the same type of products made according to different, if you are involved in other industries, I am afraid that soon became precarious.

But as latecomers, to compete and the great giant, had to do an expert producer, focus on a certain type of product, such as big companies like Nike, its products are suitable for all populations, but does not take into account only focus on a particular class of special populations production of special products, so later you want to win.

Brand extension is very susceptible to being caught in a trap, such examples in the United States is not uncommon in the market, so don’t blindly brand extension.

Geely repositioning of the mergers and acquisitions after Volvo

Business something very important happened last year: Geely, mergers and acquisitions, Volvo, known as staged in China private automobile enterprise “snake swallowing aspect”, what do you think of this thing? If you later Geely and Volvo marriage a position to do so, how do you give advice?

Trout: I only of recommendations is to cautious, and to make assurance doubly sure, must to carefully treat this brand both inheritance of connotation, because on I,, a China manufacturing of Volvo listen up clearly does not like Sweden manufacturing of Volvo then security, so I believes that must to very carefully, can continues to to car placed in Sweden production, or at least in there production parts, anyway to has part maintained in Sweden production, such can as far as possible reduced on Volvo brand itself of effects, or weakened its negative effects. Can introduce new electronic safety devices, such as in Japan and the Germany safety of production facilities, will allow us to improve or strengthen the recognition of the brand security.

On the whole, this is a dangerous business, unless it can be find a way: only in China selling Volvo.Just like after IBM Lenovo annexation, sell well in China, but I think the impact is much less than before in the world.

Article Source： Gold station-CEO