Knowing the Difference between Positioning and Proposition

Many people confuse the concept of proposition with positioning, while it is essential to recognize that these are separate and distinct statements. In this video, I will help you clarify the difference between positioning and proposition.

In FMCG industry, marketers often use marketing mix with 6Ps including Product, Proposition, Packsize, Price, Place, and Promotion. So exactly, positioning and proposition will be different.

So what is the difference?

First, all marketers start with STP, means Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning. Positioning is a strategic step to differentiate our brand from competitors. I don’t want to talk about the academic definition of positioning. Simply, I want you to understand that Positioning is a strategic place with specific brand key attributes in consumer mind. Positioning is a long term strategy. It can go with a brand until the brand dies or at least until that brand re-positioning itself.

While proposition is a more specific value in shorter term, under the long term direction of positioning. Proposition may change by product range, campaigns, or year.

Dramatize proposition and positioning, you can imagine that proposition is like a brick and positioning is like a roof. Each year, each campaign, each product range proposition are like bricks to make the foundation of the house becoming stronger and stronger.

Let take a look at examples in the video.