How to write a brand positioning statement

A positioning statement is one sentence that makes every other brand decision easier. How to write one, with a simple template and the common mistakes.

If you can't say what makes your brand different in one sentence, your customers don't stand a chance. That sentence is your brand positioning statement, and it's one of the most useful things a business can write.

It's not a tagline, and customers will probably never see it. It's an internal tool that decides what you say, what you make and what you ignore.

A simple positioning statement template

For [the people you serve], [your brand] is the [what you are] that [the thing you do differently], because [the reason to believe it]. It's a plain formula, and that's why it works. It leaves nowhere to hide.

Who it's for

Be narrower than feels comfortable. "Small businesses" isn't an audience. "Founders who've outgrown the brand they built themselves" is. Narrowing who you talk to doesn't stop other people buying from you. It just gives your message some edge.

What you do differently

This has to be true, it has to matter to the customer and your competitors can't honestly claim it too. "Great service" fails the last test. Good positioning usually means giving something up, so ask what you're willing to be worse at.

If nobody could disagree with your positioning, you don't have any.

Why people should believe it

Back the claim with something real: how you work, what you've built, what you refuse to do. Evidence beats adjectives every time.

Common mistakes

Don't describe what you'd like to be. Don't list every benefit. Don't use words like "innovative" or "leading" that could apply to anyone. And don't write it alone in a room: if your team can't recognise the company in it, it's wrong.

A brand positioning statement example

Here's the template filled in for an imaginary business: "For first-time home buyers who feel lost in the process, Keystone is the mortgage adviser that explains every step in plain English, because every client gets one named person from first call to moving day."

Notice what it doesn't say. There's nothing about being trusted, leading or passionate. It picks an audience, makes a specific promise and gives a reason to believe it. It also makes decisions easier: a chatbot would go against it, and a plain-English guide for first-time buyers would fit perfectly. Yours should work the same way.

How to use it

Test decisions against it. Does this product fit? Does this campaign sound like us? Should we take this client? Once it starts saying no to things, it's working.