It seems marketeers love models: “pains and gains”, “brand compass”, “archetypes”, and use terms like ‘position’ / ‘promise’ / ‘proposition’ / ‘benefits’ / ‘values’ interchangeably. Endless boxes to fill, to make everyone look clever.
Uncomfortable but true: the best brand positioning isn’t about adding layers, it’s about stripping them away.
At its core, brand positioning boils down to three things:
- Who’s the target?
- What’s the poorly-met need?
- What’s the compelling yet simple promise we can make?
Brand positioning – pursuing radical simplicity
That’s it. If your audience can’t call you to mind and explain your brand in one sentence, you haven’t simplified enough.
And in an age of media fragmentation, whether it’s social feeds, TikTok, podcasts, multi-channel TV, multi-screen viewing, simplicity isn’t optional, it’s survival. Complexity gets lost. Sacrifice and clarity cut through.
Storytelling? Powerful, yes. But stories are the vehicle, not the engine. Without a radically simple positioning at the core, your stories scatter, not stick.
The brands people remember are the ones they can describe in five words, not five frameworks.
Radical simplicity isn’t dumbing down….it’s sharpening up.
David Preston is founder of The Crow Flies, a research, strategy, innovation and brand planning company that helps brands find a direct route to long lasting success. david@thecrowflies.co.uk; +44 (0) 1889 725670; www.thecrowflies.co.uk; @crowflieshigh. © The Crow Flies, 2025