Most of us probably have an inkling about branding, positioning, and messaging. At least we should if we call ourselves marketers.
Still, a little refresher on the basics is never a bad thing. And David Ogilvy applies a few genius words to the topic of positioning in Ogilvy on Advertising.
Positioning, he says, is “what the product does and who it is for.”’ He note that he could have positioned Dove “as a detergent bar for men with dirty hands, but chose instead to position it as a toilet bar for women with dry skin. This is still working 25 years later.”
Mr. Ogilvy confessed to defeat when it came to the Volkswagen but give kudos to Bill Bernbach (another advertising genius) for positioning the bug as “a protest against the vulgarity of Detroit cars in those days, thereby making the Beetle a cult among those Americans who eschew conspicuous consumption.”
So, that’s what positioning is—no more, no less—but probably harder to do than it looks.
And now, for a petite bonus, a classic VW commercial.
Next up: Mr. Ogilvy’s take on brand image.
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