It’s important to know who else is marketing to your potential customers, what they offer, and how you can challenge or learn from them. Many competitors target the same needs in each customer, sometimes through very similar products. Positioning places your brand in a unique place in people’s minds. It is impossible to create a strong value proposition or USP without knowing your competitors’ positioning strategy.

Once you have examined the market situation, the second step is an examination of your value proposition or promise: in other words, the unique value your organisation can add to that market. It is important to identify the supporting value-adds to the brand promise that are unique to the digital landscape. What extras, beyond the basic product or service, do you offer to customers? What do your customers expect or need to gain value from your brand?

An effective strategy involves making a series of well-informed decisions about how the brand, product, or service should be promoted. A brand that attempts to be all things to all people risks becoming unfocused or losing the clarity of its value proposition. It is therefore important to be authentic when presenting your brand and offering to the market – especially in the digital age – because of its reach. Connecting with people should be your number one priority.