When your category has become commoditised, competing on features is a race to the bottom. Here is a framework for finding and owning a position that is genuinely defensible.
Every market eventually commoditises. What was once a differentiated product becomes a category. What was once a category becomes a commodity. The question is not whether your market will commoditise — it is whether you will have a defensible position when it does.
Most positioning statements fail for one of three reasons:
They describe the category, not the brand. "We help businesses grow" describes every marketing agency. "We help B2B technology companies win enterprise deals through buyer-centric content strategy" describes a specific brand with a specific point of view.
They claim attributes that competitors can easily match. "Fast, reliable, affordable" is not a position — it is a table stake. Positions must be based on attributes that are genuinely difficult to replicate.
They are not connected to a real customer belief. The most powerful positions are not about what you do — they are about what you believe.
Step 1: Map the Category Assumptions Every category has unquestioned assumptions — things that all competitors do the same way. These are your opportunities.
Step 2: Identify the Underserved Belief Within your target market, there is always a segment whose beliefs are not well-served by existing options. Find the customers who believe something that the category ignores.
Step 3: Build the Belief System Your position is not a tagline — it is a belief system that informs every decision: what you offer, how you price, who you hire, what you talk about, what you refuse to do.
Step 4: Prove the Position Positions are claimed through behaviour, not communication. Every case study, every piece of content, every client interaction either reinforces or undermines your claimed position.