Definition of Positioning

Positioning is the act of a company to design products and marketing mix in order to create a certain impression diingatan consumers, and thus consumer segments to understand and appreciate what the company in relation to its competitors. When a brand to find an effective positioning statement, brand team often very wise and keep it and use it again and again, that's the core of the positioning statement strongly positioned the brand name in people's minds.

For corporate action to investigate or identify the position of competitors and decided to take a position commensurate with the position of competitors or seeking opportunities in the market. If the company position itself close to the other competitors, the company must select and then look for further differences through their own differences.

Many of the definitions given by experts in marketing positioning with the versions and their respective models, but will not be valid positioning us to talk without mentioning the definition given by Al Ries and Jack Trout, the two men who regarded as the inventor of positioning. Al Ries and Jack Trout (in Kartajaya, 2005) says, "Positioning is not what you do to a product, positioning is what you do to the mind of the prospect. That is you position the product in the mind of prospect. " The point is to place the product positioning and our brand in the minds of customers. With this definition Ries, Trout says that marketing war is not located in the market, but in the minds of customers. Marketing war is a war to fight over an inch of space in the minds of customers.

According Kartajaya (2005) positioning is "The strategy for leading your consumer credibly". Positioning is about how companies build trust, confidence, and trust to the customer. According to Kotler (2000), there are several ways of determining position in the minds of consumers, among others:

a. Positioning According to Attributes

This occurs when a company promoting the product attributes that are superior competitors in the appeal.

b. Positioning According to Benefits

In this sense the product in position as the leader of a particular benefit.

c. Positioning by Use or Application

A set of values ​​of the use or application of this is used as a highlighted element.

d. Positioning According to Users

This means positioning the product as the best for a number of user groups. In other words, the target market is more directed at one or more communities, in both narrow and broad sense.

e. Positioning by Competitor

Here the overall product and highlight its brand as a whole is better positioned than the competition.

f. Positioning by Product Category

Here the product is positioned as a leader in a product category

g. Positioning By Price

Here the product in position to give the best value for the price.

According Kartajaya (2005) there are four terms in building positioning:

a. Positioning should be perceived positively by the customers and the reason for the purchase by the customer.

b. Positioning reflects the company's strength and competitive advantage.

c. Positioning must be unique and easily differentiate themselves from competitors.

d. Positioning must be ongoing and always relevant to the various changes in the business environment, whether it is the change of competition, customer behavior, social change of culture and so on.

According to Kotler (2000) there are at least three steps in performing positioning, namely:

a. Recognizing the advantages that may be viewed in relation to competitors.

b. Choosing the advantages of the most powerful or prominent.

c. Delivering the advantages it effectively to your target market.

According to Kotler (2000), an advantage that should be displayed must meet the following criteria:

a. Important

Excellence must be a capability that is considered very important by many buyers.

b. Over Positioning

Consumers have a picture that is too narrow of an attribute.

c. Confused Positioning

Consumers feel uncertain with the image of a product because too many promises made, or positioning that is too often changed

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