The Digital Marketing Podcast

Episode: Strategic Positioning And Brand Purpose
Hosts: Daniel Rowles & Ciaran Rogers
Date: June 11, 2018

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the importance of strategic positioning and brand purpose in digital marketing. Daniel and Ciaran break down the concepts with practical examples, highlighting why brands must go beyond just selling products. The hosts explore how organizations, both large and small, can define what they stand for, create authentic messaging, and maintain long-term trust with their audience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

What is Strategic Positioning and Brand Purpose?

• Daniel sums up: “All it really means is what do you stand for?” (00:36)
• Brands need clarity on who they are and how they are perceived—not just what they sell.
• Shouting generic sales messages (“We make the best digital marketing elearning!”) is ineffective; organizations need to articulate their unique value.

Why Just “Being the Cheapest” or “The Best” Isn’t Enough

• Tesco Example:

  • Used to position as "we're the cheapest," but when Aldi & Lidl undercut them, that message lost its power.
  • Switched to "every little help," shifting focus to providing value rather than only price (01:12).

• Vodka Brand Example:

  • Can't say “we get you drunk.”
  • Instead, could focus on: purity of ingredients, cocktail expertise, or top bar reviews—these become content chunks (02:00).

The Problem with Generic Thought Leadership

• Many B2B brands position themselves as “the experts,” but fail to differentiate.
• Daniel: “The agencies do have lots of expertise, but they're not really different to any other agency. Most of the time it becomes a bit boring after a while. Oh, another thought leader.” (03:09)

Nike: Bridging Brand Purpose and Customer Needs

• Nike doesn’t say, “we make the best running shoes.”
• Position: “They bring out the athlete in everyone.” (03:23)
• Product & content (e.g., Nike Training Club app) fosters motivation and practical support for customers, increasing brand affinity.

Ensuring Universal Understanding Internally

• “This needs to be universally agreed across an organization…If you ask someone, what do you stand for? Everyone should be able to tell you.” (04:11)

Content Chunking: A Practical Exercise

• Break your brand into “content chunks”—distinct areas that connect with your audience's interests and the brand’s unique qualities (04:37).
• Example for their own brand’s Instagram: Behind the scenes, event setups, travel, technology, book covers, and people rather than just screenshots of e-learning content.
• “Those are my content chunks.…Can I take four or five of them and kind of put them as a group? It might be thought leadership, but really what is it that we kind of stand for as a brand?” (05:29)

Applicability for Small and Large Businesses

• Strategic positioning is just as important for small organizations as it is for large enterprises (05:47).
• It allows even small companies to sense-check content and stay focused, i.e., “Is this practical, hands on digital marketing advice? Does this help people?”

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On the danger of unclear positioning:

  • “If you don't know what you stand for, you have a fundamental issue in that you don't really know what to say to people.” – Daniel (01:02)

• On the importance of living your brand values:

  • “It's not just what we're talking about, we're living it. And I think that becomes really important.” – Daniel (09:20)
  • “Your brand isn’t what you say it is. It’s what everyone else says it is.” – Daniel (09:45)

• On authenticity and transparency:

  • “It’s kind of showing rather than just telling, right?” – Ciaran (09:34)
  • “Exactly. And because of the whole environment we operate in in terms of two way communication, social media, it’s the idea of brand democracy.” – Daniel (09:36)

Important Case Studies & Examples

Pepsi Refresh Project [06:17 – 08:57]

• Instead of spending $20 million on Super Bowl ads, Pepsi gave the money to good causes chosen by public votes.

• Initially successful (increased engagement and sales), but perceived as inauthentic since it wasn’t a lasting brand commitment. Sales returned to baseline after campaign ended.

  “The problem is, it’s short termism…if you do it for a bit and then you change your mind…sales went up of Pepsi because people engaging around the brand, now…they went back down to where they were pretty much afterwards as well.” – Daniel (08:09)

Tesco’s Commitment to Suppliers [08:58 – 09:34]

• Changed policies to pay small suppliers faster, making a tangible impact.

• Example of making meaningful, operational changes to live up to new positioning—important for building trust.

  “For a small business that makes a huge impact. And it’s that kind of, it’s not just what we’re talking about, we're living it.” – Daniel (09:20)

Timestamps for Notable Segments

• 00:36 – Defining strategic positioning: “what do you stand for?”
• 01:12 – Tesco’s evolution from price to value-based messaging.
• 03:23 – How Nike articulates brand purpose beyond products.
• 04:37 – Introduction to content chunking for practical brand messaging.
• 06:17 – Case Study: Pepsi Refresh Project.
• 08:58 – Tesco’s commitment to small suppliers and its impact.
• 09:45 – The idea of brand democracy and why it matters in social media era.

Recommendations & Resources

• Book: “Digital Branding” (Second Edition) by Daniel Rowles, with updated case studies and practical takeaways.
• Suggested exercise: Identify and group your own brand’s “content chunks” to clarify positioning.
• Mention: Check out Moz for a strong example of a company living its brand ethos.

Conclusion

Strategic positioning and brand purpose are not abstract concepts—they are actionable frameworks that must be clarified, lived, and communicated authentically inside and out.
Whether you’re a multinational or a one-person operation, knowing what you stand for and consistently living those values is essential for enduring brand success.

Notable quote to summarize:

“Your brand isn’t what you say it is. It’s what everyone else says it is.” – Daniel Rowles (09:45)

[All promotions, book giveaways, and outro content have been omitted as per instructions.]