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Product Positioning Errors - Ufone

The document discusses product positioning and common positioning errors. It states that positioning involves how a product is perceived by customers and that it must differentiate the product and deliver a clear message. It then describes four common positioning errors - under positioning, over positioning, confused positioning, and double positioning. Each error is defined and an example using Ufone mobile services in Pakistan is provided to illustrate each error. The key is to properly understand customers' needs and only make promises that can be delivered to avoid positioning errors.

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Ahsan Hussain
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3K views3 pages

Product Positioning Errors - Ufone

The document discusses product positioning and common positioning errors. It states that positioning involves how a product is perceived by customers and that it must differentiate the product and deliver a clear message. It then describes four common positioning errors - under positioning, over positioning, confused positioning, and double positioning. Each error is defined and an example using Ufone mobile services in Pakistan is provided to illustrate each error. The key is to properly understand customers' needs and only make promises that can be delivered to avoid positioning errors.

Uploaded by

Ahsan Hussain
Copyright
© Attribution (BY)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC or read online on Scribd
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By: Ahsan Hussain -1- 5/3/2010

Contact: [email protected]

Product Positioning:
“If you nail Targeting & Positioning, the rest will automatically follow”

"Market Positioning” is a popular jargon phrase tossed around by marketing gurus.


Unfortunately, the phrase is seldom defined and frequently misunderstood. All marketing strategy
is built on STP: Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning

No matter which target marketing strategy is selected, the overall marketing strategy
should involve the process of positioning the firm’s offerings in ways that will appeal to
targeted customers. Positioning is concerned with the perception customers hold
regarding a product or company. Customers are swamped with product proposals; new
products, improved features, reduced prices, free trials, time-limited offers, etc, etc, etc.
Product managers must find ways of cutting through this noise and seize customer
attention. Product positioning is a great tool for this; it helps deliver a clear, concise,
relevant message that captures the uniqueness of your product. (USP)

“… positioning is not what you do to a product. Positioning is what you do to the mind
of the prospect. That is, you position (place) the product in the mind of the prospect.”

There are various positioning errors, such as-

1. Under Provisioning 2. Over Positioning


3. Over Positioning 4. Over Positioning

Under positioning:
“-A scenario in which the customer’s have a blurred and unclear idea of the brand. “

Under-positioning occurs when customers cannot readily identify the brand or the brand’s
features. The product must stand out in the mind of the consumer.

Ufone SMS buddies a service which has a name but a vague idea, Is this service is for SENDING
SMS to buddies or another SMS package, what’s Different ?

SMS buddies is a service which allows Ufone Subscribers to create a group on internet or via
SMS, add Ufone max 20, min 1 contact in a group, this will allow sending sms to a group in a 1
go at only RS.1 + Tax anywhere in Pakistan.

SMS buddies are Antagonist to SMS BUCKET packages as well until the idea is cleared. The
SMS buddies service should be re-launched by focusing on its USP this will not only enhance the
revenue generation of a service but will be a Synergist to SMS services..!

“ I went into it with the idea of trying to keep him a Dodger. It was clearer and clearer there
was no way to make this thing work. I got no glimmer at all that it could work.”

Created by: Ahsan Hussain


Contact: [email protected]
By: Ahsan Hussain -2- 5/3/2010
Contact: [email protected]

Over positioning:
“A scenario in which the customers have too limited awareness of the brand. “

Over positioning is a common positioning error created because of a superlative


communication model adopted by the marketer, thereby creating a picture in the minds of the
audience which is hyper in character and does not fit in with the true product image, which the
marketer is trying to communicate. A depicting picture of of over positioning error in “Ufone
Blackberry Services“

Blackberry is the leading wireless solution for connecting mobile professionals to


customers, colleagues and information while on the move. Business and personal tasks can be
performed directly from one’s Blackberry handheld which is synchronized with one’s laptop,
official computer or even to one’s web mailbox. Blackberry users around the world strongly
advocate that they can turn huge number of minutes of downtime per day into productive time.

Ufone targeted blackberry customers via 3 different tariff plans, Blackberry Internet
Solution (BIS), (Blackberry Enterprise Solution (BES), Black Berry Enterprise Solution (BES
Plus).
At the times of yore when these services were first initiated in Pakistan were quite
expensive but with passage of time and technology advancement services are now up to an
affordable prices not only services but Ufone being official partner of Black Berry Company, now
offering Blackberry packages with a brand new Blackberry installed (BIS) as a bundle, which can
not only afford by LSE’s but by SME’s & Individuals as a cost effective & efficient services. But
SME’s & Individual customer’s still holding an idea that Blackberry is something extra ordinary &
out of hook that should be refrained

In order to overcome such market over positioning gaps the main idea is to educate
these customers via CRM’s & KAM’s to educate the effected class.

“Perhaps nothing in our society is more needed for those in positions of authority than
accountability. Too often those with authority are able (and willing) to surround
themselves with people who support their decisions without question.”

Confused Positioning:

A scenario in which the customers have a confused opinion of the brand.

“It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Aren’t Got That Swings”

This was the case with Ufone Push to Talk Service; the brand died a merciful death after being
varied several times. This service made possible to contact any defined Ufone user with just a
single locket hit and used to work like a “Walkie talkie”. But this can be done by existing Speed
Dialing Call as well. Customers were tend to think upon what this service is designed for, Is it an
aid to thieves or a blessing to a gang? Or what for the decent use. Although this service is
revamped leaving a Question Mark on Subscribers?

I would recommend that any of the Value Added Service or any product offered should be first
targeted to the need of the customer as,
“Enhancing the products don’t gains but offering efficient services Reins”

Created by: Ahsan Hussain


Contact: [email protected]
By: Ahsan Hussain -3- 5/3/2010
Contact: [email protected]

Double Positioning:

“- Scenario in which customers do not accept the claims of a brand. “

Utrack A Unique Ufone service that has not been offered yet by any of the telecommunication
company in Pakistan but Ufone a Pioneer to it.

Ufone Utrack service proclaims to track the appropriate location of any Ufone subscriber with a
mutual consent but this service fails to point out the location of a Party “B” even with the consent.
And always provides a wrong location. It entertains you with a shocking replies for example if u
track your own number using defined syntax “ Findme” and send it on 2002 via Ufone charges of
3+Tax / Msg would be ACCURATELY charged but reply received would not be accurate
regardless of accuracy it would not be appropriate as well.

Support your proclamation with high backend. When any new service is offered then its concept
should be pre-tested and should be launched after complete debugging. This is will not only
badges the name of the service but trust and loyalty would be generated, customers would tend
to rely on compatibility and will minimize the rate of Disgruntle Customer. Every ideas, Concepts
should be revise & R & D and QAU dept to verify and approve the said services and then idea
should be forwarded to marketing dept to paste on.!

Promise only when you can deliver. It’s wisely said;

“Leaders who win the respect of others are the ones who deliver more than
they promise, not the ones who promise more than they can deliver.”

Terms Used:

CRM = Customer Relationship Managers


R&D = Research & Development
QAU =Quality Assurance Unit
LSE’s =Large Scale Enterprises
SME’s =Small Medium Enterprises
MSISDN =Mobile Subscriber Identification Module
Disgruntled =Not Satisfied Customer
Customer

Created by: Ahsan Hussain


Contact: [email protected]

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