1. MKTG 6226
January 24, 2010
Social Media Class Leadership Report
Positioning with Social Media
Constantine Sivenas
205036546

2. Social media are redefining how brands, products and organizations are approaching
positioning as they provide new interactive platforms of communication between brands
and customers.
Positioning
Positioning is a coordinated process by which an image of a brand, product or
organization is presented to a target market. A brand needs to determine what message it
will attempt to put across and encourage a particular way in which customers will
perceive the brand. A positioning strategy is a multi step approach with requires an
understanding of ones customers, the benefits a brand or product can provide customers,
and the development of a unique selling proposition. Positioning strategies, by price or
quality, product class or by association with group of users are taking a new dimension
with the advent of social media.
Social Media
Social media is defined as the set of web-based technologies which enable web users to
have interactive dialogues online. Examples of such technologies are blogs and micro-
blogs, social networking and bookmarking sites, wikis and forums. Communication is
established and content is shared in different ways through each medium. The advent of
social media has also allowed for the formulation of online communities based around
ideas and movements as social media are characterized by the element of participation. It
has never been easier for people to find and communicate with likeminded individuals.
Positioning with Social Media
Social media also offer opportunities for brands to not only get a better understanding of
what their customers are thinking, but to also communicate their message more
effectively. User group information, personal preferences of a specific target market are
now being communicated online daily. Views and perceptions of products and services
are being shared online through all forms of social media. This enables brands to gain a
much better understanding of what their prospects are thinking, how they view
themselves and what they think of competing products.
Additionally, social media can also be used to promote messages to the right target
market with accuracy and efficiency. It is easy to hone in to what ones target market is
thinking and doing adding additional touch-points by which brands can control a
promise.
Furthermore, it is important to note that in social media, the participant is also the bearer
of the message. It is imperative to design a message which a brand’s target market will be
willing to share in their circles and communities.
Positioning with social media requires the formulation of a comprehensive strategy.
There needs to be alignment of what the brand is promoting online with its main
positioning statement and all social media efforts must reflect the brands essence. The
right type of social media outlet must also be selected in a way the complements the
brand’s positioning statement and is appealing to its target market. The message itself
needs to be designed as something community participants are going to be willing to

3. share, promote and make them interested in inviting other like minded users to the
community. When using social media, a brand needs to have a crystal clear
understanding of how the target market should participate. Deciding on whether
customers will be encouraged to talk about the brand, create content, spread the word is
as important as determining which ways they will be encouraged to use. Different
messages, social media platforms, and electronic devices appeal to different consumers.
Even though social media are a relatively new phenomenon, there have already been
many examples of corporate social media initiatives which have proven to be failures. A
common characteristic of these instances has been a misalignment of the social media
campaign in terms of the brand’s position. It is easy for consumers to see though profit
driven corporate attempts to control social media and such events have resulted in
backlashes against brands. There have also been several successful social media
initiatives which primarily share several common characteristics such as tastefulness,
concrete alignment with positioning, good planning and above all an understanding of
who is the target market and what they are interested in.