Mark | GCMO

Elevate or Die: The Brand Positioning Tension

Elevate or Die: The Brand Positioning Tension

—

by

Mark Gabrielli
in

Elevate or Die: The Brand Positioning Tension | #MarkCMO

Elevate or Die: The Brand Positioning Tension

Elevate or Die: The Brand Positioning Tension

In a world where brands are either ascending or becoming irrelevant, the tension between elevation and stagnation is real. This article unpacks the strategic imperative of brand positioning, why most companies get it wrong, and how to fix it before your brand flatlines.

Welcome to the Brand ICU

Let’s get one thing straight: if your brand isn’t actively elevating, it’s dying. Slowly, quietly, and often with a bloated marketing budget attached to its toe tag. The marketplace doesn’t wait for you to figure it out. It rewards clarity, conviction, and courage—and punishes indecision with irrelevance.

Brand positioning isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s the difference between being the category leader and being the category’s cautionary tale. And yet, most companies treat it like a quarterly workshop exercise instead of the existential strategy it is.

So let’s rip off the bandage and get into the real tension: Elevate or die. There is no middle ground.

The Positioning Paradox: Why Most Brands Flatline

Here’s the dirty little secret: most brands don’t know who they are. They know what they sell, sure. But ask them what they stand for, who they’re for, and why they matter—and you’ll get a PowerPoint deck full of adjectives and a mission statement that could double as a sleep aid.

Why? Because positioning is hard. It requires saying no. It requires choosing a hill to die on. And most brands are terrified of alienating anyone, so they end up resonating with no one.

Common Positioning Pitfalls

  • Trying to be everything to everyone: Congratulations, you’re now nothing to anyone.
  • Confusing features with value: No one cares that your app syncs in real-time. They care that it saves them 10 hours a week.
  • Copycat syndrome: If your positioning sounds like your competitor’s, you’ve already lost.

The Strategic Imperative: Elevate or Die

Let’s be clear: elevation isn’t about sounding fancier. It’s about rising above the noise with a positioning so sharp it could cut glass. It’s about owning a space in your customer’s mind that no one else can touch.

And that requires tension. The good kind. The kind that forces you to make bold choices, take real stances, and build a brand that actually means something.

Framework: The 3 Ps of Elevation

  • Purpose: What do you stand for beyond profit?
  • Point of View: What do you believe that your competitors don’t?
  • Position: Where do you sit in the market—and why does it matter?

When these three align, you don’t just have a brand. You have a movement.

Case Study: The Rise (and Rise) of Liquid Death

Let’s talk about a brand that understood the assignment. Liquid Death took the most boring product on earth—water—and turned it into a punk rock lifestyle brand. Their positioning? “Murder your thirst.”

They didn’t try to be the healthiest, the purest, or the most eco-friendly (even though they are). They chose a bold, irreverent stance and built a cult following around it. That’s elevation. That’s tension. That’s how you win.

Truth Bomb

If your brand doesn’t piss someone off, it’s probably not exciting anyone either.

How to Elevate: A Tactical Playbook

1. Conduct a Positioning Audit

Start by asking the hard questions:

  • What do we stand for?
  • Who are we for—and who are we not for?
  • What do we believe that no one else in our category does?

If your answers sound like they could belong to any brand in your space, you’ve got work to do.

2. Define Your Enemy

Every great brand has a villain. Apple had Microsoft. Nike had laziness. Who’s yours? It doesn’t have to be a competitor—it could be a mindset, a behavior, or a broken system. But you need something to rally against.

3. Build a POV-Driven Narrative

Stop talking about what you do. Start talking about what you believe. Your point of view is your brand’s soul. It’s what makes you magnetic. And it’s what turns customers into evangelists.

4. Align Your Org Around the Position

Positioning isn’t just a marketing thing. It’s a company thing. Your product, sales, support, and even HR should be aligned around your brand’s position. Otherwise, you’re just playing dress-up.

5. Test, Refine, Repeat

Positioning isn’t static. It evolves. Test your messaging. Watch how your audience responds. Refine it. Sharpen it. And never stop elevating.

Brands That Elevated—and Won

  • Patagonia: Positioned around environmental activism, not just outdoor gear.
  • Dollar Shave Club: Took on overpriced razors with humor and swagger.
  • Airbnb: Positioned around belonging, not just lodging.
  • Tesla: Made electric cars sexy, not just sustainable.

<h

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *