One of the main benefits of mapping brands and competing products onto a perceptual (or positioning) map in marketing is to demonstrate either:
- how the positioning of the competing brands has changed over time and/or
- what the repositioning goals of a particular brand.
Using the Excel Template to show Repositioning
Mapping the existing and new (or desired) market positioning onto the same perceptual map is very easy using the free Excel template download available on this site. You may also want to review the how-to-use and how-to-format guides.
For example, let’s assume that the marketing team wanted to produce the following perceptual map for soft drinks (click to enlarge):
In this case, the determinant attributes of sugar and caffeine have been used, as these product attributes are often highly relevant to consumers when choosing between the various product offerings.
For this example, we have assumed that the Mountain Dew brand is trying to reposition itself, by highlighting that it contains a reasonable level of caffeine and wants to promote that benefit to consumers, with the goal of changing their perceptions of the brand.
This perceptual map clearly show this proposed shift by mapping the existing positioning and the proposed positioning on the same map.
As you can still, if this repositioning exercise was successful, then Mountain Dew would be positioned, in consumer’s minds, as a direct competitor to Coke and Pepsi.
What to enter in the Excel Spreadsheet Template
As you can see in the following screenshot from the free Excel template, to show how a brand is being repositioned, simply enter the brand twice; the first time in their old or existing position and the second time in their new or proposed positioning. (Click to enlarge.)
