What is Positioning vs Messaging?
Key Takeaways
- Positioning is the strategy: who you serve, against whom and why you are different.
- Messaging is the expression: the words that communicate the position.
- Positioning comes first, and messaging is built from it.
- Mixing them up leads to clever copy that has no strategy behind it.
Understanding Positioning vs Messaging
Positioning is a decision about where the brand stands. It defines the target audience, the category and the reason to choose this brand over others. It is largely internal, a choice the business makes before any copy is written.
Messaging is how that decision is spoken. It includes headlines, value statements, descriptions and the proof offered. Many versions of messaging can express a single position, and they can be adjusted for audience and channel without changing the strategy.
Confusion arises when teams start with messaging. They write taglines and headlines before agreeing on the position, so each piece says something different. Settling the position first gives writers a stable base, and makes testing messages much easier.
Related Terms
- Brand Positioning
- Brand Messaging
- Messaging Strategy
- Messaging Framework
- Value Proposition
- Brand Strategy
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which comes first?
Positioning. It sets the strategy, and messaging is then written to express it.
Can messaging change without changing positioning?
Yes. You can test new headlines and phrases while the underlying position stays the same.
Who decides each?
Positioning is a leadership decision informed by research. Messaging is developed by marketing and writers within that direction.
This term is treated at length in Positioning vs Messaging, What Each Does and How They Connect.