This framework clarifies what so many founders get wrong...they enter a category without a real strategy. If you don’t own the category, you’re just noise. Picking a play upfront forces focus and speeds up decisions.
Agencies and creative studios are absolutely the hardest companies to do positioning for. Most that have good positioning do it around a very specific customer / vertical. That is the niche play from my article. That said, we are an agency and positioned around the idea of "Own your category" and that works well for us. But there number of agencies that position around an idea - successfully - are few and far between. There is a third kind of positioning of course, which is simply the quality of the work. But I think you have to be in the tippy top quality-wise to effectively position around the creative output. Two examples of companies that do this are Wieden & Kennedy and Collins. I hope that helps!
Interesting. Yes I would take quality and creative excellence out off the equation. Verticals can be a good start in my opinion but positioning around a unique value should be the endgame. Would love to hear more about your “category design approach”
This framework clarifies what so many founders get wrong...they enter a category without a real strategy. If you don’t own the category, you’re just noise. Picking a play upfront forces focus and speeds up decisions.
Great Article. What’s your take on creative B2B Businesses?
How does it apply? Or doesn’t it?
Would love tobest your thoughts.
Dom - do you mean like an agency or creative studio?
Creative Studio. Agency would be interesting too 🤔 but I was thinking about creative studios.
Agencies and creative studios are absolutely the hardest companies to do positioning for. Most that have good positioning do it around a very specific customer / vertical. That is the niche play from my article. That said, we are an agency and positioned around the idea of "Own your category" and that works well for us. But there number of agencies that position around an idea - successfully - are few and far between. There is a third kind of positioning of course, which is simply the quality of the work. But I think you have to be in the tippy top quality-wise to effectively position around the creative output. Two examples of companies that do this are Wieden & Kennedy and Collins. I hope that helps!
Interesting. Yes I would take quality and creative excellence out off the equation. Verticals can be a good start in my opinion but positioning around a unique value should be the endgame. Would love to hear more about your “category design approach”