The positioning square: four answers every brief needs

At university, positioning probably came with diagrams, perceptual maps and long definitions. At work, it often comes as a one-line request: “Can you write the brief for the new launch?” And it’s surprisingly hard to know where to start.

The positioning square is a simple tool for exactly that moment. It’s four questions. If you can answer all four in a sentence each, you have a position. If you can’t, no amount of creative work will fix it.

▸ Definition — Positioning: the specific place you want your product to hold in a particular customer’s mind, compared with the alternatives they would otherwise choose.

The four squares

▸ Example — Diagram: a 2×2 grid with numbered cells — 01 Who it’s for · 02 What it is · 03 Instead of · 04 Because.

01 · Who it’s for. Not “everyone aged 18–45”. Describe the person by their situation and need: “families in small city flats who want a quiet air conditioner for the bedroom”. The narrower and more vivid this is, the easier every later decision becomes.

02 · What it is. The category you want to be judged in, in words the customer would use. “A bedroom air conditioner”, not “an innovative climate solution”. Choosing the category also chooses your competitors.

03 · Instead of. What would this person buy or do if you didn’t exist? This is the square most briefs skip, and the most important one. Your real competitor might be a rival brand, a cheaper version, a second-hand option, or simply doing nothing.

04 · Because. The one reason to choose you over that alternative, and the proof that makes it believable. Claims are cheap. Proof is a feature, a test, a guarantee, a track record or a demonstration.

For

[who it’s for], [brand] is the [what it is] that [main benefit], unlike [instead of], because [proof].

A worked example

Let’s use a made-up brand: a new range of compact air conditioners, which we’ll call Breeze.

Square	Weak answer	Strong answer
Who it’s for	Everyone who needs cooling	Couples and young families in small flats who sleep with the AC on
What it is	A premium cooling solution	A bedroom air conditioner
Instead of	Other brands	A larger, louder standard unit that’s oversized for the room
Because	Best quality	It’s rated quieter than a whisper on its lowest setting, and comes with a sleep mode that adjusts overnight [proof to be confirmed with product team]

Illustrative brand and claims.

Put together: “For couples and young families in small flats, Breeze is the bedroom air conditioner that lets you sleep through hot nights, unlike standard units built for bigger rooms, because it’s designed to be near-silent at night.”

Notice what the strong answers do. They make it obvious what the ads should show (a quiet, cool bedroom at night), where to sell it (small-home ranges, online with bedroom-size filters) and what to measure (are people choosing it over larger units?).

Common mistakes

• Starting with “because”. Teams fall in love with a feature and then look for people who might care. Start with who it’s for and what they’d do instead.
• Picking a competitor nobody compares you with. If customers are choosing between you and doing nothing, positioning against a rival brand misses the real decision.
• Unprovable proof. “Best quality” isn’t proof. If you can’t point to evidence, the “because” isn’t ready yet.
• Trying to be for everyone. A position that excludes nobody persuades nobody. Saying “not for you” to some people is what makes you clearly “for” others.

▸ Margin note — The positioning square is adapted from classic positioning statement templates used in marketing education. The value isn’t in the template; it’s in forcing honest answers to each part.

Take it to work

Positioning feels abstract until you’ve done it a few times. Pick a brand you like and fill the square for it this week. It’s the best practice there is.