Business benefits
Increase the effectiveness of your positioning strategy.
Ask Are we a brand new technology? This is a New Concept trait.
For example, Palantir Technologies, which introduced artificial intelligence into a space that didn’t already have AI.
Ask Will buyers need to create new budget line items to buy our product? This is a New Concept trait.
Ask Will we have to educate buyers that they have a problem? This is a New Concept trait.
Ask Do we retool an existing process? This is a New Paradigm trait.
For example, a CRM like Salesforce replaces tracking contacts with spreadsheets or a physical Rolodex.
Ask Are we trying to replace an existing budget line item? This is a New Paradigm trait.
Ask Do we solve a current problem better? This is a New Paradigm trait.
Ask Are we a necessary technology or product? This is an Established Market trait.
Ask Do we operate in a highly competitive, commoditized market? This is an Established Market trait.
Ask Do buyers hit an inflection point where they are going to buy something, whether it’s our product or not? This is an Established Market trait.
Pick the demand type that best matches your product, based on which set of questions you most said yes to: New Concept, New Paradigm, or Established Market.
| Demand type | What it does | Examples | Positioning story needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Concept | Disruptive product that requires the brand to explain what the problem is and why customers need a solution to it. | Engagio | Reference point |
| New Paradigm | Retools an existing process by solving the problem better than the existing solution. | Salesforce, RadarFirst, many SaaS tools | Strong villain |
| Established Market | Necessary product where a customer will eventually make a purchase from one brand in a crowded market. | Learning management systems, marketing automation | Reference point or strong villain |
For example, the Saas company, Slack, which is a New Paradigm, positioned itself against email, instead of positioning its product features against its competitors. Slack made email the villain.
Last edited by @hesh_fekry 2023-11-14T10:08:48Z