Strategise method guide
Positioning Board
Positioning Board compares target, category, alternatives, differentiators, value, proof and strategic fit.
Beginner-friendly guide · 4 min read
What Positioning Board does
Positioning Board compares target, category, alternatives, differentiators, value, proof and strategic fit.
A positioning board defines the place an offer should occupy relative to customer needs and alternatives. It makes the target, category, distinctive value, proof and boundaries explicit.
Positioning is an organisational choice, not just marketing wording. Product, pricing, sales and delivery must be able to support the claim consistently.
Positioning requires a choice about distinct value and the activity system that supports it. The board keeps candidate claims, evidence, trade-offs and boundaries visible before one is selected.[1]
A strong statement follows a chain of choices rather than starting with a slogan.
- 1Target→
- 2Category→
- 3Alternative→
- 4Distinctive value→
- 5Proof and boundary
InnovationFlow explanatory schematic, synthesised from the method sources[1].
Understand the method
The parts in plain language
Target and context
Define the customer segment, buying situation and reference category in which the offer will be judged.[1]
Illustrative example
For maintenance leaders in regulated process plants choosing a remote diagnostic service.
Alternative and difference
Name what customers would do otherwise and the meaningful difference your position claims.[1]
Illustrative example
Compared with generic monitoring platforms, the service combines equipment-specific diagnosis and accountable field support.
Value and proof
Explain the outcome created and evidence that makes the claim credible. Add boundaries so teams know where the position does not apply.[1]
Illustrative example
Documented response-time improvement in supported equipment families, not a universal claim across all assets.
When to use it
- When teams describe the same offer differently.
- After customer research and competitive analysis, before pricing and funnel design.
A practical workflow
- 1
Define the target segment, category and competitive alternatives.
- 2
Draft candidate positions with value, differentiators and proof.
- 3
Compare relevance, clarity, defensibility, confidence and strategic fit.
- 4
Select a position and record what is deliberately in and out.
Fictional worked example
Example: industrial energy analytics
This example is illustrative rather than a reported case. A provider compares two candidate positions for the same offer.
Observation:“Smart insights for every business” has no clear target or difference.
Implication:Customers cannot understand when or why to choose it.
Observation:The offer targets mixed-equipment factories needing verified savings.
Implication:Interoperability and verification become central.
Observation:Pilots show faster identification of peak-demand causes.
Implication:Use bounded evidence and avoid unsupported market-wide claims.
From analysis to decision
How to interpret the result
- 1Check relevance with the target segment.
- 2Test whether the roadmap and activity system can deliver the claimed difference.
- 3Record what the position excludes to protect coherence.
The interpretation guidance is an InnovationFlow synthesis of[1].
What a useful output looks like
Common pitfalls
- Do not confuse a slogan with positioning.
- Claims that are not provable should remain assumptions.
References and method basis
- [1]Harvard Business School Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness (n.d.). Strategic Positioning. Harvard Business School. Source ↗Originating institution
This guide synthesises the named sources into practical questions for strategy and innovation work. It does not claim that using a tool by itself produces a successful decision.