All of these six facets define the characteristics of a brand. Only by interacting can they create a brand identity, which will form the basis of its essence, its positioning.

The essence of a brand is the core value it symbolizes. The essence of a brand is expressed in a few words, which form the basis of positioning. It is worth emphasizing the differences between positioning and slogan. It is not necessary to confuse these two components.

Positioning is a long term tool and does not change. All communications should be aimed at bringing the positioning to the target segment, including the slogan. The slogan may change, but it must necessarily reflect the idea of the positioning.

Developing an organization’s logo and slogan is an essential element in brand building. If you don’t know how to come up with a brand logo, we recommend you read our article: logo – what is it.

For example, Snickers is positioned as a snack bar and at the same time has several slogans reflecting its essence: “Don’t slow down, Snickers!”, “Snickers. If you’re hungry, this is the way out,” “Crush the hunger!”, “Really nourishing candy bar.”

There are two main ways of positioning: rational, relying on the functional characteristics of the product and its attributes, and emotional positioning, unrelated to the functional characteristics of the product, emphasizing mainly brand values.

There is an approach in which these two methods are divided into five more, based on different levels of brand perception, that is, on its distinctive features. This way is called: Five Level Positioning (5LP).

According to the 5LP model, the first level of positioning is based on the socio-demographic characteristics of the consumer, such as income, gender, age, education, social status, etc.

Thus, a lot of brands that appeal exclusively to young people have recently appeared on the market. The consumption habits of young people are easily transformed by the same advertising, so products with an innovative character are better addressed to this particular age group.

The emphasis on socio-demographic characteristics also often involves the expression of price positioning in the name, packaging, and in some cases even in the advertising concept, as in the slogan of the advertising of inexpensive detergent “Dosya”: “Why pay more? However, it should be borne in mind that the naming of the organization prevails in its importance over the slogan.

The second level of positioning – a rational one – implies an emphasis on the quality of the product, the characteristics of its taste, composition, technology, and the like. The quality of the product is one of the factors of brand loyalty formation, because if the consumer is not satisfied with the quality of the product, there will be no second purchase. That is why it is important to study consumer preferences, to understand what stands in their minds behind the image of a quality product.

The third level is functional positioning. Functional positioning emphasizes the advantages and usability of the product. It may be characteristics of package, ease of preparation, possibility to buy in any place, possibility to use it in some situations. That is all those distinctive features of the product, which make it convenient to use.

The next level is emotional. It is supposed to create an emotional atmosphere around the brand by using associations with the product and situations of its consumption. For example, the Coca-Cola company uses emotional atmosphere around situations of consumption. No Christmas is imaginable without their famous red truck with a picture of Santa Claus and the slogan “The Holiday is Coming to Us.

And finally, the fifth level of brand positioning is value-based. It implies the intersection of the values behind the product image with the significant values for its consumers and their lifestyle.