Much like snowflakes, fingerprints and people, for that matter, no two businesses – nor the products or services they purvey – are exactly the same.
It all boils down to positioning, i.e. how you “position” your business to differentiate yourself from your competitors.
Even if you’re just one more drycleaner (or locksmiths, or architect, or lawyer) among a crowded field of many, it doesn’t matter: no two businesses are exactly alike. And those variations in your business’s DNA, no matter how subtle, make it inherently unique (from all the other drycleaners, locksmiths, architects and layers). And that’s the “position” upon which your business marketing approach should always trade.
So how does positioning and work? And how can it help your small business thrive in a competitive marketplace? Let’s dive into a practical example to find out more…

The Coffee Klatch

The coffee biz – those relentless espresso pumping cafes on every corner, and tucked into every possible nook and cranny imaginable of office buildings, shopping centers and commercial spaces across cities and towns big and small – is seemingly a market that defines the expression: Overcrowded. This industry, however, represents a perfect opportunity to illustrate the Power of Positioning.

The Starbucks Promise

Despite the overwhelming number of  players, big and small, in the coffee biz, one kingpin caffeine merchant stands like a giant, towering head and shoulders above all the rest…ah yes, that venerable titan of java: Starbucks.
I – an average everyday caffeine addict – am way, way (too) into Starbucks. And this over stimulated obsession can be expressed in a single word: consistency. No matter where I go, whether I stop in at my regular Starbucks haunt on LA’s Westside, at Santa Monica and Sepulveda, or hit up the “Bucks”(as it’s affectionately known in my household) in the lobby of Paris’ Louvre Museum, when I order a vanilla latte: I know exactly what I’m going to get.
Now, I freely concede this is incredibly boring, but like McDonalds, visitors recognize the Starbucks name, and (generally) trust they’ll get what they expect when the order their $5 high-test coffee drink. This dependability is exactly what Starbucks (just like the aforementioned McDonalds) trades upon: consistent product quality and expedient reliable service.
Consistency is Starbucks thing, it’s their unique “position” in their overcrowded, competitive marketplace.
Not everyone, however, wants the same old boring coffee or coffee experiences, and that my friends, is what leaves the door open for: the Alternative – revealing the Power of Positioning!

Not Starbucks

SoCal based caffeine merchant Coffee Bean and Tealeaf employs the Starbucks model of consistency, product quality, and commitment to customer service. With locations statewide, and a growing out of state presence, Coffee Bean offers a consistent menu, consistent interior décor (highly varnished blonde wood, with an almost “antique” feel), and an efficient customer service model featuring a clear division of labor between cashiers and baristas, hinging on a computerized ordering system.
For all intents and purposes, Coffee Bean is Starbucks. Except it’s not. Beyond the obvious differences in décor and ordering systems, Coffee Bean’s primary “position” is: they’re not Starbucks. Instead, they are a consistent and trustworthy alternative for those affronted (for whatever reason) by Starbucks.
And by all accounts, Coffee Bean’s “position” is working, as the company has thrived for nearly two decades, and continues to grow, expanding far beyond their SoCal roots.
Small Business Marketing Takeaway: No one is universally well-like. Everyone one has detractors and critics. Sometimes, just being a viable alternative to the “other guy” is all the positioning you need to make space for your business in competitive marketplace.

Bikini Baristas

First cropping up in Starbucks’ home turf of Seattle, and proliferating though the west coast, coffee cafes brewing hot cups a Joe, served by of bikini clad barista are a contentious, but bona fide hit.
“Peek A-Brew,” “Grab n’ Go,” “Cowgirls Espresso,” “Smokin’ Hot Espresso,” “Knotty Bodies Espresso,” “Java Jigglers,” “Espresso Gone Wild,” “Java Girls,” “Sweet Spot,” and “Natte Latte,” are just a few examples among a veritable cavalcade of coffee joints featuring hot bikini babes slanging hot Colombian brew.
Maybe they’re trading on sex. Maybe it’s sexist. It’s certainly not a concept for everyone. But these joints are making money, and their critics have the wondrous gift of choice: if they’re not into bikini babes, they can get their caffeine fix elsewhere.
Small Business Marketing Takeaway: If you try to please everyone, you’ll prolly end up pleasing no one. Take your “position” and stand firm. Don’t be afraid to offend. Remember, for every potential critic, there’s a potential hardcore dedicated customer, just waiting for a Natte Latte!

Your Favorite Local Corner Coffee Café

There’s a cool coffee spot on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood across from the Guitar Center called Top Fuel. In fact, I formed my first LA based rock band with my musical cohort at the time, Rock’N’Roll Brendon, over a latte at Top Fuel.
The “baristas” wear motorcycle boots and bad attitudes like uniforms, un-ironically sporting wallet chains – I’m sure you get the picture. Decent coffee, served up in a rough-an-tumble dinner-like setting, by a vaguely punky wait staff. That’s Top Fuel’s thing, their “position.”
I could easily name at least a dozen other well patronized cafes in the greater Los Angeles metro area, each with their own unique quirks – positioning – endearing them to their respective customer bases. I’m sure you can name quite a few currently thriving in your community.
Small Business Marketing Takeaway: Whatever business you’re in, no matter how crowded the marketplace or stiff the competition, find your niche or gap in the market, and fill it. Take that subtle distortion in your business’s DNA, that distinctly “you” element, and use it to your advantage. It’s the Powerful Potential of Positioning!

What About You

What’s your thing? How can you “position” your business, relative to your competitors, as unique in your marketplace?
Or, if you’ve successfully positioned your business to stand out in a crowded field, how did you do it?
Talkback: we would love to hear all about your positioning hopes and dreams, triumphs and defeats!