An ongoing exploration into the power of positions and the stories behind them
Position (it’s the thing)
Finding the few levers that drive marketing effectiveness has always been crucial, but it’s harder than ever. The digital era has led to a proliferation of channels, platforms, and tactics. The rapid pace of change makes it near impossible to keep up with all the latest developments, let alone make sense of it all and formulate clear strategies. The way to avoid drowning in incremental improvements is to focus on first principles.
Paper #4 | The process of finding, taking and sustaining a position
A moon rocket uses half of its entire fuel supply to go the first mile. It’s this initial burst of energy that creates the propulsion for it to leave the earth’s surface. The same is true with launching a position. Time and energy must be spent on crafting something powerful enough to create lift-off. But further growth is about how its driven across and through the brand.
Paper #3 | Caution: The three blackholes of position
Newton’s first law of motion is that an object in motion will stay in constant motion until it meets an opposing or accelerating force. In its early state, momentum is delicate and easily lost. Our previous Paper explained the four engines of position, which are accelerating forces. On the flipside, there are three blackholes that can suck the energy from a position.
Paper #2 | The four engines that make positions fly
You can sense when an organisation has momentum. There’s an aura about its people. A positivity. A preference for action over procrastination. When brands grow exponentially, they seem to have an unstoppable momentum. There are four reasons why position is a vital catalyst for momentum. In this, the second in our series of Papers, we share the four engines that make brand positions so powerful.
Paper #1 | Position is a rocket that will fly you to the moon
The first in our series of Papers that will reveal how to find, take and sustain a powerful position. They’ll lift the lid on how positions are a creative exercise as much as a strategic one. And we'll show you how to escape PowerPoint decks and create a position with unstoppable momentum to power your growth. First up in Paper #1 is the space race – the ultimate example of why positions really can fly you to the moon.
Film | Jon Wilkin & Mark Flanagan, Pot Kettle Black
Pot Kettle Black burst onto the Manchester hospitality scene in 2014 and has since expanded across the city. All the while founders Jon Wilkin and Mark Flanagan have continued to play rugby league at the top of the professional game. We sat down for a coffee to talk about how finding their position unlocked their potential.
Film & Podcast | Sarah Dunning, Chair of Westmorland Family
Tebay Services on the M6 has famously been described as the closest a motorway service area comes to Harrods Food Hall. It’s run by the Westmorland Family, whose current chair is Sarah Dunning. We were delighted to talk to Sarah as part of the Position Project.
Position Power Tools
Our Position Power Tools are built around the unique culture and approach that Squad uses to find, take and sustain positions. There are four tools designed to educate, inspire and support people looking to learn more about powerful positions.
What pandemics teach us about challenger brand positions
A crucial ingredient in achieving success as a challenger brand is word-of-mouth. Without the advantage of big advertising budgets to buy awareness, underdogs are reliant on news of their brand spreading virally through culture. It’s like the R metric that Coronavirus has made famous. Challenger brands need strong positions to turbo charge their R value.
Are you positioned for the recovery?
In a world of social distancing and enforced remote working, brands that find new opportunities to keep going will emerge from this economic black hole ahead of their competitors. We believe that now more than ever, position is a rocket that will fly you to the moon.
