Positioning in Product Marketing: Strategy, Frameworks & Real-World Examples

What is Positioning in Product Marketing?

Positioning in product marketing is the strategic process of defining how your product should be perceived in the customer’s mind, especially compared to your competitors. It shapes everything from your messaging and branding to your pricing and go-to-market strategy. When done right, positioning becomes your unfair advantage.

Introduction

How did Slack destroy HipChat in the collaboration space? It wasn’t just better features or cleaner UX. It was how Slack positioned itself. “Be less busy” wasn’t just a slogan; it was a pointed jab at the endless back-and-forth of email, a rallying cry for modern teams drowning in communication overload.

That, right there, is the power of strategic product positioning.

Now, here’s something a lot of marketers (understandably) mix up: Product positioning and positioning in product marketing are often used interchangeably. Technically, they’re the same strategic process. But this blog will focus specifically on how product marketers craft and execute positioning strategies, especially in SaaS and tech environments.

If you’re a product marketing manager, early-stage SaaS founder, or even a content marketer trying to nail GTM messaging, this is your tactical, no-fluff guide to positioning that actually sticks.

And yes, we’ll show examples, frameworks, and common mistakes so you can avoid generic-sounding BS like “all-in-one platform for growth” (please no).

What is Positioning in Product Marketing?

At its core, positioning in product marketing is about answering this:

When your ideal customer thinks of [problem your product solves], what do you want them to think of first?

It means defining:

• Who the product is for
• What it does uniquely well
• Why it matters more than the alternatives

“Positioning is the act of deliberately defining how you are the best at something that a defined market cares a lot about.”
— April Dunford, author of Obviously Awesome

So, how is this different from brand positioning?

Product Positioning vs Brand Positioning

• Product positioning is specific to one product or solution. It’s tied to features, use cases, and competitive alternatives.
• Brand positioning is higher level. It’s about how your entire company is perceived.

Think it like this:

• Nike = brand positioning (“Just Do It”, inspiration, athletic mindset)
• Nike Pegasus 41 = product positioning (comfortable, everyday running shoe with ZoomX foam)

Both are strategic, but product positioning is usually owned by the Product Marketing function. It feeds into messaging, content, sales enablement, and campaign planning.

And here’s a critical mindset shift:

In marketing, perception is reality.

You might have the best-engineered product in your category. But if customers don’t perceive it that way, you’re toast.

Also Read: What is Positioning in Marketing

Why Positioning is a Core Job of Product Marketing

Ask any experienced PMM (Product Marketing Manager), and they’ll tell you: positioning is where everything starts.

It sits upstream of:

• Messaging and narrative development
• Product launch strategy
• Sales enablement (decks, battlecards, one-pagers)
• Demand generation campaigns
• Pricing strategy
• Even naming and packaging decisions

In other words, bad positioning leaks into everything.

Internal Alignment

When positioning is clear, your product, growth, sales, and customer success teams are rowing in the same direction. They speak the same language. They understand why this product exists and who it’s truly for.

Without positioning? You get random acts of marketing, mixed signals to customers, and friction during sales calls.

Go-To-Market Success

The best GTM strategies are just positioning, executed.

• Category creation? Requires a fresh frame of reference.
• Competitive takeout play? Needs crystal-clear differentiation.
• New segment expansion? Starts with redefined target audience + pain point.

Product marketing owns these pieces. And positioning is their secret weapon.

Also Read: Types of Positioning In Marketing

7 Elements of a Strong Product Positioning Strategy

Each of these is essential. Skip one, and your messaging might fall flat.

1. Target Audience

Who exactly is this product for? Be specific.

Bad: “Marketers”

Better: “B2B content marketers at mid-size SaaS companies who struggle with producing weekly thought leadership content.”

2. Category Frame of Reference

What “mental box” does your product live in?

This shapes how customers compare you.

• Are you a “CRM” or a “revenue orchestration platform”?
• Are you replacing spreadsheets or redefining project management?

Don’t invent a new category unless you’re very clear on the payoff.

3. Customer Pain Point

What real, felt pain are you solving? Not just at a surface level.

Instead of: “Hard to manage content” Try: “Content marketers spending 10+ hours/week editing doc comments and chasing approvals, instead of creating.”

4. Value Proposition

What outcome do you deliver? Why does it matter?

Think in terms of both functional and emotional value.

• Save time (functional)
• Feel more confident in campaign execution (emotional)

5. Key Differentiators

Why you vs the competition?

This isn’t a feature dump. It’s what makes you uniquely better for your audience’s specific need.

“Only platform that combines AI writing with SEO scoring and built-in collaboration tools.”

6. Proof / Credibility

How can you back it up?

• Customer logos
• Case studies
• Data points
• Technical authority (e.g. “Founded by ex-Google engineers”)

7. Emotional Hook

This is where you stand out.

People buy with emotion and justify with logic.

Slack didn’t sell features. They sold relief from chaos.

Your positioning needs that human touch. Otherwise, it’s just another tool in the stack.

Enroll Now: Product Marketing Course Online

Real-World Examples of Great Product Positioning

Slack – Team Collaboration

Positioning: “Be less busy”

While not an official tagline, Slack’s early product vision centered on helping teams “be less busy.” It wasn’t just another chat tool, it was framed as the antidote to email overload and messy internal communication. By positioning itself against the chaos of traditional work tools, Slack carved out a new category and mindset: fast, focused, and asynchronous collaboration.

Notion – Productivity Suite

Positioning: “All-in-one workspace”

Notion’s strength is how it collapsed multiple tool categories into one flexible system. They didn’t just say “notes” or “docs” or “project management.” Instead, they used customer vocabulary and let users shape their own workflows. It became the Lego kit of productivity.

Duolingo – Language Learning

Positioning: “Learn a language for free.”

But what really set Duolingo apart was tone and format. Fun. Gamified. Push notifications that became memes. They weren’t the only language app, but they were the most engaging.

Tesla – Electric Vehicles

Positioning: “Luxury + Performance + Sustainability”

Tesla didn’t go for the “eco box” category like the Toyota Prius. They aimed for a new frame: fast, beautiful, premium EVs. Their positioning wasn’t “green” alone, it was desirable. Big difference.

Common Mistakes in Positioning

Even the smartest teams mess this up. Not because they’re careless, but because positioning feels deceptively simple. Let’s unpack the landmines.

1. Too Vague or Broad

“We help businesses grow.”

Cool. So does literally every SaaS platform, agency, and service provider on the planet.

If your positioning sounds like it could apply to 50 different products, it will get ignored.

Instead: Get uncomfortably specific. Call out the industry, the persona, the pain point. It’ll feel like you’re excluding people, and that’s the point. Great positioning repels the wrong fit while magnetizing the right ones.

2. Copying Competitor Messaging

It’s tempting. You see a big player with a slick site and punchy headlines… and you borrow a few lines. The problem? You just made yourself a weaker version of them.

If you’re saying what they’re saying, then why should someone switch to you?

Instead: Audit competitor positioning only to find gaps you can own. Say what they can’t say. Lean into your unique strengths.

3. No Clear Differentiator

This is a silent killer. Your site looks good. The product works. But no one really knows what makes you special.

You sound like:

“An easy-to-use, powerful platform to streamline work.”

Okay, but… so does everyone else.

Instead: Find your “only we” statement. Even if it’s narrow.

• Only tool that combines AI + human proofreading
  
• Only CRM built for manufacturing sales cycles
  
• Only SEO tool with built-in competitor revenue data
  

It doesn’t have to sound good. It has to be true and specific.

4. Confusing Positioning with Messaging

This one’s tricky because the terms get tossed around a lot.

Here’s the thing: Positioning is internal. Messaging is external. Your positioning informs your messaging, but they are not the same.

If you jump straight into ad copy or homepage headlines without aligning your team on positioning first, you’ll likely confuse your audience later.

Instead: Treat positioning like the blueprint. Messaging is the construction. Don’t start building until you’ve agreed on the structure.

5. Skipping Validation

Many teams make the mistake of spending weeks crafting positioning documents without validating them with a single customer.

Don’t do that.

You might fall in love with your words. But if they don’t land with users, they’re just noise.

Instead: Share early. Test fast. Ask your best customers what resonated when they first discovered you. Loop in Sales, Customer Success, and Support. If they’re not sold, your market won’t be either.

Also Read: Product Marketing Career Path

Frameworks You Can Use

Here are four positioning frameworks that we’ve seen work in fast-moving SaaS teams. Each has its place depending on your stage and audience.

1. April Dunford’s “Obviously Awesome” Framework

April’s book is basically the Bible for modern B2B positioning. Her method is especially useful when you’re:

• Repositioning after a pivot
  
• Competing in a noisy market
  
• Moving upmarket or downmarket
  

Key steps include:

• Identifying competitive alternatives
  
• Mapping unique features to customer value
  
• Defining the true category you belong in (or should create)
  

This framework shines because it’s rooted in how customers actually make choices, not just how you want to talk about your product.

2. The Positioning Statement Template

Old-school? Maybe. But still incredibly useful as a starting point. It goes like this:

For [target customer] who [statement of need], is a [category] that [main benefit]. Unlike [primary alternative], it [key differentiator].

Example:

For mid-sized SaaS marketing teams who struggle with producing consistent content, Notion is an all-in-one workspace that brings docs, tasks, and wikis into one place. Unlike Google Docs and Asana, it offers seamless integration and a distraction-free experience.

Tight. Simple. Great for internal use.

3. The 5-Box Product Positioning Model

This one’s helpful when you need to socialize positioning with leadership or cross-functional teams. It forces clarity.

Boxes include:

1. Target Customer
   
2. Market Category
   
3. Unique Benefit
   
4. Reasons to Believe
   
5. Competitive Alternatives
   

You can literally draw it on a whiteboard. Great for live workshops or product kickoff meetings.

4. Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD)

Sometimes the right positioning comes from why people hire your product, not what it does.

Example:

Customers don’t want a newsletter tool. They want “a way to consistently stay top-of-mind with leads without spending hours a week.”

That’s the job.

Positioning from a JTBD lens often surfaces emotional hooks and practical pains that feature-led messaging misses.

How to Test and Validate Your Positioning

You’ve written your positioning doc. Awesome. Now… don’t trust it.

Test it. Iterate it. Pressure-test it in the wild. Here’s how:

1. A/B Test Messaging

Try different headlines, email intros, or ad hooks based on your new positioning. Which ones lift conversion? Engagement? Even if it’s small, you’ll learn fast.

2. Talk to Power Users

Your best customers already “get” your value. Ask them:

• Why did you choose us?
  
• What almost made you pick someone else?
  
• What were you skeptical about?
  

Patterns here often reflect positioning strengths or gaps.

3. Run It By Sales + Customer Success

These folks live in the trenches. They hear objections. They know what lands, and what causes eyebrow raises.

Invite them into your positioning brainstorms. Not after the fact, early.

4. Watch for Language Fit

Positioning is working when customers repeat your language back to you. If you say “a simpler way to manage design feedback” and customers say “yep, that’s exactly why we switched”, you’re in the zone.

If not? Keep refining.

5. Quant + Qual Feedback Loops

Track hard data: bounce rates, demo requests, form fills.

Pair it with qualitative: surveys, customer interviews, NPS follow-ups.

Sometimes what feels good to the team falls flat in-market.

Bonus: Positioning vs Messaging vs Brand

People throw these terms around like they’re interchangeable. They’re not.

Here’s a simple breakdown:

Concept	What It Is	Owned By	Use Case
Positioning	Internal strategic definition of product perception	Product Marketing	Aligning teams, guiding strategy
Messaging	External-facing words, tone, and copy	PMM / Content Teams	Landing pages, ads, emails, sales scripts
Brand	Emotional and visual identity of the company	Brand/Marketing Leads	Long-term trust, values, public sentiment

Think of it like this:

• Positioning = Why we matter
  
• Messaging = How we talk about it
  
• Brand = What they feel when they think of us
  

You need all three, but start with positioning. It grounds everything else.

Also Read: Product Marketing vs Brand Marketing

Conclusion

If there’s one thing to walk away with, it’s this:

Positioning is the foundation of product marketing.

You can’t out-market, out-sell, or out-design bad positioning. No matter how many features you add, how slick your UI is, or how clever your ads are, if your product isn’t clearly positioned in your customer’s mind, it won’t win.

So carve out time for this. Treat it like a first-class business process, not a side task.

And if you haven’t revisited your positioning in the last 6-12 months, it’s time.

Markets shift. New competitors show up. Your customers evolve. Your positioning should too.

FAQs: Positioning in Product Marketing