Mapping Brand Positioning: How Scaleups Stop Sounding the Same
- Laura Derbyshire
- Dec 17
- 3 min read
Every scaleup says it’s different. Most of them aren’t.
Same language. Same claims. Same tone. Same slide decks quietly screaming “trust us.”
Brand positioning mapping exists for one reason: to stop you accidentally building a very competent version of everyone else.
Used properly, it shows where your brand sits, where competitors cluster, and where there’s still oxygen left in the room. It’s not abstract. It’s not fluffy. It’s a practical way to make sharper decisions about growth.
Think of how Pact Coffee positioned itself, not as a luxury indulgence or a commodity, but as the obvious choice for people who care about good coffee without the ceremony.
At OSER, we treat it as a strategic necessity - because clarity is cheaper than noise.
Why Brand Positioning Gets Messy at Scale
Early-stage startups get away with instinct. Scaleups don’t.
Once you’re growing:
Sales teams interpret the story differently
Marketing fills gaps with buzzwords
Product evolves faster than the narrative
Investors ask, “So… how are you actually different?”
This is usually the moment brands start over-explaining themselves. Positioning mapping fixes that by forcing one uncomfortable but valid question: Compared to what?
What a Brand Positioning Map Actually Is
A brand positioning map plots brands across two attributes that genuinely influence buying decisions:
Not what sounds impressive.
Not what the leadership team likes.
What customers actually use to decide.
Common axes include:
Simplicity vs capability
Speed vs depth
Premium vs practical
Innovation vs reliability
When you map the market honestly, patterns appear very quickly:
Everyone piles into the same “safe” space
Differentiation becomes cosmetic
Gaps appear where customer needs aren’t being met
How OSER Approaches Positioning
1. Who You’re Really Competing With
This includes:
Direct competitors
Indirect alternatives
Internal workarounds
If it solves the same problem, it’s on the map.
2. What Customers Actually Care About
We pull this from:
Sales conversations
Customer interviews
Lost deals
Reviews and objections
3. Perception vs Intention
This is where things get useful. Leadership intent goes on one layer. Customer perception goes on another.
The distance between the two explains:
Slow growth
Confusing messaging
Long sales cycles
“We’re better, but they don’t get it”
Brand Perception Mapping: A Mild Ego Check (Highly Recommended)
Most brands believe they’re:
More innovative than competitors
More customer-centric
Better value for money
Customers are rarely that generous.
A brand perception map shows:
How customers actually experience you
Which attributes they associate with your brand
Where your message is being misunderstood or ignored
This isn’t about being liked. It’s about being clear. And clarity converts.
Where Differentiation Actually Comes From
Here’s the OSER filter we use when deciding where a brand should sit.
A position has to be:
Relevant – customers care
Distinct – competitors aren’t already there
Credible – you can deliver it consistently
Commercial – it supports growth, not just brand ego
Miss one, and the position collapses under pressure.
This is why so many brands drift into:
“Premium, but vague”
“Innovative, but unclear”
“Bold, but interchangeable”
They’re positioned - just not usefully.
Turning Positioning Into Growth (The Bit That Matters)
A positioning map isn’t a deliverable. It’s a decision-making tool.
Used properly, it shapes:
Brand narrative and messaging
Website structure and content priorities
Paid and organic marketing focus
Sales confidence and consistency
Investor storytelling
If brand positioning doesn’t change behaviour, it hasn’t landed.
Why Positioning Isn’t a One-Off
Markets shift, competitors copy, and customer expectations rise.
Positioning needs revisiting when:
Growth slows
CAC climbs
The story starts to sprawl
You’re preparing for funding, expansion, or a rebrand
Otherwise, brands default to volume instead of clarity. And volume is expensive.
Book a Brand Positioning and Growth Discovery Session
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