It’s been over 40 years since Al Ries and Jack Trout published the much-lauded book “Positioning: The Battle For Your Mind.” The marketing world (and the rest of the world) sure has changed since then. So Andy Cunningham, in her new book, Get to Aha! Discover Your Positioning DNA and Dominate Your Competition, freely admits she wants her tome to be viewed at “Positioning 2.0.” And she’s got a strong case to make for it.
Cunningham is quite methodical in using the DNA metaphor to get brands and their keepers to break down their core essences. Starting with a “testing” quiz, she lays out the core principles of modern positioning and how today’s customer experience-focused world needs to fulfill the promise of a brand position. Quite a few of the examples she uses are relatively new companies and tech startups. Judging by that, Cunningham believes it’s easier to develop positioning for a new brand (or a new line of products) then to rejigger a very established brand. Which makes sense, since new brands are very malleable.
Get to Aha! gives readers a solid framework for what’s often a very half-baked process. If you’re consulting or overseeing the establishment of a new company or brand, this book is a great way to ensure you’ll be grounded in solid thinking and ready for success.
Special thanks to FSB Associates for providing me with a review copy.
