3 key laws in marketing we see as central... among the famous 22 immutable laws of marketing :

Perception :

marketing is not a battle of products, it's a battle of perceptions.

Leadership :

it's better to be first than it is to be better, and it's even better to be first in the mind. One way of doing so is owning a word in the prospect's mind, knowing that two companies/brands can't own the same word.

Category:

if you can't be first in a category, set up a new category you can be first in (over time, a category will divide and become two or more categories). Or present the prospect with the opposite of - or failing that something significantly different from - the leader's essence knowing that for every attribute there is an opposite, effective attribute.

A clear and controlled positioning = A sound and efficient strategy
Positioning lays the ground for the marketing strategy, brand management and strategic planning.

A - It's the result of 4 interacting forces

A mix of objective and subjective dimensions - which are partly the result of a voluntary decision (call it a vision) and to large extent the consequences of a 'situation' :

B - It's a relative and moving state

Everything changes, every dimension evolves. There is a constant need to adjust.

C - Positioning must be managed and optimised, through the offer as well as through communication, and the content and the container.

Only the competition's actions aren't under control: there is a constant need to react, and reaffirm one's positioning, or adjust it accordingly.

The positioning will also adjust to the markets, as and when conditions differ, which is often the case.

D - Positioning across the board

Positioning involves 3 levels, each integrating the 4 dimensions which shape it (vision, market reality, competition & image) :

The brand : which supports the image and acts as a guarantee, a signature

The product : (or service) : the object of the transaction, a more tangible value

The range : at the crossing of the 2 other levels (if and when there is one)

The positioning must be clear and easy to read

To do a good job, get it right, one must :

Act upon the brand image: by expressing its identity, proactively on the long term, more reactively on a short term basis

Conceive/adjust the product (or service) and act upon its image: be inspired by the competition yet distinctive

Define the range : it must be consistent with the brand