The Real Reason Your Brand Positioning Isn’t Working

Emotion runs the show now (whether you realise it or not)

Remember when having the best product or the most competitive price was enough? Those days are behind us. The market now demands something way deeper – a genuine emotional connection that resonates with people on a personal level.

Your customers buy with their hearts, not their heads

Think about something you’ve bought recently that you absolutely love. Was it just because it had great features? Or was it because owning it made you feel a certain way about yourself?

We buy brands from emotion, and they become part of who we are. When you’re invested in a brand, no matter how small, it becomes a part of your identity.

This explains a lot of what we’re seeing right now:

• People happily pay premium prices for brands that feel like “them”
• Consumers walking away from brands when they cross a line (like with the Woolies distribution centre strikes)
• Emotional connection driving loyalty way more than any loyalty program
• Brands with clear positioning outperform those trying to please everyone

The interesting bit? This emotional decision-making happens without us even realising it. It doesn’t matter what anyone says, emotion always drives behaviour.

Want proof? Would you ever pay $500 for a bottle of water?

People instantly say not a chance. But what if someone had your kid (or a loved one) for ransom? Suddenly, that logical decision became an emotional one.

Just like that, context changes everything.

Culture is moving fast and most brands can’t keep up

The Jaguar rebrand shows exactly what bold positioning looks like. Despite decades of heritage and loyal fans, they were losing market share and becoming irrelevant. Their solution wasn’t a gentle touch-up – it was a complete “start fresh” approach:

• They consciously moved away from portions of their existing customer base
• They targeted a completely different audience
• They created a look that intentionally broke conventional rules
• They got everyone talking (even if the reactions were mixed)

What they’ve done is out there, it’s daring and, regardless of whether it works or not, it’s shown people what it takes to make some noise. And, with Tesla the way it is right now, it could have a hot chance to take the top spot in the EV market if done right.

This works because culture itself is moving incredibly quickly. Technology, information overload, and shifting values mean brands need to constantly adapt or get left behind. Successful brands understand this isn’t about small tweaks – it’s about completely rethinking their approach.

3 positioning principles that work

So how do you navigate this new world where emotion rules and culture shifts faster than you can say “rebrand”? It starts with getting your head around three core principles.

1. Who Your Audience Really Is Matters More Than Their Postcode

Forget targeting based just on age, income, or location. Today’s positioning needs a deep dive into identity and values:

• Identity Stacking – Understanding what parts of themselves your audience cares about most (like sustainability, inclusivity, status, or community)
• Value Match-Ups – Making sure your brand stands for the same stuff they do
• Tribal Vibes – Creating that “these are my people” feeling around shared beliefs
• Emotional Connection – Connecting with them emotionally, not just ticking logical boxes

When you’re creating a brand identity, you need to be making sure that the people that you’re positioning towards are the only people that you’re trying to speak to. You have to be really willing to eliminate people from the conversation.”

This means getting beyond basic demographics into the more complex territory – the values, beliefs, and emotional drivers that make your ideal customers tick.

2. Being distinctive beats being generic every time

The worst positioning strategy today? Trying to appeal to everyone. The brands doing well are comfortable standing for something specific:

• They speak directly to a defined audience
• They’re comfortable with not appealing to everyone
• They create deeper connections by addressing specific pain points
• They build communities around shared beliefs

If you’re going hard on a specific audience, that means sitting on the fence won’t work… if you’re there to make change and have an impact, you need to make a choice.

Look at it this way: in today’s fragmented market, being meaningful to a small group will get you way further than being forgettable to everyone.

3. Your brand needs to evolve, or it will fade

The final bit? Brand positioning isn’t something you do once and forget about – it’s an ongoing process:

• Culture shifts constantly, requiring brands to keep up
• Consumer expectations change rapidly with every new tech advancement
• Smart brands see positioning as an ongoing conversation
• Testing and feedback loops are essential

Brand is something that should be constantly evolving as culture changes – and culture is changing really quickly. So, this is where we need to get strategic, and I’m looking at dynamic ways of building out identities that can shift. This means building flexibility into your brand strategy so you can adapt to cultural shifts without losing your core identity.

Interesting approaches to brand positioning we’ve noticed

Looking at brands that are connecting well with their audiences, we’ve noticed some common threads in how they approach positioning:

• They tap into emotional drivers – The brands getting it right understand what feeling they create for people. Whether it’s security, belonging, status, or freedom – this emotional core matters more than features or price.
• They really get their audience values – They’ve taken time to understand what their people care about, which parts of their identity matter when buying, and how they want to be perceived.
• They have actual conversations – Instead of making assumptions, they talk with their customers about frustrations, dreams, and needs. They pay attention to the exact language people use.
• They stay tuned to cultural shifts – They keep an eye on what’s changing in their space and how evolving values might affect how people view their brand.
• They’re comfortable with not pleasing everyone – They’ve clearly identified who they’re not trying to appeal to, which actually sharpens their appeal to the right people.
• They try different approaches – Rather than sticking with one positioning idea, they test options with their audience and measure emotional responses.
• They keep listening – They’ve set up ways to gather feedback constantly about how their positioning is landing in the real world.

When you look at positioning this way, it’s less about polished marketing and more about creating genuine connections that make your brand feel like a natural extension of who your audience is.

Some thoughts on where things are heading

Look, most of us think we’ve got our positioning sorted. But with everything that’s changed lately, it’s worth taking a fresh look.

If you found this interesting, we’ve put together a “Market Advantage Map” that explores these positioning trends in more detail. It’s a straightforward look at how brand positioning is evolving and where the opportunities might be.

Check out The Market Advantage Map here.