Don't confuse loyalty with inertia

I know I'm biased, but positioning is a deeply satisfying process; we may start a process with complexity, yet always end with elegant simplicity. For neurospicy characters like me, it's like unleashing Marie Kondo to tidy our subconscious mind.

Positioning isn't meant to be complex. "What you make" goes in one conceptual box. "Who needs it the most" goes into the other. And that's it. There's a reason why teams tell me they feel lighter when we've finally landed their perfect place in market.

You make the calls

Perhaps it's the simplicity that people find so intoxicating, it goads us to get out and share our newfound positioning with the world. It's truly rewarding when everyone can convincingly pitch their business on the back of a napkin (should that be your medium of choice).

Yet on a more profound level, positioning provides a timely reminder of the agency we all hold. It forces us to choose who our product is for and to decide how we want customers to think about us. In a world where customer acquisition feels reactive to the unseen algorithm, we urgently need reminders that we are in control of our go-to-market strategy.

This agency is why I believe that "customer selection" is the single most important decision in any positioning project. You might define it as an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) or Prioritised Customer Segmentation, but the intent is the same. To define the customer who, above all else, values your product to an exceptional degree.

At this stage, it's usual to turn to your current customer list to start modelling your future ICP. Logic suggests that the past dictates the future, so all we have to do is find our ICP amongst our current customers. The devil is very much in the detail here, so we dive headlong into our most inviting data lakes. Searching for customer source, spend and lifecycle, spear-fishing for insights about customer intent.

It's not unreasonable at this stage to assume that we're searching for our most loyal customers, as they will be the ones who have the greatest long-term value to us. I like to define loyalty as a customer who will pass over a better product or opportunity to stay with you. Even when it's better, cheaper or shinier. Their emotional connection has become stronger than the rational one.

But this is where the most dangerous trap in positioning is hidden. Data measures duration but loyalty is something we project onto it. So as soon as you're thoughtlessly conflating customer loyalty with your ICP, you'll discover that you've walked right into it.

Duration does not equate to loyalty.

Loyalty is a dangerous concept

Although loyalty is a good indicator of a viable ICP, it's fiendishly hard to prove in data. What we can show for sure are customers whose transaction value, product engagement or tenure makes them stand out. But don't jump to conclusions here; a customer who spends well or stays with you isn't by default loyal.

Rather, many of your customers may actually be stuck. They might not want to be there, or lack the motivation or opportunity to move. The psychologist Martin Seligman defined the condition of Learned Helplessness, where customers lose their belief that any better option exists (it's worth checking out Canadian positioning guru Paul Syng on this topic too).

So if you choose your longest-standing customer as your ICP, you risk profiling customers with chronic inertia, not desire, as your ICP.

Now, Inertia is an established CX tactic, just think about your relationship with your bank or favourite social platform being wrecked through cynical Enshittification. In any sunset industry that just needs to extract shareholder value, it has its place.

But when you're in a growth market, it's a different story. You risk prioritising product features and messaging for customers who are too exhausted to leave, while fast-moving competitors suddenly offer seamless onboarding that snaps them out of their learned helplessness.

No emotional assumptions

When defining your ICP, do explore what loyalty means in your business and what that would really take to deliver. You might be surprised to find that you're not willing to make the specific sacrifices needed to turn a profitable customer into a loyal one.

Wherever it takes you, call out the lazy assumptions we're all tempted to make when interpreting our customer data. Sometimes the past isn't the best guide to the future and you need to redefine your ICP for a customer you're yet to truly connect with.

Above all, remind your team that duration does not equate to loyalty; so hold onto your ambition firmly and your data assumptions lightly.

Article from the October 2026 re:position

Sign up below if you'd like to receive this in your inbox next time.