re:position
An occasional newsletter and community round-up, shining light on the art and science of powerful market positioning.
Latest Feature Story from our most recent newsletter.
(link to full newsletter after article)
Survive till 25’
Remember that optimistic ol’ chestnut from the dark ages of 2024? Well, we’re a third of the way through the new year, and it feels just as wobbly as the one before. We’re living through extraordinary times, where mindless optimism holds little strategic value. So if anybody tells me to hold out for “bigger tricks in ’26”, I’ll be tempted to punch them.
The impact of the Tangerine President in the Whitehouse is staggering in its global reach and intensity. We’re witnessing the conflation of social, political and economic forces, making 2025 potentially an epoch-defining year. Right now, it’s impossible to block out the noise and pretend that our own businesses and lives are somehow insulated from events a world away. For small nations like New Zealand, global trade and cooperation is fundamental to our wellbeing, and it’s no secret that this simple certainty has is now in jeopardy.
It’s little wonder that consumer confidence is stuffed. Our ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Index has tracked positive for less than 20% of the time since 2020 and is tanking again. With unemployment and business failures continuing to rise, the post-pandemic hangover feels like it’s here to stay.
So, measuring business or consumer “confidence” doesn’t seem fitting anymore. How can anybody be expected to feel confident about the future when the pace of change is so rapid?
Now, I’m a glass-half-full kinda of guy and there's certainly opportunity out there. But right now, I think it’s essential to accept that we’re leading our businesses through markets that are chronically uncertain. In fact, the only thing we can expect to accurately predict today is more change. After all, this pace of disruption isn’t an accidental bug, it’s a deliberate feature.
Like every chronic condition, we've arrived here in downward steps. Our ability to predict and plan has been undermined each year until we've found ourselves here, in a state of perpetual high alert to change. Our human responses to such conditions are well known. Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, nailed it last week while announcing a global slowdown: “Faced with increased uncertainty,…many firms’ initial reaction will be to pause, reduce investment and cut purchases.”
It's so profound and so obvious a statement at the same time. The IMF has just suggested that most firms will stop whatever they're planning to do. I think they've just reminded us that uncertainty is the enemy of strategy. Or perhaps they're just paraphrasing the immortal Mike Tyson, who once quipped, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.” So, how on earth might we lead our business when we don’t know where the next punch will come from?
For my own businesses and my customers, I’ve turned to the enduring advice to “focus only on what you can control.” When trying to quiet the noise and simplify strategic decisions, I’ve discovered just how useful market positioning frameworks are during times like these. Why? Because the only two things we can ever control are also the drivers of our market positioning—our product and who we choose to sell it to.
Focussing on the two simplest drivers of our market positioning is like strategic meditation. It helps our teams ask the questions that lead to business growth.
Q: Is our target customer optimal in size, value and ease of access?
Q: Is our product evolving to differentiate from competitors targeting that same customer?
Remember, our markets will move and reorganise faster than ever. But this time, everybody is being impacted and looking for advantage wherever they can. This means that we have to re-evaluate our positioning and strategy more frequently than before.
So be ready to flush group think out of your organisation to really see what's ahead and normalise asking for help. Impartiality is the tool you need to recognise and understand the value you create for your market. None of us are impartial in our own businesses!
Above all, keep moving and don’t freeze. Hold your positioning lightly and be ready to adapt to new barriers, new competitors and a new normal. Success in 2025 demands that we all create new mindset and adapt to heightened risk. The future will surely be won by those who stay on their toes.
Article from the April 2025 re:position
Change is inevitable. 2025 has been a bumpy ride so far, and it’s not slowing down. Find out why focusing on what you can control is essential for your strategy. READ THE FULL NEWSLETTER HERE and SIGN UP HERE if you’d like to receive this in your inbox next time
Browse our past issues of re:position, and sign up at the bottom of the page if you’d like to get it in your inbox.
March 2025 re:position
Scared of similar? Marketers are obsessed with originality, but maybe it’s time to stand up for being more alike. Here’s why. Read here
February 2025 re:position
A productivity challenge for 2025. Execution is where strategy comes to life. Why do we get stuck, and how do we move faster? Read here
January 2025 re:position
2025, we made it. So what now? The truth about January. It’s tempting to let the month slip by in a summer haze, but January could be your most strategic month yet. Read here
December 2024 re:position
Wrapping up 2024 with gratitude and a special invitation. A quick thank you, a sneak peek at 2025, and a fun chance to kick off the year with an 'Ask Me Anything' clinic. Enjoy your holidays, and see you in the new year! Read here
November 2024 re:position
Embrace sales! It's time to grow 📈 Let’s address sales investment phobias and the impact this has on growth. Read here
October 2024 re:position
Don't let ghost value haunt your strategy - Ghost value can creep in unnoticed - let's explore how meaningful differentiation can keep your strategy sharp and scare off sameness. Read here