POSITIONING

Brand positioning and messaging that gets you chosen.

Brand positioning decides the one place your business owns in a customer's mind; messaging is the words that put it there. John Graham Seeliger learned to message wildly different audiences growing up in multicultural, multilingual South Africa, and he has positioned brands for 40 years since.

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By John Graham Seeliger, Principal and CSO Updated October 22, 2026

What is brand positioning?

It's the answer to one question: why should this customer choose you instead of the alternative? A strong position is specific, believable, and something a competitor can't easily claim.

Most businesses skip this step. They describe what they do ("quality service, competitive prices, family owned") and end up sounding exactly like the company down the street. Customers can't tell them apart, so they choose on price.

Good positioning ends that. Good messaging makes it stick: a few clear words, repeated everywhere, until people say them back to you.

What you get

Your positioning statement: who, what, why you
Your core message and supporting points
How you compare to the competition, honestly
Messaging for each type of customer
Headlines, taglines and website language
A one page guide your whole team can use

What does great positioning look like?

Here's one we're proud of. Mantel Brothers lost the franchise for the crane brand that had become the generic name for the whole category. Six competitors moved in.

Their replacement crane needed to become the new name on everyone's lips. So we didn't launch another yellow crane with a foreign name. We named it the MANTEL ELEPHANT and painted it orange: solid, durable, distinctive and ownable.

A mystery mail campaign and a children's storybook did the rest. Result: 82% of the South African market, from zero, in one year. Read the full story.

82%
market share in South Africa
From zero, in a single year, for a brand that had lost its category name.
6
competitors beaten
Including two international giants that moved in when the franchise changed hands.

When should you reposition?

Customers keep asking for a discount, because nothing else separates you
You've grown, and the old story no longer fits
A new competitor is copying your claims
You're entering a new market or launching a new product
You've changed your name, ownership or franchise

Positioning is the foundation of every campaign and every marketing strategy we build. In crowded markets like Scottsdale, it's often the whole game.

"Of all the Relationship Marketing people I've worked with, there's only one whose standard is matched by John Seeliger's. That one is Lester Wunderman."

Leonard Schwartz, Executive Vice President, New York Times Publishing (NYC, NY)

QUESTIONS

Straight answers.

What is the difference between branding and positioning?

Branding is the whole identity: name, look, voice and reputation. Positioning is the strategic core underneath it, the single reason a customer picks you. Get the position right and the branding has something true to express.

How do I know if my messaging is working?

Cover the names on your ad and a competitor's. If you can't tell them apart, customers can't either. Other signs: people describe you differently than you describe yourself, or they choose on price.

Do you design logos?

Our focus is the strategy and the words. When a visual refresh is needed, our team handles it from the positioning so the look and the message match.

How long does positioning work take?

Weeks, not months. It starts with research and customer conversations, then a working session to agree on the position before any words are written.

Is repositioning risky for an established business?

Less risky than standing still while competitors take your ground. Done well, it keeps what customers already value and sharpens it.

KEEP EXPLORING

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Ready when you are.

Not sure if you need help? No worries. A quick conversation costs nothing, and you'll know exactly where you stand. Plus, what your next step should be. If any. No sugar coating, no pressure, no BS. Call now. And if you're on the right track, we'll tell you that too.

Start the conversation.

Phone:
602.558.7540

Email:
johngseeliger@cox.net
jgs@creativestrategiesmktg.com

Location:
Phoenix, AZ, serving the Phoenix metro and all of Arizona