Defining Your Brand Identity, cont.	2/4

THE POSITIONING STATEMENT

The goal of the brand identity process is to write a positioning statement, which explicitly situates your work vis-a-vis your audiences and other offerings in the marketplace. The final statement may be brief (one or two sentences), but it results from substantial research and reflection.

In order to write the positioning statement, you need to understand four things about your work: 1) what you do, 2) who your target audience is, 3) who your competition is, and 4) how audiences benefit from your work.

What you do. First, revisit what it is exactly that you offer to the world. What is your core essence? It's not just 'dance.' There are plenty of other companies and venues–from clubs to MTV–that deliver dance. So you need to ask: what kind of dance? What kind of experience will your audiences have? Specify the defining features of your work. Think about what you believe in, and what you stand for. Consider the visionary qualities of your enterprise.

As Roan pointed out at the Roundtable, McDonald's is not selling food. It's selling 'a break today.' You may be charging for tickets to a dance concert, but what value are you really offering the ticket-buyer? An opportunity for friends to spend a fun evening out together? Something educational? A sublime experience? A celebration of cultural heritage? Social commentary? Social prestige? A space of dialogue? A community-building event?

Given all the things that someone could be doing at the same time–other dance concerts, other arts activities, sports events, movies, adult education classes, a spa weekend, the mall, dining out, a backyard barbecue, a DVD at home–what unique value does your performance offer? What differentiates the experience you offer from all the others?

Try this: think of your brand as a personality. Brainstorm a list of adjectives that describe that personality. The adjectives can be descriptive, metaphorical, or evocative. Make sure to avoid the clichés, like 'innovative,' 'spellbinding,' and 'high-energy.' After generating as many words as possible, whittle down the list to 10, and then to one or two words. That word captures the core essence of your brand–what it stands for, what you're really offering. This is your unique value, and your main strength in the marketplace. There may be many dance companies in your community, and dozens of other ways to spend a Friday evening, but you're the only one who delivers this core essence.

Target audience. But the positioning statement isn't just about you. Your mission statement–that one is all about you. A positioning statement focuses more on your audiences. If you expect them to spend time and money to attend your performances, then you've got to be able to articulate why they would want to–from their points of view. In other words, how is your work relevant to their lives? So your second step is to ask yourself: who are your intended audiences? Which are core, which occasional, and which peripheral? Why are you aiming to sell each of them on your work? And how will you go about doing so?

Competition. Third, take a long, cold look at all your competition. Who directly competes with you for your customers' time and money? And, as important, who are your indirect competitors? As much as we want it to be so, the majority of potential audiences do not set out to 'see dance.' (They should, and building the category as a whole needs to be high on our agenda, but right now we're focusing on how to differentiate your particular dance company.) Dance is but one of dozens of leisure activity options on a weekend evening. Compile a profile of each competitors' offerings: what are they offering, and to whom? How are their offerings similar to yours, and how are they unique? Only by understanding your competition can you recognize and capitalize on the unique value of your own work. And then you can position your company where it is most effectively appealing to your potential audiences.

Benefits. Finally, make a list of the benefits of your work to your audiences–from their perspectives. And be careful not to confuse features with benefits. Features are the defining elements of your work–world-class dancers, for example, or postmodern choreography. Benefits are the tangible or intangible ways that audiences gain from experiencing those features.

In other words, how will audiences benefit from attending your dance concert? Will they be uplifted? Will they learn about a certain culture? Will they enjoy an evening of wholesome entertainment with their children? Will they be able to forget their workaday troubles? Will they be thrilled by feats of physical prowess? Will they feed their soul?

Try making a two-column list: features on the left, and the corresponding benefits on the right. And then prioritize the list with your audiences in mind.