Positioning Research is a key component of pharmaceutical brand development, but where does it fit and what are the component research stages?

Across the Pharma industry it is clear that 'positioning' means different things to different people. It is important that the process of positioning be clearly delineated from branding and messaging, since they are often confused. Instead the relationships and differences between these linked components need to be understood depending on the specific brand situation.

So, is there such a thing as ‘positioning research’? We believe there is, even though positioning is already taking place during the process of market understanding and product shaping, where we learn about possible target segments, key value drivers, and how our brand could stack up versus the competition. All these aspects are crucial inputs into the brand development process, therefore any positioning research should not be viewed as a ‘one-off’ exercise. Instead ‘positioning research’ is an approach which provides structure to previous understandings so that they can be shared with a customer audience, to uncover and create the best positioning.

The paper describes three typical steps in positioning research:
1. Positioning generation - a creative process
2. Positioning refinement - what are we testing?
3. Positioning selection - quantitative testing of viable alternatives

Adelphi have prepared a position paper on positioning, which was published recently in PBIRG Perspectives. Click here to read the article from PBIRG Perspectives, Vol 9, Issue 2, Fall 2007, pages 14-15

Return to news index
Return to home page