Positioning in the Ideascape

Brand marketers traditionally position brands based on the benefits of products associated with the brand. I suggest an alternative approach - to position brands based on an aspirational idea that is associated with the brand consumer. This landscape of ideas is the "ideascape", and it consists of a set of highly engaging and meaningful ideas that consumers can identify with. By positioning in the ideascape, brand marketers can engage in more meaningful dialogue with consumers, and they can leverage digital media to tell rich, contextual "brand stories". I highlight the different levels of the ideascape, and the challenges that brand marketers need to overcome when positioning in the ideascape.