“The Art of War is of vital importance to the state. It’s a matter of life or death, a road to either safety or ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected”. – Sun Tzu
After reading yet another Al Ries book, Positioning, I would rather argue that: “the art of Positioning is of vital importance to your brand. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected”. -Sun Tzomas
Positioning your brand and the core principles of warfare as handed down by Sun Tzu in the Art of War are extremely similar, or in fact, identical. The core lesson in the Art of War is to attack the enemy where he’s weak. I am going to talk a fair bit of the Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca in this post to illustrate all my points. Hannibal fought the Romans during the Punic Wars, around 218 BC (he’s the dude who famously crossed the Alps with his elephants).
“in war, the way is to avoid what is Strong and strike at what is weak”. – Sun Tzu
Hannibal, like Sun Tzu, also realized the core principles of warfare; to attack the enemy where he is weak, which in ancient warfare was always in the flank. On his way to conquer Rome, he faced an army consisting of Celtic tribesmen opposing him during a crossing of the river Rhone. Instead of facing the enemy head-on where he was strong, Hannibal sent his commander Hanno upstream to cross the river in secret and fall upon the opposing Celts from their rear, who quickly routed them and gave Hannibal another victory. During the later battle of Cannae, Hannibal yet again lured the enemy (consisting of the entire Roman army) in by feigning weakness in his center, after which he fell upon the enemy in his flank and rear with his heavy cavalry, slaughtering some 44 000 of the 50 000 strong Roman army, losing only 6 000 men in the process. Whenever Hannibal fought, he achieved victory by being strong where the enemy was weak, and such a modus operandi is also the key to the battle of successful marketing and positioning.
Never attack your competition head on. Do not go for the exact same category or attribute as strong established brand leader – rather find a “hole” in the market by exploiting a new attribute or a new segment of the market. It’s better to be leader of a smaller piece of the market, than to be a weak alternative in a bigger piece of the market. Be strong where the competitor is weak, even if that means you get a smaller slice of the pie.
Arriving first
“whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted”. – Sun Tzu
Hannibal moved a hoard of elephants across rivers and through steep mountains to circumvent his enemy’s strong positions and to reach the vital point of Cannae first. Being first means going for a new word or attribute in your product or service, rather than charging up against an established segment where you can never become anything more than a weak runner-up. Look for new ground, arrive there first, and plant down your army with a strong marketing campaign championing your leadership of the new territory.
Hannibal’s route from Spain through the Alps. Look for the single bold stroke to position your brand, rather than going head-on against your competitors and “appear where you are not expected” in Sun Tzu’s own words. In Hannibal’s case it meant going through the alps, in your case it could be to completely reposition your brand into uncontested territory by exploiting new attributes and market segments. The alps are almost allegorical, as the place where no-one has yet crossed. Where are the alps in your market? Where can you be first? Where can you be the leader?
The Counter Position
“Carefully compare the opposing army with your own, so that you may know where strength is superabundant, and where it is deficient”. – Sun Tzu
If you go up against a heavily saturated market with strong competition, which is the case in most markets today, you need to reposition the competition through being strong where the enemy is weak. That is the hard part. Carefully review the leaders of the category you are contesting, where are your competitors strong, and where are they weak? Look at the bigger picture, what new attributes can be exploited? Don’t focus on what you can do better than the competition (which means attacking their territory), focus on what you do different than the competition (i.e. seizing new territory). Take the initiative. Remember that being first in a new market is the key to success.
So, grasshopper, flash from the topmost part of heaven and strike at territory which is uncontested, and you may be victorious in the art of positioning.
