Repositioning the Competition
When no open position exists, create one by reframing the competitor who currently occupies the space in the prospect's mind.
With hundreds of products in every category, open creneaus are nearly extinct. The average supermarket displays 10,000 different products. When a college graduate has a speaking vocabulary of only 8,000 words, the prospect's mind is already overloaded. The basic underlying marketing strategy in this environment must be to 'reposition the competition.' To put a new brand into the mind, you have to delete or reposition the old brand that already occupies the category — like a computer that must erase old data before writing new data. Repositioning works by saying something about your competitor's product that causes the prospect to change his or her mind — not about your product, but about the competitor's. The crux of a repositioning program is undercutting an existing concept, product, or person. You must never be afraid of conflict. Repositioning is fundamentally different from comparative advertising: it does not merely say 'we are better,' it reframes the entire perception of the competitor, creating a new opening that your brand can fill.
- To put a new brand into the mind, you must first delete or reposition the old brand that already occupies the category
- Repositioning works by saying something about the competitor that causes the prospect to change their mind about the competitor
- The crux of a repositioning program is undercutting an existing concept, product, or person
- Never be afraid of conflict — repositioning requires directly confronting the competition
- Repositioning is not comparative advertising — it reframes the competitor's perceived weakness, not just claims superiority
- The repositioning claim must be credible and factual — it must give the prospect a genuine reason to reconsider the competitor
- Successful repositioning creates a vacuum in the mind that your brand naturally fills
- Identify the Competitor's Vulnerable PositionStudy the competitor who owns the position you want. Find the weakness that is inherent in their strength — the trade-off they made to achieve their position. Every strong position has a corresponding vulnerability. Aspirin's strength (effective pain relief) carried an inherent vulnerability (stomach irritation). Listerine's strength (kills germs) carried a vulnerability (terrible taste).Pro tipThe best repositioning angles are factual and undeniable. Tylenol did not invent the idea that aspirin causes stomach problems — it was already known. They simply elevated that fact to prominence in the prospect's mind.WarningYour repositioning claim must be truthful and verifiable. False or exaggerated claims will backfire and damage your own credibility.
- Reframe the Competitor in the Prospect's MindCraft a message that changes how the prospect perceives the competitor. This is not a comparison that says 'we are better' — it is a reframing that says 'here is something about them you should reconsider.' Royal Doulton repositioned Lenox china (which sounded English) by pointing out it was actually made in Pomona, New Jersey. The repositioning was devastating because it was true.Pro tipThe strongest repositioning strategies use the competitor's own strength against them. Scope called Listerine 'medicine breath' — turning Listerine's medicinal strength (it kills germs, it tastes like medicine) into its greatest weakness.WarningDo not confuse repositioning with generic comparative advertising. Simply saying 'we are better than X' is not repositioning. You must change the frame through which the prospect sees the competitor.
- Fill the Vacuum with Your BrandOnce you have repositioned the competitor, present your brand as the natural alternative that fills the newly created opening. Tylenol repositioned aspirin around stomach irritation, then presented itself as the alternative for the millions who should not take aspirin. The repositioning and the filling of the vacuum must work as a one-two punch.Pro tipThe repositioning must logically lead to your brand as the solution. If you reposition a competitor's weakness but your product does not clearly solve that weakness, the repositioning benefits someone else.WarningMany copycat campaigns have missed the essence of repositioning. They claim 'we are also good' instead of fundamentally changing how the prospect sees the competitor. The difference between repositioning and comparative advertising is the difference between strategy and tactics.
Aspirin dominated the pain relief category for decades. Tylenol entered the market by running advertising that highlighted aspirin's known side effects: stomach irritation, micro-bleeding, and allergic reactions. Rather than claiming 'Tylenol is better,' they changed how millions of prospects perceived the incumbent by elevating a factual weakness to prominence.
Listerine had dominated mouthwash for decades based on its medicinal germ-killing power. Procter & Gamble entered with Scope and repositioned Listerine with just two words: 'medicine breath.' They turned Listerine's greatest strength — it tastes like medicine, so it must work — into its greatest weakness.
Lenox china was widely perceived as an English import — the name simply sounded English. Royal Doulton, the actual English china maker, repositioned Lenox by revealing in its advertising that Lenox was made in Pomona, New Jersey — not England at all. The repositioning was factual, undeniable, and devastating.
Several American vodka brands used Russian-sounding names to imply authenticity. Stolichnaya, the genuine Russian vodka, repositioned them by revealing where they were actually made — Hartford, Connecticut and Lawrenceburg, Indiana. The advertising simply stated the facts: these are not Russian vodkas.
Ries and Trout developed the repositioning concept after observing that as markets matured and filled with competitors, the classic positioning strategies of finding open creneaus became increasingly difficult. They studied cases like Tylenol's repositioning of aspirin, Scope's repositioning of Listerine, and Royal Doulton's repositioning of Lenox china, and recognized a common pattern: the most successful challenger brands did not merely promote their own strengths — they changed how the prospect perceived the incumbent, creating a vacuum that the challenger could fill.