POSITIONING OF PRODUCTS IN THE CONTEMPORARY MARKET CONDITIONS

ABSTRACT

This article examines the impact of changes in the market due to its development on trends and innovations introduced in such marketing process as product positioning. The authors of the article study the emergence of new approaches of product positioning in modern market conditions, their necessity and validity.

Keywords: marketing, product positioning, brand name, marketplace.

Modern market conditions have created a large number of niches for sales, sellers and, consequently, goods. Entry to the market has become easier and more accessible, and goods, despite their diversity, are easily interchangeable and have analogs.

Finding himself among this set of goods, the consumer most often does not remember their characteristics or even does not pay attention to them. Walking down the main street, he will pass by ten cafes and in a minute he will not remember them. Scrolling through the list of goods in an online store, he will miss more than a hundred products without giving them any importance. All this is the result of the modern market. And while sooner or later every consumer will choose a product and buy it, not every seller can acquire the attention and money of the consumer.

In this regard, the high performance-oriented seller adapts to the current market conditions. The most important step in marketing strategy is product positioning. Through product positioning, the place and role of a product or service in the market relative to competitors are determined. Competent positioning contributes to the formation of a positive attitude of the consumer to the proposed product through its uniqueness and advantages compared to analogues.

Before launching a strategy to position the product in the market, you need to select the most appropriate approaches to positioning. There are the following approaches: positioning by attributes, positioning by benefit and value, positioning by comparison, positioning by target audience and positioning by product class.

Let's analyze the most popular approach - comparison. This approach refers to the competitive view. In total, we can distinguish two types of positioning according to G. Assel, from which the approaches are already coming, it is a competitive type and consumer. Let's return to the first one. Competitive positioning is the provision of information about the merits of the goods in comparison with the goods of competitors. According to the life cycle of the product, as the product ages and pressure from competitors, it is necessary to change strategy and switch to competitive positioning. In this positioning approach, it is important to emphasize the advantage of one's product over the competition or use comparison-based advertising.

One of the most important aspects of positioning is a clear understanding of the target audience. Understanding customers' needs, wants and preferences allows you to create a unique offering that will resonate with their expectations. Companies should conduct thorough market research using techniques such as surveys, focus groups, and big data analysis. This helps in not only identifying the target audience but also segmenting them into groups with different needs and preferences.

Once the target audience has been identified, the goal of positioning is to create a clear and compelling product message that will set the product apart from similar competitive offerings. One of the most significant challenges is the high degree of competitiveness. Manufacturers or companies in different segments are constantly vying for consumers' attention, which requires them to constantly update and refine their strategies. In addition, changes in consumer preferences can happen very quickly, requiring companies to be flexible and able to adapt quickly.

Despite these challenges, proper product positioning remains an important element of a successful strategy. Companies that know how to effectively differentiate their products by creating clear, unique and attractive value propositions are able to not only gain consumer trust, but also secure a lasting competitive advantage in today's marketplace.

Thus, product positioning in today's market is a multi-level and complex process that requires constant analysis, understanding of audience needs and effective interaction with them. Successful companies that are able to correctly recognize trends and adapt to them become leaders, overtaking their competitors.

References:

1. Assel G. Marketing: principles and strategy: Textbook for universities; [Translated from English by M.Z. Sternartz]. 2. ed. Moscow: Infra-M : NPFK NTF, 2016. 802-809 p.
2. Leonenko Kristina Valeryevna Consumer and competitive positioning of goods on the market // Vestnik nauki i obrazovanie. 2020. №20-2 (98). p. 43-45