$$Write a personal positioning statement using the format described for a positioning statement in Chapter $4$ of our textbook. In this case, replace $$our target market$$ with an industry or type of job that you want to do; replace $$our brand$$ with your name; replace the $$key benefit or point of differentiation$$ with something you can bring to an employer in this situation, and replace $$reasons to believe$$ with proof that you can deliver your key benefit or point of differentiation$($Perreault$,$ Cannon, & McCarthy, $2021,$ p$.112).$

According to Perreault, Cannon, & McCarthy $(2021),$ positioning refers to the mental images that come to consumers$$ minds when they think of a product, brand, or organization $($p$.108).$ Different mental images are associated with different brands. Marketing managers diligently work to create and maintain positioning messages that are consistent with market offerings. For example, many consumers think of luxury when they think of the brand Mercedes Benz. Similarly, low prices may come to mind when a consumer thinks of Walmart. Positioning is another method firms use to communicate with consumers.

$$Some firms use a template like the following to aid in preparation of a positioning statement:

For $($our target market$),($our brand$)$ of all $($product type$)$ delivers $($key benefit or point of differentiation$)$ because $($our brand$)$ is $($reasons to believe$)($Perreault$,$ Cannon, & McCarthy, $2021,$ p$.110).$

Marketing managers used the above template to develop the following positioning statement for the carbonated soft drink, Mountain Dew:

$$For $16-$ to $24-$year$-$old males who embrace excitement, adventure, and fun, Mountain Dew, of all carbonated soft drinks, delivers great taste that exhilarates like no other because Mountain Dew is energizing, thirst$-$quenching, and has a one$-$of$-$a$-$kind citrus flavor$($Perreault$,$ Cannon, & McCarthy, $2021,$ p$.110).$

Marketing is primarily thought of as a tool to help firms increase sales and grow their market shares. However, marketing techniques can be applied in a corporate setting or on an individual level. For this discussion question, you are asked to develop a personal positioning statement. From a professional perspective, what mental images would you like industry leaders to think of when they think of you? If you are an entrepreneur or close to becoming an entrepreneur, you may use the template provided to develop a positioning statement for your business.