The Difference between Strategy and Positioning
Strategy decides what the company will do. Positioning decides how the market will understand it. Confusing the two is expensive.
Strategy
Strategy answers what the company will do, where it will compete, where it will not, and what trade-offs it will accept.
Positioning
Positioning answers how the market will understand the company, against which alternatives, and at which price level.
Why the confusion costs
Companies that confuse the two end up with positioning that is misaligned with the actual strategy. The result is a sales motion that promises one thing while the company delivers another.
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