The Positioning Cross Template helps define where a brand stands within its competitive landscape and which characteristics make it relevant to its target groups. By mapping the brand along key variables, teams gain clarity on differentiation, strategic focus, and where meaningful opportunities are.
Key elements of the Positioning Cross Template
Market variables: Select dimensions that matter to both the brand and the category, such as price level, design quality, sustainability, convenience, or innovation.
Competitors: Plot direct and indirect competitors to identify clusters, gaps, and oversaturated areas.
Brand position: Define where the brand should be located based on strengths, ambitions, and strategic goals.
Relevance: Ensure the chosen axes reflect what truly matters to the target audience.
Differentiation: Focus on characteristics that help the brand break away from competition instead of blending into crowded zones.
Advantages of using the Positioning Cross Template
A Positioning Cross Template provides a structured way to evaluate where a brand stands today and where it should be positioned in the future. It brings clarity to strategic discussions and supports data-driven decision-making.
Clarity: Visualizes the competitive landscape and shows how brands relate to each other.
Insight: Reveals patterns, clusters, and unexplored areas that signal strategic opportunities.
Focus: Helps teams prioritize core attributes instead of trying to be everything at once.
Differentiation: Strengthens the brand’s ability to claim a unique and defensible position.
Strategic alignment: Ensures positioning decisions reflect both market relevance and internal brand identity.
Creating your Positioning Cross
Begin by selecting two variables that are highly relevant to your category and meaningful for your audience. Plot the competitive set to understand where each brand sits, then analyse where the market feels crowded and where potential white spaces emerge. Position your brand intentionally, based on its strengths and future ambition. Use this visualisation to guide strategic decisions, sharpen communication, and align the team on what the brand should and should not stand for.
