One of the most influential books of my career. Andy Cunningham's insightful reimagining of brand positioning made me reconsider what I thought I understood about how culture is formed, cultivated, and sustained.
It was much more than a book on how to posture your brand in the market to stand out. Rather it details how the company has a naturally formed DNA that must be uncovered before you unlock the true power of positioning. There's a balance that must be struck between a brand and the brand's position in the world.
Branding is the yang to positioning’s yin, and when both pieces come together, you have a sense of the company’s identity as a whole, an understanding of the essence of who and what that company is and what it stands for.
Andy Cunningham, Get to Aha!: Discover Your Positioning DNA and Dominate Your Competition
Why go with gut reactions, with what feels right, when you can know with complete, logic-based confidence that your brand is an accurate reflection of your DNA and culture and that it positions you to win in the market?
Andy Cunningham, Get to Aha!: Discover Your Positioning DNA and Dominate Your Competition
Most brand strategy firms start with the branding end of the marketing equation instead of focusing on positioning to illuminate a company’s unique identity and competitive edge in the market. They do this because their core competency is design, not business strategy, and when they are hired to “brand” a company, they do the best they can to ascertain its essence and develop a design accordingly. But they don’t dig into the DNA of the company, its business strategy, or why it matters in the market.
Andy Cunningham, Get to Aha!: Discover Your Positioning DNA and Dominate Your Competition
...companies are like people. They have DNA that is reflected in their behaviors. Just as knowing who you are at your core enables you to be a better you, leaders who understand their positioning DNA can use it to their advantage and be better at marketing and selling their products.
Andy Cunningham, Get to Aha!: Discover Your Positioning DNA and Dominate Your Competition
My background in designing brand identities from an art director's role, had me in a rut. I wasn't thinking like a strategist that needed to balance the emotional with the rational. I thought that the emotional side of brand identity was enough. And for many brands it can be. However it's likely that a business will not succeed long term unless they truly understand who they are at a DNA level.
