Positioning Archives - The Adaptive Marketer

December 12, 2025January 9, 2026

Creating a Category: How Catchpoint Repositioned Itself for Leadership

A little over 3 years ago I joined Catchpoint, a software company who met my criteria for my ideal job: I wanted a medium-sized company (I am not good with big company politics), that had a great product and bad marketing.

My last requirement, which was not negotiable, was that the company had to have a great leader and a good culture. I found Catchpoint to be a company with heart: a passion for customers, for what they do, and for the team that worked together to build a great company.

My Most Important Priority as a CMO

The first job was not to upscale the team, optimize demand programs, or rebuild the website, no. My most important task was to build a strategy that would help the company stand out, build awareness, and earn the business of the biggest companies in the World.

This is how, Catchpoint embarked on one of the most remarkable repositioning journeys in enterprise technology.

December 1, 2025January 9, 2026

The Fundamentals of Effective Positioning

Positioning is one of the most powerful — and most misused — tools in marketing. It’s not a tagline, a clever campaign, or the latest buzzword tossed around in a boardroom. Positioning is the strategic lens through which customers understand who you are, what you stand for, and why you matter.

When done well, it becomes the foundation of every message, product decision, and go-to-market motion. When done poorly, it creates confusion, weak differentiation, and a brand that feels interchangeable. Despite its importance, positioning is often treated as a quick creative exercise rather than a rigorous strategic discipline — which is why so many companies get it wrong.

In this post, I break down the eight rules that define effective positioning — the principles that separate brands that own a place in the customer’s mind from those that simply blend into the noise. Whether you’re refining an established brand or shaping a new one, these rules will give you a practical framework to sharpen your strategy and communicate with clarity and conviction.

February 17, 2012November 12, 2014

Establishing a Premium Position in the Market

Today (February 2012) I had the opportunity to present at the American Marketing Association Austin luncheon lunch on the topic of how to establish a premium position in the marketplace.

The key points form the presentation:

Building a premium product is about differentiating by focusing on a segment of customers who are willing to pay more for a product that serves them better. Premium products are created by value.
People buy emotionally – then justify their decisions rationally
People buy experiences
Price communicates value
Packaging communicates value
Happy, empowered employees create value

Here are my slides:

Taking a premium position in the market from Gerardo A Dada