A lot of #productmarketers refer to #positioning as context setting.
But what does “context” actually mean? 👇
Context is all around us. It is the fundamental way we come to understand people, situations, and ideas.
Cambridge Dictionary explains it as - “the situation within which something exists or happens, and that can help explain it:”
In everyday life, I personally think of context more as background information that helps us better understand the situation or story.
For example, “why is this mushroom dish so expensive?”
They were all hand-picked.
This is a Michelin-star chef.
She only makes it once a year.
“Oh, now I get it.”
Or, “why did that criminal rob that bank?”
He needed the money to pay for a child’s surgery.
“That man is a hero.”
Context setting is super important in film and television, as it is in marketing. Have a look at the video I dropped in the comments. It’s full of clips from The Office.
Without understanding the context surrounding each episode, these clips are totally random. Hilarious? Yes. But we have no idea what’s going on.
Imagine trying to explain your product to someone in this way. Just a series of random features and benefits without any effort to set the context.
In #productmarketing, It’s our job to set the context. Set the scene for our product to really make sense and be understood in the best way possible.
All these things help you set context:
- Your market category
- Market trends
- Your unique product attributes
- Who your customers are
- Where you sell/operate
- Competing alternatives to your product
- Timing
- Marketing channels
Context is also hugely important in #competitiveenablement. Tossing a ton of random article links at your sales team is not the way. They call em’ link and stinks for a reason. They stink.
Your reps need the backstory. They need information surrounding that event to help them know why it matters. How it’s going to change their strategy.
Let me know what you think! 👇
