Brand solutions
Positioning
Being different is only valuable if the difference matters to the people you are trying to reach. incling's online communities give you the consumer depth to identify, test, and refine a positioning that genuinely stands out.
(projective brand mapping on incling platform)
The approach
How it works in practice
incling's community platform combines projective techniques, iterative concept testing, and open discussion to surface the brand perceptions and positioning territories that surveys cannot reach.
01
Competitive perception mapping
Explore how consumers position your brand and competitors against key attributes, building a clear picture of the competitive landscape and where genuine white space exists.
02
Positioning concept testing
Test alternative positioning territories and supporting messages with target audiences, evaluating relevance, distinctiveness, and credibility for each direction.
03
Projective and creative tasks
Use projective exercises and discussions to explore brand associations, category attitudes, and how your brand fits into consumers' lives and celebratory moments.
04
Territory optimisation
Iterate on positioning options based on real consumer feedback, refining language, tone, and emphasis until you find the version that resonates most strongly.
05
Cultural expert moderation
For multi-market work, native moderators bring the cultural understanding needed to capture the subtle cues that shape positioning in each local market.
Why incling
Why incling beats traditional research
Surveys measure stated perceptions but rarely surface the felt associations and emotional meaning that determine where a brand genuinely sits in consumers' minds. incling goes deeper.
| Traditional research | incling online communities |
|---|---|
| Surveys capture stated perceptions, not felt ones | Creative tools surface deeper emotional brand associations |
| Limited ability to explore brand mapping in an open, exploratory way | Participants define groups and map brands without limitations |
| One opportunity to test and explore a concept or position | Iterative approach allows stimuli to be adjusted mid-fieldwork |
| Restricted to a single-market perspective | Multi-market studies reveal positioning variations across cultures |
Outcomes
What you will uncover
A clear, consumer-grounded view of where your brand sits, where it could go, and what it would take to get there.
Competitive white space
The positioning territories that are credible for your brand and not yet owned by a competitor in the minds of your target audience.
Brand associations
What consumers genuinely think and feel about your brand, and how those perceptions compare to the competition.
Growth levers
The positive and negative influences on brand growth, and the specific messages and associations that strengthen loyalty and open up new consideration.
Global communications direction
Consumer-grounded positioning evidence that informs both local market activation and global communications strategy.
Success story
Strengthening Beck's Brand Position
The challenge
Beck's needed to identify their true position in the complex German beer landscape and understand the specific needs their product was meeting, or missing, compared to the competition. They needed clear evidence to inform their innovation pipeline and global communications strategy.
The approach
- +Six-day intensive online community with 24 drinkers aged 18 to 49, split 50/50 between loyalists and lapsed or competitor-preferring drinkers
- +Native German moderator and translator to capture the subtle cultural cues of the local market
- +Projective tasks and discussions to explore attitudes toward beer as a treat and where Beck's fits into specific celebratory moments
- +Deep positioning audit exploring consumer attitudes and perceptions within the wider category landscape
The result
The research gave Beck's a deeper understanding of consumer perceptions, enabling them to formulate clear hypotheses about the positive and negative influences on brand growth. The work clarified Beck's true position, identified the levers that strengthen loyalty and open consideration, and has since informed their innovation pipeline and global communications strategy.
Keep exploring
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ExploreReady to see incling in action?
Talk to the team about your brand challenge and see how positioning research with incling could shape your next move.