Product positioning is one of the most crucial responsibilities of Product Marketing Managers (PMMs). It’s not just about writing catchy taglines—it’s about defining how a product fits into the market, what problems it solves, and why it matters to a specific audience.

When you’re positioning a new product for a new buyer persona, the challenge multiplies: you’re not only establishing market differentiation but also tailoring messaging to a group that may be unfamiliar with your brand or product category. Getting this right can mean the difference between product adoption and market indifference.

Why Positioning Matters

Positioning is the foundation for every customer-facing effort. It influences:

• Messaging – What you say and how you say it.

• Marketing campaigns – Which channels and strategies you prioritize.

• Sales enablement – How reps frame value to prospects.

• Product strategy – Which features get highlighted for specific personas.

A poorly positioned product may technically solve a problem but fail to resonate. A well-positioned product creates instant relevance and appeal.

Step 1: Understand the Buyer Persona

Positioning starts with knowing exactly who you’re targeting. A new buyer persona means new needs, preferences, and challenges to consider.

1. Gather Insights

• Qualitative research: Interviews, focus groups, customer advisory boards.

• Quantitative research: Surveys, analytics, industry reports.

• Behavioral data: Online habits, product usage (if available), purchasing trends.

2. Identify Pain Points

• What are their top frustrations?

• Which problems are they actively seeking solutions for?

• How do they currently address these challenges?

3. Define Goals and Motivations

• Are they focused on saving time, reducing costs, or increasing revenue?

• Do they value innovation, security, or ease of use?

Example: If you’re targeting SMB owners as a new persona, their motivations may include affordability, simplicity, and flexibility—quite different from enterprise buyers who prioritize scalability and integrations.

Step 2: Analyze Competitors

New buyer personas often mean new competitors. Even if you’ve dominated one segment, your new audience may compare you against entirely different players.

• Direct competitors: Offer similar solutions.

• Indirect competitors: Solve the same problem in a different way.

• DIY alternatives: Manual processes or internal solutions.

Competitive positioning exercise:

• Map competitor messaging.

• Identify feature or value gaps.

• Spot opportunities to differentiate.

Step 3: Craft the Value Proposition

A compelling value proposition answers three key questions:

1. Who is this for? – Define the buyer persona clearly.

2. What problem do we solve? – Connect directly to their pain points.

3. Why are we better? – Highlight differentiation that matters to them.

Formula:
For [buyer persona], who struggle with [pain point], our [product] provides [key benefit] unlike [competitors], because [unique differentiation].

Example:
For small retail owners who struggle with inventory tracking, our cloud-based system provides real-time visibility and predictive insights, unlike spreadsheets or manual logs, because we use AI-powered forecasting tailored to small business needs.

Step 4: Tailor Messaging Frameworks

Once the value proposition is clear, messaging should scale across levels:

• High-level narrative: The overarching story that connects to the buyer persona’s worldview.

• Feature-level messaging: Translating product capabilities into buyer benefits.

• Proof points: Case studies, testimonials, stats that reinforce credibility.

Tip: Use language that mirrors the persona’s vocabulary, not industry jargon.

Step 5: Align Internal Teams

Positioning isn’t just a marketing exercise—it requires organizational buy-in. PMMs should:

• Work with product teams to ensure features align with persona needs.

• Enable sales teams with persona-specific battlecards, talk tracks, and objection handling.

• Partner with demand generation to choose the right channels and messaging angles.

Benefit: Consistency across touchpoints builds trust with new audiences.

Step 6: Test and Validate

Great positioning is tested, not assumed. Before scaling, validate with the target audience:

• Message testing surveys – Which statements resonate most?

• A/B testing ads or landing pages – Which angles drive higher engagement?

• Pilot campaigns – Test the positioning in a small, controlled rollout.

Feedback from these experiments can guide refinement before a full launch.

Step 7: Monitor and Iterate

Positioning isn’t static—it evolves as markets shift and buyer needs change. Track metrics such as:

• Engagement with persona-specific campaigns.

• Win/loss data segmented by persona.

• Adoption and retention rates for the new product.

When data shows misalignment, adjust the positioning framework accordingly.

Example: Slack Entering the Enterprise Market

Originally, Slack positioned itself as a collaboration tool for startups. When expanding to enterprise buyers—a new persona—they had to reposition.

• Persona shift: From early adopters seeking speed and ease-of-use to CIOs concerned about security, compliance, and integrations.

• Positioning change: From “team chat made simple” to “secure, enterprise-grade collaboration platform.”

• Execution: They added enterprise-ready features, updated messaging, and created tailored sales enablement.

The repositioning worked—Slack became a leading enterprise collaboration solution before being acquired by Salesforce.

Conclusion

Positioning a new product for a new buyer persona requires deep understanding, differentiation, and organizational alignment. By thoroughly researching the persona, analyzing competitors, crafting a clear value proposition, and validating messaging, PMMs can ensure their product resonates with the right audience.

Ultimately, positioning isn’t about describing what your product does—it’s about defining why it matters to a specific group of people. Get this right, and you lay the foundation for adoption, retention, and long-term growth.