Overview

"Most of us have an intuitive sense of superior branding. We prefer to purchase brands we find distinctive-that deliver on some important, relevant dimension better than other brands. These brands have typically achieved positional advantage. Yet few professionals have had the formal training that goes beyond marketing theory to bridge the ""theory-doing gap""-understanding the specific techniques and strategies that can be used to create brands that attain positional advantage in the marketplace. Positioning for Advantage is a comprehensive how-to guide for creating, building, and executing effective brand strategies. Kimberly A. Whitler identifies essential marketing strategy techniques and moves through the major stages of positioning a brand to achieve in-market advantage. Introducing seven tools-from strategic positioning concepts to strategy mapping to influencer maps-Whitler provides templates, frameworks, and step-by-step processes to build and manage growth brands that achieve positional advantage. This book presents real-world scenarios, helping readers activate tools to increase skill in creating brands that achieve positional advantage. Brimming with insights for students and professionals alike, Positioning for Advantage helps aspiring C-level leaders understand not only what superior branding looks like but also how to make it come to life."

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Reviews

Never before have we seen a time when purpose, authenticity, and value proposition for brands are so critical. Kimberly A. Whitler provides a wonderful roadmap for academics and CMOs alike as we navigate this new world. This is a must read for anyone who hopes to build tomorrow's enduring brand. -- Greg Welch, partner and practice leader, SpencerStuart In my work with executives, I find a thought flow like this works best: concepts > tools that work the concept > examples or case studies > now do this yourself. This helps move executives from conceptual understanding to developing skill, and Whitler has done just that with this book. Each chapter introduces a concept and then presents tools and examples to help the reader understand how to apply the tools. Positioning for Advantage is a great way to bridge from academic concepts to practical tools and applications. -- Bernie Jaworski, Peter F. Drucker Chair in Management and the Liberal Arts, Drucker School Achieving positional superiority across product, packaging, communication, and go to market are the keys to brand building and often category growth. The challenge is how to get there. Whitler's book provides concrete strategies and examples that help the reader move beyond the what to the how. This is an essential read for any brand leader to increase their skills and move from insight to action. It's a great blend of academic research and practical know-how that I wish I had in my library years ago. -- F. D. Wilder, senior advisor, McKinsey and Company, and former chief digital officer, Procter & Gamble In my consulting, one of the biggest challenges I talk about with executives is how to drive growth. Most books on the topic tend to focus on big-picture conceptual ideas without clarity on how to do work differently to achieve success. Whitler's book is novel because she bridges the lofty conceptual ideas with specific skill-building tools that can help people become more proficient at doing marketing-all of which helps drive brand growth. It's a must read for anybody who wants to better understand how to create positional advantage for brands and businesses. -- Tamara McCleary, CEO, Thulium Whitler not only fills the theory-practice gap in marketing strategy with a hands-on focus on building marketing skills around key tools, but goes beyond descriptions to guide readers on broader applications for later use in corporate life. -- Claudio Alvarez, Baylor University

Never before have we seen a time where the purpose, authenticity and value proposition for brands is so critical. In her book, Dr. Whitler provides a wonderful roadmap for both academics and CMO's alike as we navigate this new world. This is a must read for anyway who hopes to build tomorrow's enduring brand. -- Greg Welch, Partner and Practice Leader, SpencerStuart Whitler not only fills the theory-practice gap in marketing strategy with a hands-on focus on building marketing skills around key tools, but goes beyond descriptions to guide readers on broader applications for later use in corporate life. -- Claudio Alvarez, Baylor University

Whitler not only fills the theory-practice gap in marketing strategy with a hands-on focus on building marketing skills around key tools, but goes beyond descriptions to guide readers on broader applications for later use in corporate life. -- Claudio Alvarez, Baylor University

Author Information

Kimberly A. Whitler is the Frank M. Sands Sr. Associate Professor of Business Administration at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. She has published in Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, and a number of academic journals. She is a senior contributor to Forbes, having published more than 350 articles. She previously worked for companies including Procter & Gamble, Aurora Foods, David’s Bridal, and PETsMART, holding positions such as general manager and chief marketing officer.

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