Nowadays, simply having a great product or service isn’t enough. Customers have lots of choices, and they decide what to buy not just based on price or quality, but also on how a brand makes them feel and what it represents. That’s where brand positioning comes in. It is all about defining how you want your target audience to see your brand in relation to your competitors. A clear position helps you stand out, attract the right customers, and build long-term loyalty.

A brand positioning map makes this even easier by turning an abstract concept into a visual tool. With a quick glance, you can see where your brand stands in the market, how it compares to others, and identify areas where it may have opportunities to shine. Let’s dive into what a brand positioning map is and how you can create one step by step.

What is a Brand Positioning Map?

A brand positioning map (also called a perceptual map) is a simple chart that shows how customers perceive different brands in a specific market. It usually has two axes (X and Y), such as “Price” on one side and “Quality” on the other, and you plot your brand and competitors on the grid.

Think of it as a snapshot of the market. On one map, you might see that luxury brands cluster in the “high price, high quality” corner, while budget-friendly options sit in the “low price, average quality” section.

The purpose isn’t just to place logos on a graph, it’s to

• Clarify market position - See how customers differentiate brands.
  
  
• Spot opportunities - Identify gaps where no brand is currently competing.
  
  
• Track perceptions over time - Monitor shifts as markets evolve or strategies change.
  
  

When done right, a positioning map becomes a powerful tool for strategic decisions like pricing, messaging, or product development.

When Should You Use a Brand Positioning Map?

You don’t need to create a positioning map every week. But there are key times when it can be extremely valuable.

• Launching a new product or service -  Before entering a market, it helps to see where competitors stand so you can avoid being “just another option.”
  
  
• Rebranding or repositioning
  If you want to change how your brand is perceived, the map can highlight whether you are successfully moving into a new space (e.g., from “budget-friendly” to “premium”).
  
  
• Competitive analysis - Understanding where you overlap, or don’t, with competitors can help you adjust your strategy and stand out more effectively.
  
  
• Customer research and perception checks
  The map can show whether your intended brand identity matches how customers actually see you.
  
  

In short, you should use a brand positioning map whenever you need clarity about where you are, where you want to be, and what’s happening around you in the market.

Steps to Create a Brand Positioning Map 

A brand positioning map is a practical tool. It turns customer perceptions into a visual snapshot so you can see where your brand sits, how competitors compare, and where opportunities exist. Below, I walk through each step in detail and give concrete, easy-to-apply advice and examples you can use right away.

Step 1: Define Your Market and Competitors

The first step is to be clear about the market you are working in. Are you in the luxury fashion industry, fast food, or tech gadgets? Once you know the market, list your competitors in two groups. First, direct competitors who sell the same product or service. Second, indirect competitors that solve the same customer need differently. For a coffee shop, direct competitors are other cafes like Starbucks or Dunkin'. Indirect competitors might include convenience store coffee, bottled iced coffee, and energy drinks.

Why this matters: Including indirect competitors helps you find white space. For example, if energy drinks serve the on the go crowd that you want to attract, that matters when you choose axes and strategy.

Actionable tip: Write each competitor's name on a sticky note or spreadsheet and mark whether they are direct or indirect competitors. That list will guide what data you gather next.

Step 2: Choose the Right Axes

A positioning map uses two axes that cross each other, like X and Y on a graph. Each axis should represent something that matters to your customers. For example, you can use price on one axis and quality on the other. Or you could choose traditional versus modern, or luxury versus value. The key is to pick factors that really influence how people decide what to buy.

Step 3: Gather Data

To build a reliable brand perceptual map, collect real customer data rather than relying on assumptions. Use a mix of qualitative sources, such as customer interviews, focus groups, open-ended reviews, social media comments, and mystery shopping notes, and quantitative sources, including short surveys, online ratings, review aggregates, sales data, and price lists. For surveys, ask people to rate brands on your chosen axes (e.g., “How would you rate Starbucks on price from 1 low to 5 high?”). Averages from surveys or scoring rules (e.g., mapping “excellent” as 5 and “poor” as 1) can then be converted into coordinates for your map.

To avoid bias, gather responses from a mix of current customers, occasional customers, and even non-users, rather than relying only on your team’s views. A short, well-framed survey with 100–200 respondents is usually enough to create a practical starting point. Free tools like Google Forms or Typeform make this easy. The more accurate and balanced your data, the more meaningful your perceptual map will be.

Step 4: Plot the Brands

Now place your brand and your competitors on the map based on the data you collected. For example, if customers see your brand as high quality but low priced, you would place it in that section of the map. If another brand is expensive but offers average quality, it goes in a different spot. This step turns research into a visual picture that is easy to understand.

Step 5: Read the Map

Once your map is ready, look closely at what it shows. Are there areas that look crowded with many competitors? That means strong competition. Are there empty spaces? That could be an opportunity to stand out. For example, if no one is offering a low price with modern style, your brand could move in that direction. This step is about finding insights that you might miss without the map.

Step 6: Take Action

A positioning map is not just for show. Use it to make real business decisions. Adjust your brand messaging so customers see you where you want to be. Change pricing if it makes sense. Improve your products to better fit the space you want to occupy. Keep in mind that markets change, so update your map regularly to stay ahead of competitors.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Creating a Brand Positioning Map

A brand positioning map is a simple yet powerful tool, but only if it is done correctly. Many businesses fall into common traps that reduce the accuracy of their map and lead to poor decisions. Below are the most frequent mistakes and why you should avoid them.

1. Choosing irrelevant axes

The value of your map depends entirely on the axes you choose. If you use factors that don’t influence customer decisions, the map will not provide meaningful insights.

For example, imagine a restaurant plotting itself on “Logo Colour” vs “Menu Size.” While it might look creative, those are not the factors that drive customer choices. Most diners care more about things like price, taste, atmosphere, and service speed.

Why this is a problem:

• You will waste time analysing irrelevant data.
  
  
• You risk misleading your team into thinking you’re competing on something customers don’t actually value.
  
  
• You may miss real opportunities that exist on important dimensions like affordability, innovation, or customer experience.
  

How to fix it:

• Ask your customers what matters most to them when making a purchase decision.
  
  
• Look at customer reviews, surveys, and competitor messaging to identify the most common decision-making factors.
  
  
• Choose two simple, meaningful axes—such as Price vs Quality, Innovation vs Tradition, or Luxury vs Value.
  

2. Overcomplicating the map with too many factors

Another common mistake is trying to make the positioning map do too much. A classic map has two axes for a reason: it’s clear, easy to read, and instantly shows patterns.

Some businesses try to add three, four, or more factors, turning it into a messy spider web. Others overcrowd the map with too many brands or details.

Why this is a problem:

• A cluttered map overwhelms the audience.
  
  
• It becomes difficult to spot clear patterns or gaps.
  
  
• Stakeholders may walk away more confused instead of gaining clarity.
  

How to fix it:

• Stick to two axes per map. If you want to analyze more factors, create multiple maps (e.g., one for Price vs Quality and another for Traditional vs Modern).
  
  
• Limit the number of competitors on each map to a manageable number (5–7 is usually ideal).
  
  
• Keep the design clean and simple so insights jump out at first glance.
  

3. Ignoring customer data

Perhaps the most dangerous mistake is building your map based on assumptions instead of actual customer perceptions. Many businesses fall into the trap of saying, “We’re a premium brand,” or “Customers see us as innovative,” without ever checking if that’s true.

But the whole point of a positioning map is to reflect how the market sees you, not just how you see yourself.

Why this is a problem:

• Your self-perception may be very different from reality.
  
  
• You risk creating a strategy that doesn’t resonate with your target audience.
  
  
• Competitors who use real customer data will have a major advantage.
  
  

How to fix it:

• Collect customer feedback through surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Ask them to rate your brand and competitors on the axes you’ve chosen.
  
  
• Use review sites, social media, and online ratings to see what people are actually saying.
  
  
• Compare your intended position with actual perception. If they don’t align, it’s a signal you need to adjust your messaging or offerings.
  
  

4. Assuming the map is static

Markets never stand still. Competitors innovate, new entrants arrive, and customer expectations evolve. If you treat your positioning map as a one-time project, it will quickly become outdated.

For example, a budget airline may reposition itself by improving service and raising prices. A new brand may enter the market targeting eco-friendly customers, shifting what “value” means in that industry. If your map doesn’t reflect these changes, your strategy will lag behind.

Why this is a problem:

• You’ll miss important market shifts.
  
  
• You risk being blindsided by competitors moving into your space.
  
  
• You won’t see whether your repositioning efforts are actually working.
  
  

How to fix it:

• Treat your positioning map as a living tool.
  
  
• Revisit and update it regularly, quarterly in fast-changing industries, annually in slower ones.
  
  
• Use it to track whether your brand is moving closer to its desired position over time.

Turning Insights Into Action

A brand positioning map is more than just a simple chart. It is a strategic lens that helps you see your market clearly. By plotting your brand alongside competitors, you gain insights into where you currently stand, where the gaps are, and how customer perceptions align, or clash, with your goals.

The real power of a positioning map lies in how you apply the insights. Use it to refine your messaging, adjust pricing, improve products, or even reposition your entire brand if needed. Keep in mind that markets are always shifting. Competitors launch new strategies, and customer expectations evolve, so your map should be treated as a living tool that you revisit and update regularly.

When done right, a brand positioning map becomes more than a graphic, it becomes your strategic compass. It helps you stand out, connect more deeply with your audience, and create a brand that not only competes but thrives in a crowded market.