ABSTRACT
The identification of viable positioning opportunities is a critical problem for marketing managers. In a mature product class, or one in which products are not uniquely differentiable with respect to product characteristics, the task is particularly difficult. To develop a unique positioning for a product in a competitive, perceptually crowded marketplace, a manager needs research tools and an interpretative framework that helps:
(1) Identify the perceptual orientations or segments that exist in the marketplace, including the personal motivations that provide the underlying basis for interpreting products or services.
