Positioning and Objectives for Organizations like 5 Bridges

Anna Swafford
Feb 24, 2022
2 min read

#positioning #reputationmanagement #goals #5bridges

For every successful public relations campaign, there is an organizational goal driving that campaign. For every achieved goal, there is a clear positioning statement to differentiate it from the organization. So then it should be obvious that any good PR professional should know how to create effective positioning statements and attainable goals to set their campaigns above the rest.

What is Positioning

A positioning statement is a “general expression of an organization wants its publics to distinguish” itself from its competitors (Smith, p. 216, 2021). They are used as ways to organize the overall messaging of a brand in how they want their publics to view them.

Some things to keep in mind, according to HubSpot:

Who you serve
What value you offer
Why you are in business
What makes you different from the competition

Positioning statements are a great way to highlight the niche of your organization. Think about why customers should choose your product or organization over competitors.

After figuring out an effective positioning statement, your organization should use that information to define its goals for the campaign. This post is not going to cover how to create effective brand/campaign goals but watch this quick video for more information.

How to Define Your Objectives

A campaign objective is "a statement of specific outcomes for a specific public, emerging from an organization's goal" (Smith, p. 225, 2021). These are the actual ways that your organization is planning on attaining the campaign goals. They need to be consistent with the positioning statement and the goals.

To help you think of effective objectives, remember to be SMART

S - Specific

- ask yourself the 5 W's (What, Why, Who, Where, Which)

M - Measurable

- it should be able to answer how much

- it should give insight into when you know you will be finished

A - Achievable

- it needs to be attainable and realistic, you are not going to increase your social media engagement by 400% in two months so don't make that your objective

R - Relevant

- does this match your positioning statement or your campaign goals

T - Time Bound

- give yourself a target finish date

For 5 Bridges

5 Bridges is currently wanting to expand into brand new markets, and when moving into untouched waters it is always a great time to examine your brand and ensure your organization is moving in a cohesive and organized direction. According to Walden University, "people must know your brand in order to buy your product and services." Even if 5 Bridges does not need to re-brand their organization, some self-auditing and a reinvigorated sense of self by creating effective positioning statements and objectives will be so helpful in expanding awareness in the new markets.