Positioning as a process entails the execution of strategies to ensure that key differences between the focal product and its competitors occupy a distinct position in the minds of customers.  Positioning as a construct represents the tangible and/or intangible differences on one or two key dimensions between a product and competitive brands.

Mapping techniques (using customer-data) enable marketing and brand managers to develop differentiation and positioning strategies by enabling them to visualize the competitive structure of their markets as perceived by their customers.  Specifically, perceptual maps provide a visual representation of how target customers view the competing alternatives, and further the understand the market structure of product categories as perceived by customers.

Together, positioning and perceptual maps, or "joint-space" maps, represent customers’ perceptions and preferences in a manner that aids communication and discussion within the organization, such as:

• Selecting target markets (i.e., Which customer segments have positive perceptions and high preference for the new concept?)
• Selecting the set of competitors to compete against (i.e., What is the competitive set associated with the new concept?)
• Positioning the organization, its products and/or brands (i.e., What underlying dimensions characterize how consumers view the products?)
• Evaluating a new product concept in the context of existing brands in the market (i.e., How well is the new concept positioned with respect to the existing brands?)