Public Relations - Creating Your Positioning Statement

Creating a Positioning Statement
 
Let's begin by defining Rotary - an international service organization made up of volunteers that come together to provide humanitarian services and help build goodwill and peace in society and the world. In general, if you were to try to explain what your club is to someone, chances are, your answer would stem from this definition. As an organization that gives back to the community at every step, it becomes imperative for your club to be able to maintain a positive image in your community such that people are receptive to your messages and are attracted to becoming part of your club.

When it comes to personal branding, you have to be able to define your club and why it is unique. Your personal brand reflects the information that pertains to your club and how you want to be perceived by your community and prospective members.

Keep it simple and define what you do

You need to be able to communicate what your club is about in one or two sentences, with a positioning statement. A positioning statement is not just about promotion - it's about being able to incorporate your club's vision and mission into the minds of your own members as well as the community, so that they remember it. It should encapsulate the best of what your club does. How do you better the lives of others? How do you improve your community?

What's the benefit? What's the offering? 

A positioning statement not only defines your club, it also tells a story. An effective positioning statement outlines the benefit and also tells the listener about what your club offers them. For example, "a group full of dedicated professionals that provide solutions to eradicate issues such as world hunger" or "a powerful force improving society one cause at at time" are examples of positioning statements that not only tell a prospect about how your club benefits society but also tells them more about the group of individuals that make up the club. Using words like powerful and professional dictate that prospective members too have an opportunity to join such groups and network, where they have the opportunity to be part of work that they never would have been able to do, if they didn't join.
 
If you were in an elevator and only had 30 seconds to describe your club, think about what you would say. If your positioning statement is able to dictate everything you wanted to say in just one or two sentences, then you know that you've kept it simple and effective. If you find that even after presenting your positioning statement, you require more details to fully describe the essence of your club, then your positioning statement requires some more thought.  
 
The equation to an effective positioning or branding statement is simple:


Simple Definition + Your Offering/Benefit = Positioning Statement
 
The difficult part is being concise and getting straight to the point. We'd love to hear what your positioning statement is. Share how you would describe your club with us and other clubs on our Facebook Page.

Adapted from Inc.com Article: 10 Tips for a Remarkable Tagline 

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