8 Real-World Examples of Brand Positioning Map Examples Marketers Actually Use

The Power of Seeing Your Brand on a Map

Before getting into specific examples of brand positioning map examples, it helps to be clear on why they matter. A positioning map forces you to answer three blunt questions:

• Where are we today in customers’ minds?
• Where are competitors clustered?
• Where is there open space we could own?

When you visualize this, strategy conversations move from vague opinions to concrete trade-offs. Instead of arguing about whether your brand is “premium,” you can show that you’re priced like a premium brand but perceived as average quality. That gap is the story.

Below are eight real examples that marketers actually use, across tech, retail, finance, and consumer goods.

1. Price vs. Perceived Quality: Classic Consumer Electronics Map

One of the simplest examples of brand positioning map examples is the classic price vs. perceived quality map in consumer electronics.

Imagine plotting:

• Apple – high price, very high perceived quality
• Samsung – mid-to-high price, high perceived quality
• Google Pixel – mid price, high perceived quality among tech-savvy users
• Motorola – low-to-mid price, moderate quality perception
• Xiaomi – low price, rising quality perception in some markets

On this map, Apple sits in the top-right corner (high price, high quality), while budget Android brands cluster bottom-left. The gap in the middle—mid-price with strong perceived quality but less ecosystem lock-in—is where brands like Google and OnePlus try to live.

Why this matters in 2024–2025:

• Inflation has made consumers more price-sensitive, but not willing to sacrifice too much on quality.
• Mid-tier brands have an opportunity to signal “smart value” rather than “cheap.”

Marketers use this example of a positioning map to decide whether to:

• Hold premium pricing and overinvest in perceived quality (design, service, ecosystem), or
• Move slightly down-market to capture volume while protecting brand equity.

2. Innovation vs. Reliability: Enterprise Software and AI Tools

Another strong example of brand positioning map examples comes from B2B software, especially in AI and cloud tools. Here, the axes are often innovation vs. reliability.

Picture a map with:

• OpenAI / cutting-edge AI startups – very high innovation, moderate perceived reliability (fast-moving, still maturing)
• Microsoft Azure / Google Cloud – high innovation, high reliability
• Traditional on-prem vendors – low-to-moderate innovation, high reliability
• Niche SaaS startups – very high innovation, low-to-moderate reliability (feature-rich but unproven)

This map shows a strategic tension: chasing innovation can erode perceived stability, especially for enterprise buyers who care about uptime, security, and compliance. Research from sources like NIST.gov and CISA.gov underscores how much weight IT leaders give to security and reliability in vendor selection.

Teams use this map to ask:

• Are we signaling enough reliability to win conservative buyers?
• Are we signaling enough innovation to avoid being seen as legacy?

The best examples are not perfectly balanced; they intentionally lean into one side while mitigating the risks of the other.

3. Sustainability vs. Convenience: Modern CPG and Retail

If you want examples of brand positioning map examples that reflect current consumer values, look at sustainability vs. convenience in consumer packaged goods (CPG) and retail.

Envision brands like:

• Patagonia – very high sustainability, moderate convenience (limited stores, specific product lines)
• Everlane – high sustainability story, good online convenience
• Walmart – high convenience, lower sustainability perception
• Target – strong convenience, improving sustainability messaging
• Grocery delivery apps – very high convenience, mixed sustainability perception (packaging, delivery emissions)

Data from organizations like the EPA and Harvard Business School shows growing consumer interest in environmental impact, but behavior still skews toward convenience when trade-offs are too painful.

This map helps you:

• Identify if you’re all-in on sustainability but losing customers to easier, faster options.
• See whether you can move diagonally—maintain your eco story while removing friction in purchase or delivery.

Some of the best examples of winning strategies here come from brands that don’t try to be the greenest; they aim to be “green enough” while staying incredibly convenient.

4. Accessibility vs. Exclusivity: Fashion and Beauty Brands

Fashion and beauty offer some of the clearest real examples of brand positioning map examples because status and accessibility are baked into the category.

Consider a map with accessibility (price + availability) on one axis and exclusivity (status, scarcity, luxury perception) on the other.

You might plot:

• Hermès, Chanel – low accessibility, very high exclusivity
• Gucci, Louis Vuitton – moderate accessibility (more stores, more collabs), high exclusivity
• Zara, H&M – high accessibility, low exclusivity
• Glossier (early years) – moderate accessibility, moderate exclusivity (online-only, cult following)
• Fenty Beauty – higher accessibility than luxury, but still aspirational

This example of a positioning map shows that you can be widely available without killing your aspirational edge, if you manage pricing, collaborations, and storytelling carefully.

Strategic questions that come out of this map:

• Are we accidentally drifting toward the mass cluster and losing our premium halo?
• Should we intentionally introduce scarcity (limited drops, waitlists) to move up on the exclusivity axis?

5. Local Trust vs. Digital Convenience: Banking and Fintech

Banking and fintech give you some of the most interesting 2024–2025 examples of brand positioning map examples because trust is under pressure and digital expectations are sky-high.

Plot local relationship/trust on one axis and digital convenience on the other.

You might see:

• Community banks and credit unions – high local trust, low-to-moderate digital convenience
• Big national banks (Chase, Bank of America) – moderate local trust, high digital convenience
• Neobanks / fintech apps (Chime, Revolut) – lower traditional trust, very high digital convenience

Surveys from the Federal Reserve show that digital access is now a baseline expectation, but people still care about safety and human help when things go wrong.

This map helps financial marketers:

• Decide whether to double down on human, local presence or race toward app parity.
• Identify a potential “sweet spot” in the top-right: strong digital plus strong relationship.

Some of the best examples of positioning here are regional banks investing heavily in mobile UX while spotlighting local advisors and community involvement.

6. Variety vs. Curation: Streaming and Subscription Services

If you want fresh, 2024-ready examples of brand positioning map examples, look at streaming and subscription platforms. Consumers now feel overwhelmed by choice.

Use content variety vs. curation/personalization as your axes.

On this map, you might place:

• Netflix – very high variety, strong personalization
• Amazon Prime Video – high variety (including rentals), moderate personalization
• Disney+ – focused variety (family and franchises), moderate personalization
• Niche streamers (Criterion Channel, Shudder) – low variety, very high curation for a specific audience
• FAST (free ad-supported TV) services – high variety, lower personalization

With AI-powered recommendations accelerating, this example of a positioning map forces teams to ask:

• Are we competing on “everything for everyone,” or “exactly what you love”?
• Do we need more content, or do we need to help people find the right content faster?

In 2025, some of the best examples of differentiation will come from platforms that reduce decision fatigue rather than simply adding more titles.

7. Performance vs. Ease of Use: Hardware and Prosumer Tools

Another practical example of brand positioning map examples shows up in hardware and prosumer tools—think cameras, audio gear, or design software.

Map performance/power on one axis and ease of use on the other.

Picture:

• Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Premiere) – very high performance, moderate ease of use (steep learning curve)
• Canva – moderate performance, very high ease of use
• Final Cut Pro – high performance, higher ease of use than some pro tools
• Mobile editing apps – low-to-moderate performance, very high ease of use

The strategic tension: the more powerful and flexible your product, the more complex it tends to feel. Some of the best examples of winning brands here either:

• Embrace complexity but invest heavily in education and community, or
• Embrace simplicity and clearly say, “We’re not for advanced power users.”

Marketers use this map to align product roadmaps with positioning. If you want to move up on ease of use, you may have to say no to edge-case features.

8. Heritage vs. Disruption: Automotive and Mobility

Automotive brands provide classic real examples of brand positioning map examples because they sit on a spectrum from heritage to disruption.

Use heritage/tradition vs. disruption/innovation as your axes.

You’ll often see:

• Mercedes-Benz, BMW – high heritage, high innovation (trying to straddle both)
• Toyota – strong heritage, steady innovation (hybrids, reliability story)
• Tesla – very high disruption, lower heritage
• New EV startups (Rivian, Lucid) – high disruption, low heritage
• Legacy brands slow on EVs – high heritage, low disruption

This example of a positioning map helps you see whether your story leans on stability and legacy, or on challenging the status quo. In a world where EV adoption is accelerating and regulations are tightening, staying too anchored in heritage can start to look like resistance to change.

How to Build Your Own Brand Positioning Map (Using These Examples)

Looking at examples of brand positioning map examples is only useful if you can translate them into your own context. A practical workflow:

Step 1: Pick Axes That Reflect Real Customer Trade-Offs

Don’t copy axes just because they’re popular. Ask:

• What trade-offs do our customers actually discuss? Price vs. quality? Speed vs. thoroughness? Human support vs. automation?
• What are the two dimensions that most clearly separate us from competitors?

Use customer interviews, reviews, and survey data to ground your choices. Academic resources like Harvard Business Review can help you frame common trade-offs in your industry.

Step 2: Plot Competitors Honestly

Include direct competitors, emerging players, and at least one out-of-category brand your audience admires. That’s how you discover white space.

Be brutally honest. If your NPS or satisfaction scores are mediocre, don’t place yourself in the top-right corner just because you want to be there.

Step 3: Identify Clusters and Gaps

Look for:

• Overcrowded clusters where everyone is saying the same thing.
• Empty corners that might represent an opportunity—or a warning sign that customers don’t value that combination.

This is where those real examples of brand positioning map examples pay off. When you see how Apple, Patagonia, or Netflix occupy specific corners, it becomes easier to imagine what your own distinctive corner might be.

Step 4: Turn the Map into a Positioning Statement

A map without a decision is just decoration. Translate your chosen position into a simple statement:

For [target audience], [brand] is the [frame of reference] that [benefit], because [reason to believe].

Then make sure your pricing, product roadmap, messaging, and channel strategy all reinforce that position.

FAQs About Brand Positioning Maps

What are some good examples of brand positioning map examples in real industries?

Strong real examples include:

• Price vs. quality in smartphones (Apple vs. Samsung vs. budget brands)
• Innovation vs. reliability in B2B software and AI tools
• Sustainability vs. convenience in retail and CPG (Patagonia vs. big-box stores)
• Local trust vs. digital convenience in banking and fintech

These examples of positioning maps work because they mirror the trade-offs customers actually feel.

How many competitors should I include on a brand positioning map?

Include enough brands to show real clusters—usually 6 to 12 is manageable. Too few, and you miss patterns. Too many, and the map becomes noise. Focus on your direct competitors plus a few aspirational or disruptive brands.

Can I use more than two dimensions on a positioning map?

You can, but be careful. Two-dimensional maps are easier for stakeholders to understand at a glance. If you need more nuance, create multiple maps (for different segments or use cases) rather than trying to cram four dimensions into one chart.

What is an example of a bad brand positioning map?

A weak example of a brand positioning map is one where:

• The axes are vague (like “nice” vs. “fun”),
• Every brand is clustered in the same area,
• Or the placement is based on internal opinion instead of customer data.

If your leadership team can’t explain what the axes mean in a sentence, the map won’t guide decisions.

How often should I update my positioning map?

Most teams revisit their map at least annually, or when there’s a major shift: a new entrant, a pricing change, a rebrand, or a big technology or regulatory change in the industry. In fast-moving categories like AI or fintech, quarterly check-ins are common.

Brand positioning maps are not just pretty diagrams for slide decks. When you ground them in real examples of brand positioning map examples, they become a sharp tool for making trade-offs visible—and for choosing a position your competitors can’t easily copy.