• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

T: 01772 330 777
  • Contact
  • Support Portal

Bi3

Experts in Human, Vehicle and Object Detection

  • Security
    Technology
    • Video Analytics
      • DAVANTIS DFUSION
      • DAVANTIS DFUSION MINI
      • DAVIEW TO DFUSION
    • ANPR
      • NVA- ANPR, Vehicle Analytics & OCR
      • Suilvision PUMA Range
    • Thermal Imaging
      • Fire Prevention/Heat Detection Solution
    • Pinnacle Systems
    • Tailgate Detection
    • Prism
    • Under Vehicle Scanner
      • SecuScan Permanent
      • SecuScan Mobile
  • Business
    Intelligence
    • Bespoke Dashboards
    • Human Detection
      • People Counting
      • Person Behaviour
      • Zone Monitoring
      • Slip & Fall
      • Mask Detection
      • PPE Detection
    • Vehicle Detection
      • Vehicle Counting
      • Vehicle Behaviours
      • Vehicle Interactions
      • Text Vehicle Detection
      • Smoke Detection
      • Vehicle Route Compliance
      • Car Parking Solutions
      • NVA- ANPR, Vehicle Analytics & OCR
    • Object Detection
      • Object Compliance
      • Object Interactions
      • Heat/Smoke Detection
      • Custom Object Detection
    • Health & Safety
    • Wastewatch Cam
    • Surface Deposit Detection
  • Market
    Solutions
    • Construction
    • Highways & Transport
    • Utilities
    • Defence & Prisons
    • Commercial/Industrial
  • Services
    • Rental Option
    • Bespoke Development
    • Book A Free Demo
  • Why Bi3
    • Events & Exhibitions
    • Testimonials
    • Partnerships
    • Jobs At Bi3
  • News
  • Downloads
    • Davantis Release Notes
  • Security
    Technology
    • Video Analytics
      • DAVANTIS DFUSION
      • DAVANTIS DFUSION MINI
      • DAVIEW TO DFUSION
    • ANPR
      • NVA- ANPR, Vehicle Analytics & OCR
      • Suilvision PUMA Range
    • Thermal Imaging
      • Fire Prevention/Heat Detection Solution
    • Pinnacle Systems
    • Tailgate Detection
    • Prism
    • Under Vehicle Scanner
      • SecuScan Permanent
      • SecuScan Mobile
  • Business
    Intelligence
    • Bespoke Dashboards
    • Human Detection
      • People Counting
      • Person Behaviour
      • Zone Monitoring
      • Slip & Fall
      • Mask Detection
      • PPE Detection
    • Vehicle Detection
      • Vehicle Counting
      • Vehicle Behaviours
      • Vehicle Interactions
      • Text Vehicle Detection
      • Smoke Detection
      • Vehicle Route Compliance
      • Car Parking Solutions
      • NVA- ANPR, Vehicle Analytics & OCR
    • Object Detection
      • Object Compliance
      • Object Interactions
      • Heat/Smoke Detection
      • Custom Object Detection
    • Health & Safety
    • Wastewatch Cam
    • Surface Deposit Detection
  • Market
    Solutions
    • Construction
    • Highways & Transport
    • Utilities
    • Defence & Prisons
    • Commercial/Industrial
  • Services
    • Rental Option
    • Bespoke Development
    • Book A Free Demo
  • Why Bi3
    • Events & Exhibitions
    • Testimonials
    • Partnerships
    • Jobs At Bi3
  • News
  • Downloads
    • Davantis Release Notes
Founder of Bi3-Glen Higson

Thoughts on 30 years in business: Company Positioning for SME’s

September 14, 2021 //  by P0_2hgr32Z

Is your company trying to be all things to all customers?

Think about any established market sector, cars, hotels, fashion or restaurants. In any large sector most are dominated by around four companies. However, these companies are usually not looking for or targeting the same customers.

Volkswagen and Ferrari are both car manufacturers, Premier Inn and Four Seasons offer hotel rooms, Gucci and Primark sell fashion clothing and MacDonald’s and The Fat Duck both serve food to their customers. However, in each case, each company positions itself to appeal to and attract different types of customers. All are successful.

Positioning – to influence customer perception regarding a brand or product relative to the competition. Ultimately, to establish the image or identity of a brand.

What these companies have done is understood the market they are aiming for and have developed their strategies to reinforce and strengthen their position. When companies want to break into new markets they need to change customer perceptions of who they are. Notice how car manufacturers purchase or build completely new brands, Nissan developing the Infiniti brand, Toyota with Lexus and Volkswagen acquiring Bentley.

How can this help us with our own SMEs?

In his brilliant book, Oversubscribed, Daniel Priestley illustrates how the whole of any market can be divided into four key drivers.

No alt text provided for this image

Using Priestley’s diagram, we can see that successful companies major on one of the key drivers and that a second supports their positioning. However, we need to recognize that each driver has an opposite and that there is incompatibility between them. You can’t be innovative and low cost because it costs money to be innovative. You can, however, be convenient and price driven.

Four years ago the Management Team of my company, Business Insight 3 (Bi3), made a decision to position ourselves differently. We realized that we were trying to be all things to all customers, that we were competing with lower cost, lower technology companies and that some customers “loved our products and services” but that we had to try and price match lower cost competition. Something had to give.

We took a close look at our business and analysed where we were and where we wanted to be. Using Priestley’s quadrant, what were our real key drivers? Once we had established that Innovation was our primary driver and relationships our secondary, we could build a strategy to reinforce those key drivers and position ourselves accordingly.

We articulated this to our customers, both new and existing, which was received well by exactly the type of customers we wanted to work with. We lost some customers but gained others that fitted our new strategy better. It also improved relationships with our suppliers who recognized us as specialists who sold on quality not price. Internally, this new understanding of our position brought clarity to our employees, in particularly the sales and support teams, who could focus their efforts on the right type of customers and applications for our business.

The change of strategy was successful for Bi3 and has continued to shape who we are and more importantly, how we are perceived by our customers.

Positioning is not what you do to a product. Positioning is what you do to the mind of the prospect. That is, you position the product in the mind of the prospect.” (Ries & Trout, 2001)

End.

Category: News

Next Post: What is the best solution for private home CCTV protection? »

Footer Widget Header

To find out how Bi3 can help with your security and business intelligence solutions, contact a member of our experienced team today!

Contact us

Footer

Head Office

Preston Technology Centre
Marsh Lane, Preston
PR1 8UQ

Reg. in England & Wales: 8946421
VAT Number: 973951574

Contact Details

T: 01772 330 777
E: info@bi3.co.uk

Social Media

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Why Bi3
  • News
  • Partnerships

Useful links

  • Finance Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Complaints
  • Quality Assurance Policy

Services

  • Security Technology
  • Business Intelligence
  • Market Solutions
  • Bi3 Office Virtual Tour
  • CSL Portal

Site Footer

Copyright © 2025 Bi3. Website by Relative Marketing.