What Is a Brand Positioning Map? A Complete Guide to Creating and Using Them

You can’t fix your place in the market if you can’t see it. A brand positioning map lets you see it, plainly. On one chart, two axes, you plot how customers rate you and your rivals on the things that actually sway a choice: price, quality, innovation, tradition. Patterns jump out. So do gaps you can own.

Customers are exposed to countless messages every day; without a clear sense of where your offering sits relative to the competition, your voice can easily be lost. This is where brand positioning comes into its own. A thoughtfully crafted positioning strategy pinpoints how you want to be perceived and, more importantly, how you are currently perceived. To make those insights visible, marketers rely on a brand positioning map (sometimes called a perceptual map).

This simple two‑axis graph shows how your brand and its competitors are perceived along key attributes such as price, quality, innovation or tradition. In this guide, we explain what a brand positioning map is, why it matters, and how to create a brand positioning map.

What Is a Brand Positioning Map?

A brand positioning map is a visual tool that plots brands or products on a two‑axis chart to show how customers perceive them relative to competing offerings. Unlike a simple sales comparison, a positioning map captures perception. It is a visual representation of where your brand and its competitors are in the market and how consumers judge attributes like price and quality. In other words, it translates intangible perceptions into an at‑a‑glance diagram.

Each axis represents a continuum, such as low‑to‑high price on the horizontal axis and low‑to‑high quality on the vertical axis. By plotting your brand against competitors, you can see clusters of similar offerings and unoccupied “white spaces” in the market. Perceptual mapping lets you understand how consumers view your brand versus how they view competitors based on attributes that matter to them, like price, quality, innovation or trust. The power of the map lies in its simplicity: a few dots on a page can reveal whether you are competing in a crowded quadrant or occupying a distinctive position.

Why Use a Brand Positioning Map?

1. Clarify market perception. Perceptual maps give you a clear picture of how consumers see your brand relative to others. They help answer two critical questions: How good is your offering? And does the perceived quality justify the price?.
2. Spot market gaps. By identifying areas where no competitors operate, you can uncover unmet needs. Those gaps may indicate opportunities for new products, pricing strategies or niche positioning.
3. Improve messaging. Seeing where you stand helps refine your messaging and value proposition. Updating your positioning map regularly allows you to track changes in demand and adjust your strategy accordingly.
4. Benchmark competitors. By plotting rivals, you can quickly compare strengths and weaknesses. For instance, understanding that Apple occupies the high‑quality, high‑price quadrant while Samsung spans multiple price points helps explain different marketing approaches.‍
5. Inform strategy. A positioning map is not a static report; it feeds into your broader brand strategy, guiding product development, pricing and communication.

How to Create a Brand Positioning Map

Step 1: Define Your Market and Competitors

If you’re asking how to define a brand positioning map, start by setting the boundaries of the market you’re mapping. Before drawing axes, define the universe of brands you want to compare. This involves identifying your target customer segment and listing direct and indirect competitors. For example, if you sell premium streetwear, your competitors may include luxury houses as well as niche upstarts. Qualitative research, surveys and social listening tools can help you understand what customers value and which brands they consider.

Step 2: Choose the Right Axes

A brand positioning map always has two dimensions, but the chosen attributes depend on your market. Classic axes include price vs. quality, innovation vs. tradition, emotional vs. functional benefits, or mass appeal vs. exclusivity. The axes should be meaningful to customers and reflect differentiators in your category. A standard perceptual positioning map is presented on a two‑axis scatter chart where each axis represents a relevant industry attribute. Resist the temptation to map every attribute; clarity comes from focus.

Step 3: Collect Data and Insights

To place brands accurately, base your scores on real consumer data rather than assumptions. Use surveys, focus groups, net promoter scores, online reviews and market reports. Ask respondents to rate each brand on your chosen attributes (for example, affordability and durability) using a consistent scale. Use research tools like surveys and customer personas to understand customers’ needs and expectations. For qualitative insights, interview customers about why they choose certain brands and what attributes matter most.

Step 4: Plot Brands on the Map

Once you have attribute scores, plot each brand on the two axes. For instance, a high‑quality, high‑price brand would sit in the top‑right quadrant, while an inexpensive but low‑quality brand would fall in the bottom‑left. After selecting the values for your axes, you can place your brand and competitors in whichever quadrant they fit. Use shapes or logos to represent each brand. Some marketers add bubble sizes to reflect market share, but clarity should not be sacrificed for complexity.

Step 5: Analyse Gaps and Opportunities

With the map complete, examine where competitors cluster and where gaps appear. Are all brands bunched together? Is there a vacant high‑quality, mid‑price space? Such gaps hint at positioning opportunities. If your brand sits too close to a dominant competitor, you may need to differentiate by emphasising new attributes or innovating. Market conditions change, and maps should be updated regularly to remain accurate and useful. Use insights from the map to refine your positioning strategy and inform pricing, product development and communications. This is how to produce a brand positioning map that leads to clear, defensible decisions.

Practical Ways to Make a Brand Positioning Map

Creating a Brand Positioning Map in Excel

Many marketers build perceptual maps in Excel or Google Sheets because the tools are widely available. Here’s a quick tutorial on how to make a brand position map in Excel:

• Choose two attributes your buyers actually use to judge options (e.g., price vs quality, or innovation vs tradition).
• Pick a scale (say 1–10). Keep it consistent across brands.‍
• Collect perceptions, not wishful thinking: short customer surveys, review mining, CS chats, or analyst notes. Average the scores per brand.

How to Make a Brand Position Map in Excel

1. Lay out your data
   
   
   • Column A: Brand
   • Column B: X_Score (your horizontal axis, e.g., Price)
   • Column C: Y_Score (your vertical axis, e.g., Quality). Keep one row per brand. If you’ve got segments (e.g., Gen Z vs. Professionals), add a Segment column; you’ll use it later for colour/shape.
     
     
2. Insert the chart
   
   
   • Highlight columns B and C (scores), then hold Ctrl (Cmd on Mac) and select A (brand names).
   • Insert → Scatter → Scatter with only markers. Excel plots the dots. You’ve got a map.
     
     
3. Name your axes.
   
   
   • Click the chart → the green “+” button (Chart Elements) → Axis Titles.
     
   • Label the X axis “Price (Low → High)” and the Y axis “Quality (Low → High)”, spell out the direction so nobody argues later.
     
     
4. Set a sensible scale.
   
   
   • Right-click each axis → Format Axis → Bounds.
   • If you used a 1–10 scale, set Min = 1, Max = 10. Keeps spacing honest and stops Excel from clipping brands.
     
     
5. Add readable labels
   
   
   • Chart Elements → Data Labels → More options → Value From Cells → select your Brand column.
   • Tidy the layout: Label Position → Right (or Best Fit). Remove the default X, Y numbers so only brand names remain.
     
     
6. Make it scannable
   
   
   • Add faint quadrant lines: Insert → Shapes → line at X = midpoint (e.g., 5), another at Y = midpoint.
   • Reduce marker size slightly; consistency beats decoration.
   • If you added Segment, use Format Data Series → Fill & Line → Marker → Fill/Border to colour by segment (or use separate series per segment).
     
     
7. Optional: make the map carry meaning
   
   
   • Bubble size for market share: change to Bubble chart, set a third column Share. Use sparingly—readability first.
   • Call-outs: Insert → Text Box to annotate notable clusters (“Value players”, “Premium niche”).
   • Shaded zones: Insert → Rectangle with 10–15% transparency to highlight a target quadrant.
     
     
8. Final polish
   
   
   • Remove the grey chart background and unnecessary gridlines.
   • Keep fonts simple (Calibri/Arial), 10–11 pt labels, 12–14 pt axis titles.
   • Add a clear chart title: “Brand Positioning Map: Price vs Quality”.
     
     
9. Save share-ready versions
   
   
   • Right-click chart → Save as Picture (PNG) for decks.
   • Paste into your slide and add a one-line takeaway above it (“White space: mid-price, high-quality niche”).

Tips that Make a Big Difference

• Normalise first if sources vary (e.g., reviews 1–5, survey 1–7). Convert to a common 1–10 scale.
• Handle outliers: if one score is way off due to a small sample size, mark it and keep it, but don’t let it distort axis bounds.
• Version control: stamp the chart with a date (“Perceptions as of Sept 2025”). Perception moves.
• One map per audience: if B2B buyers and consumers judge you differently, make two maps. Clarity beats averaging.
• Don’t over-design: if someone needs a legend to understand it, simplify.

Common Pitfalls and Fixes

• Gut feel masquerading as data → Use at least three sources (survey, reviews, sales feedback). Average them.
• Crowded labels → Shorten names (e.g., “Coca-Cola” → “Coke”), or nudge overlapping labels manually.
• Axis confusion → Always add “Low → High” to axis titles.

Pretty but pointless → Every map should end with a decision: shift price perception, improve quality cues, own the underserved quadrant.

Using Online Tools & Templates

If spreadsheets feel limiting, numerous online platforms offer drag‑and‑drop mapping:

• Canva – Provides editable templates where you can add your own axes and brand logos.
• Lucidchart – Offers diagramming tools with robust styling options.
• Miro – Ideal for collaborative workshops; team members can plot brands in real time.
• SurveySparrow – Integrates survey data with visualisation tools, making it easy to feed consumer insights directly into your map.

These tools allow you to export high‑resolution images for presentations and share interactive versions with stakeholders. Many also support multi‑axis or bubble charts if you want to add variables such as market share or brand equity.

Brand Positioning Map Examples

To illustrate how mapping works, let’s explore several industries. Each example is conceptual and designed for educational purposes, not official data.

Luxury Fashion: Haute vs. High Street

Imagine mapping Hermès, Chanel, Zara and H&M along axes of price and exclusivity. Hermès and Chanel sit in the high‑price/high‑exclusivity quadrant, while Zara occupies the mid‑price/mid‑exclusivity space with frequent trend updates. H&M rests in the low‑price/low‑exclusivity quadrant. This map highlights how a mass‑market brand like H&M differentiates through accessibility, while luxury houses emphasise heritage and scarcity.

Automotive: Innovation vs. Tradition

Plot Tesla, BMW, Toyota and Rolls‑Royce on axes of innovation (horizontal) and price (vertical). Tesla sits far right due to its electric focus and at the top because of premium pricing. BMW is high on price but somewhat central on innovation, blending performance and tradition. Toyota lands at mid‑price with moderate innovation, reliable hybrids, but less cutting‑edge. Rolls‑Royce sits top‑left: extraordinary pricing but lower innovation due to its emphasis on craftsmanship and heritage. This map reveals opportunities for a mid‑price electric vehicle brand to fill the gap between Toyota and Tesla.

Technology: Apple vs. Samsung vs. Huawei

Using axes of price and innovation, Apple occupies the high‑price, high‑innovation quadrant with its ecosystem and premium hardware. Samsung spans a broader range: its flagship devices compete with Apple while its mid‑range products drop into the mid‑price segment. Huawei (if plotted) would sit slightly lower on price with comparable innovation, reflecting its high‑spec devices at aggressive pricing. Such a map underscores how brands choose different strategies: exclusivity versus diversification.

Fast‑Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG): Coca‑Cola vs. Pepsi vs. Red Bull

A soft drink map might use price and brand perception (classic vs. modern). Coca‑Cola positions itself as timeless; its marketing evokes happiness and tradition. Pepsi leans modern and youth‑oriented, using bold flavours and celebrity sponsorships. Investopedia notes that Coca‑Cola remains the world’s most valuable soft drink brand with a market cap of roughly $298.58 billion, while PepsiCo’s market cap is $205.32 billion as of March 2025, evidence of Coca‑Cola’s enduring strength. Red Bull, meanwhile, charges a premium and promotes a high‑energy lifestyle through extreme‑sport marketing. Plotting these brands reveals distinct quadrants and explains why Coca‑Cola dominates even when Pepsi wins taste tests.

Brand Positioning Map: See Context, Find Advantage

A brand positioning map is much more than a pretty chart; it is a strategic lens through which you can see your brand in context. By plotting where you and your competitors sit along attributes that matter to your audience, you can uncover untapped spaces, refine your messaging and adapt quickly to market changes. The process begins by defining your market and competitors, choosing meaningful axes, collecting data, plotting brands and analysing the picture that emerges. Tools like Excel, Canva and Miro make the mechanics straightforward. However, the real value lies in using the insights to guide your branding strategy and drive differentiation.

Whether you are launching a start‑up, revitalising an established brand or expanding into new categories, a thoughtful positioning map can illuminate the path forward. For help translating your insights into a robust identity and marketing strategy, explore our Startup Branding Strategy, Brand Identity and Marketing Strategy guides.