The most important thing about branding: your positioning strategy (Topicals & Rhode case study)
Table of contents
What is positioning?
Your positioning is holding you back
Positioning in action: Topicals vs. Rhode
Speaking to everyone = speaking to no one
How to approach your positioning strategy
Your guide to pro-level positioning
When it comes to branding, positioning is everything. It’s not just about how your brand looks or sounds; it’s about where it sits in the minds of your target audience. Without strong positioning, even the most beautiful visuals or clever messaging will fall flat.
Positioning answers the fundamental question: “Why should someone choose your brand over another?” It’s the strategic foundation that ensures your branding and marketing efforts actually resonate and convert. Without it, you risk becoming just another option in a sea of competitors.
In this blog, we’ll dive into why positioning is the cornerstone of branding, how successful brands like Topicals and Rhode have nailed their positioning, and even how I’ve positioned my own brand to stand out. Plus, I’ll show you how to approach your own positioning strategy to build a brand that gets chosen, not just seen.
Let’s get into it.
What is positioning?
Positioning is the process of defining how you want your brand to be perceived in the market. It’s about carving out a distinct space in your audience’s mind and ensuring your messaging, visuals, and overall branding align with that vision.
Think of positioning as the compass that guides every aspect of your branding. It influences:
How you present your product or service.
The tone and voice of your messaging.
The visuals you choose to represent your brand.
Without positioning, branding is just decoration. It might look nice, but it won’t drive results.
Your positioning is holding you back
More often than not, your product or service isn’t the problem—it’s your positioning. Your offer has value, but if you haven’t clearly identified your niche or articulated your solution, you’ll struggle to connect with your audience. Positioning ensures that:
Your brand stands out: It helps you differentiate yourself in a crowded market.
Your messaging resonates: It allows you to speak directly to the needs and desires of your target audience.
Your brand feels cohesive: It ensures consistency across all touchpoints, from your visuals to your tone of voice.
As I often say: Positioning sets the direction for how you want to be perceived, while branding is the tool that bridges the gap between how you want to be perceived and how you’re actually perceived.
Positioning in action: Topicals vs. Rhode
Positioning is why so many skincare brands manage to thrive in what seems like an oversaturated market. It’s not just about offering good products—it’s about carving out a unique space that resonates deeply with a specific audience.
Let’s take Topicals and Rhode, two skincare brands targeting the same age group, as examples of how positioning can make all the difference.
Topicals
Topicals is a skincare brand for problematic skin—“skincare for flare-ups.” But that alone isn’t enough. The market for skincare is massive, and if their only value proposition were “good skincare for problematic skin,” they wouldn’t stand out. To succeed, Topicals had to go layers deeper.
They positioned themselves as the skincare brand for Gen Z with flare-ups who love Black and Latina pop culture, crave authenticity, value diversity and representation, and are tired of seeing their pimples as a flaw to hide. Instead, Topicals empowers them to feel good in their skin—whatever it looks like at the moment.
This positioning is reflected in every element of their branding and marketing:
Visuals: Bold colors and typography that break away from the “clean, clinical” aesthetics of traditional skincare brands targeting sensitive or acne-prone skin.
Messaging: Fun, unapologetic, and relatable, speaking directly to a Gen Z audience. Topicals doesn’t shy away from showing real, unedited skin and celebrating individuality.
Marketing tactics: Associating their products with fun, confidence, and cultural moments. For example, they created a trend of people wearing their under-eye patches to the club, reframing skincare as part of nightlife and self-expression.
Pop culture references: Frequent nods to Black and Latina pop culture, which further solidifies their connection to a specific community.
Topicals doesn’t just sell skincare—they sell a lifestyle and a perspective that appeals to a hyper-specific audience. Their positioning is why they’ve been able to stand out and build such a loyal following in a crowded market.
Every branding choice—from bold typography to unedited skin imagery—directly ties back to their positioning as a Gen Z-focused, unapologetically authentic brand.
Rhode
Rhode, founded by Hailey Bieber, took a completely different approach. While it also offers skincare products targeting the same demographic, Rhode has positioned itself as the clean, simple, chic, and sweet girl of the skincare world.
Rhode’s value proposition is about everyday luxury: high-quality, minimalistic skincare that helps you achieve the aspirational yet effortless “glazed donut” look Hailey Bieber is famous for. Their positioning appeals to an audience that values simplicity, understated elegance, and a curated lifestyle.
Here’s how Rhode supports this positioning:
Visuals: Clean lines, soft neutral tones, and minimalist product design that exudes simplicity and sophistication.
Messaging: Focused on staples and essentials, Rhode positions its products as must-haves for achieving healthy, hydrated skin—without the overwhelm of a large product lineup.
Lifestyle marketing: Campaigns that reflect Hailey’s serene, polished aesthetic and lifestyle. Every detail, from the imagery to the tone, reinforces the idea of chic minimalism.
The minimalist design and calm, polished campaigns echo their positioning as the chic, effortless, clean girl of skincare.
While both Topicals and Rhode target similar age groups, their positioning makes them appeal to entirely different audiences. Topicals resonates with a vibrant, bold, creative crowd, while Rhode speaks to those who seek understated luxury and effortless beauty.
Speaking to everyone = speaking to no one
Finding your positioning often involves niching down, and niching down can feel scary. You might think you’re giving up on certain audiences, but in branding and marketing, speaking to everyone is speaking to no one.
One of my favorite examples of this comes from April Dunford, a leading expert on positioning. She once shared the story of a tech company that wasn’t closing deals, even though their product was excellent. Their problem? They marketed to every business type. Their messaging was too broad, and their offer didn’t resonate with any specific industry.
When they pivoted their positioning—targeting mid-sized banks and highlighting features that spoke directly to that niche—they started closing deals. The product didn’t change, but their positioning made it feel tailor-made for their audience. This is the power of niching down: it makes your audience feel seen and understood, which creates trust and credibility.
When you niche down, you create a brand that speaks so specifically to your ideal audience that they feel seen and understood. Even in a market full of bigger competitors, they’ll choose you because your brand feels like it was made just for them.
How I’ve done it with the founder’s vault:
I haven’t just positioned myself as a branding and marketing expert for businesses. I’ve positioned my brand as the go-to solution for aesthetic-conscious small business owners who don’t have the budget to outsource. I’ve done this through my messaging, pricing, and the solutions I offer.
Subtly, I’ve also positioned my brand as one that resonates with young and middle-aged women. How? Through my visuals, color choices, and cultural references, like featuring characters from early 2000s and 90s movies and TV shows, such as Carrie Bradshaw. When you compile all the branding choices I’ve made, my positioning becomes very niche—and that’s exactly why it resonates with the right audience.
How to approach your positioning strategy
Whether you’re building a skincare brand, launching a new product, or marketing your services, positioning is the key to standing out. The more specific you get about who you’re targeting, the stronger your positioning will be. One of my favorite tools to achieve this is creating buyer personas. A buyer persona is a detailed profile of your ideal customer—down to their values, aesthetic preferences, and even lifestyle habits.
Here’s a simplified example from a project I’ve done at my branding studio:
Buyer personas for Glowness, a UK-based skincare brand launching in 2025, by Kyau Studio.
When you’ve defined your positioning, every element of your branding and marketing—from your visuals to your messaging—should speak directly to that person. For example:
Your visual identity should resonate with their aesthetic preferences.
Your tone and messaging should reflect their values and aspirations.
Your marketing campaigns should address their specific needs and desires.
If you ever feel like your product or service isn’t resonating, check your positioning first. Pivot your branding, messaging, and marketing strategy to align with your positioning. The truth is, you’ve likely already created a great product or service. But the greatest product in the world won’t make up for bad positioning.
Your step-by-step guide to a pro-level positioning strategy
Strong positioning doesn’t just make your branding more impactful; it sets the foundation for your marketing strategy. When you know how you want your brand to be perceived, it becomes much easier to create content and connect with your audience. That’s why The Streamlined Guide to Branding and Social Media Marketing walks you through this step-by-step.
From defining your audience and understanding competitors to crafting your messaging and visual identity, the guide equips you with the tools to position your brand strategically. You’ll learn how to carve out your unique space in the market—whether you’re building the next Topicals, Rhode, or creating a niche all your own.
Conclusion
Positioning isn’t just important—it’s non-negotiable. It’s what turns a good product or service into a brand that gets chosen, not just seen. By defining your niche, crafting a strong value proposition, and aligning your messaging and visuals, you create a brand that people rally around.
If you’re ready to take your branding and marketing to the next level, check out The Streamlined Guide to Branding and Social Media Marketing. It’s your step-by-step blueprint to building a standout brand without the overwhelm.
