[Podcast] From Positioning to Persona: Building Brands That Stick

Host: Richard Fallah: CEO @ VBOUT

Guest Speaker: Mark Evans, Head of Brand and Content at new.io

In this episode of the VBOUT Monthly Marketing Podcast, host Richard Fallah welcomes branding expert Mark Evans to discuss how to create brands that go beyond visibility and into memorability. From brand positioning to developing personas that resonate, Mark walks us through the foundational elements that help brands stand out, both internally with teams and externally with customers.

Mark defines brand positioning simply as: who you serve, what you do, what value you bring, and how you’re different. The market is saturated with similar products and features, so standing out even slightly is key. You don’t have to be dramatically different; being distinct enough can help you carve out your place.

He notes that positioning affects everything: marketing, sales, support, even how founders speak about the business. Often, technical founders focus too much on features and miss the customer story.

Internal execution ensures everyone inside the company is aligned. Mark stresses that from the CEO to customer support, everyone should be able to explain what the company does and who it’s for. Misalignment can cause confusion and weakens the brand.

External execution is about how you present that alignment to the world. This includes your website messaging, social media, content strategy, conference presence, and more. Your story must be instantly clear to the outside world, especially on first impressions.

Companies often:

• Skip talking to customers.
• Develop brand messaging in silos.
• Launch without validating how the market perceives them.

Mark explains how companies can be shocked when customers don’t see their brand the way they intended. Getting third-party perspectives or outside help can help resolve these biases.

Mark and Richard agree: talking to your customers is gold. Even a handful of 30-minute interviews can reveal what customers value, what they struggle with, and how they perceive your product. It informs both internal alignment and external messaging.

Richard suggests offering incentives to speak with customers. You’ll uncover insights that shape your support, sales, and marketing efforts.

Mark recommends using the “Jobs to Be Done” framework to see your product through your customer’s eyes. It helps you understand what customers are trying to achieve, what tools they currently use, and what frustrations they face.

While AI tools like ChatGPT can accelerate the process by generating ideas, Mark warns they cannot replace human insight. AI tools don’t talk to your customers, attend conferences, or know the real-world context. Use them to assist, not to lead.

Mark also points out that while many companies are now positioning themselves as “AI-powered,” this trend will likely fade once AI becomes the norm, just like mobile-responsiveness.

Having a clear positioning is one thing, but cutting through the noise requires storytelling and knowing your audience deeply. Brands should focus on:

• Relevance over reach.
• Serving customer needs.
• Building trust.

He references companies like HubSpot and Shopify that became go-to resources by educating their audience.

Knowing your ideal customer is crucial. This means understanding their goals, pain points, and what success looks like to them. Without this, you’re essentially marketing blind.

Mark introduces a simple scoring method to evaluate which channels to focus on based on cost, effort, and expected ROI. Focus on a few channels that truly work rather than trying to be everywhere.

After defining your positioning, validate it through small ad campaigns. A/B testing landing pages and messaging can help refine your approach based on real user engagement.

Positioning gives you the foundation to ensure all content (web, email, social, and video) tells a consistent story. The goal is for prospects to immediately feel like “this brand gets me.”

Mark uses HubSpot as an example, noting how their educational content made them a trusted resource before they were ever seen as a CRM.

1. Connections
2. Content
3. Comments
4. Conversations

Mark emphasizes the importance of conversations. People buy from those they trust. He suggests starting conversations based on authentic interactions; no hard selling, just comparing notes and building relationships.

• Don’t sell AI; sell the value your product brings.
• Brand positioning is a living document; it needs to evolve with the market.
• Keep customer feedback at the core of your process.

About Mark Evans

Mark is the head of content marketing and brand for Nue.io, a leading revenue lifecycle management platform for B2B SaaS companies.

Before joining Nue, Mark ran Marketing Spark, a B2B SaaS marketing consulting boutique, which offered fractional CMO and strategic advisory services.

Mark lives in Toronto. To learn more, visit marketingspark.co.

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.