The challenge is to define each market (that is, each ladder) as specifically and concisely
as possible so that people can accept it as a unique market, remember it, and associate
your firm with it. It is vitally important to define your markets carefully. What does
your firm offer this market? Why should the firm pursue the market, and how will it
become a leader in it? Much as the vision statement describes the firm’s aspirations,
the positioning statement sums up a specific market and the firm’s position in it. For
example, a positioning statement might read, “JKL is the leader in the design of intermodal
transportation facilities. We are different from the competition because we have
a thorough understanding of the complex circulation issues of people, trains, buses,
and cars.”