Consumer perceptual maps in brand positioning: An application

Along with the increasing competition and improving technology, brands need to differentiate themselves in the eye of the consumers, by developing strategies compatible with the consumers? wants and needs as the necessity of modern market conception. Therefore, one of the most important goals of the firms is to determine how consumers perceive and position those firms? brands in their minds.Mobile phone sector is one of the sectors in which there is heavy competition. In addition to new products being introduced to the market by the existing firms, there are brand new firms included in this competition. Thus, in order to be chosen among lots of brand competing in the same product category, a brand should be perceived differently by the consumer. What action to take for putting a brand one step forward is positioning the brand distinct than its similar ones. In order to achieve this, the brand should be remembered, should develop an image and impress in consumers? minds and perception. One of the major ways to precede the other brands is to create loyalist customers. Customers develop an image related to any brand. Therefore, a brand image should be built on top of the important features of the brand and this image should be kept up to date for long the long term. As a result, brand could survive in the increased competition with its distinct positioning.This study provides the importance of brand and brand positioning, and how consumers position mobile phone brands in their minds along with their buying and perception processes to be represented with the perceptual maps which are useful visual tools in brand positioning practices.