The Cheapest Campaign You’ll Ever Run— Why Positioning Matters.

 A Trend Desk on Positioning and How It Saves You Money

“No, it’s okay. We don’t need strategy. We know what we want. You're gonna love it!” — said he who no longer is.

If positioning is the bread,

what goes on top is the delicious smear of creative.

Most people hear positioning strategy and are either not sure of what it is, or think it’s some corporate filler. In reality, it’s very simple: it is who you’re for, what category you play in, what promise you make, and how you plan to prove it. 

That’s it.

The recipe is boring on paper: flour, water, salt. That’s positioning. I can’t sugarcoat it—it’s not glamorous. But it is fascinating. Because positioning is structure and proportion, the quiet base that guarantees the bread will rise every single time. Screw it up, and no amount of truffle oil will save you. Get it right, though, and it feels less like baking and more like magic.

The seasoning and toppings? That’s creative. The garlic butter that drips down your wrist, the za’atar that lingers on your fingers, the cream cheese with lime that makes you say holy shit, I didn’t see that coming. That is all creative. It’s the design behind the brand, the copy that makes you smirk, the campaign that feels too clever to scroll past.

But no one can live on seasoning alone — you need the bread.

Think about it: Apple isn’t remembered because their ads are pretty (though they are). They’re remembered because every campaign sits on the same position — technology as an extension of individuality. Nike’s not “just” about sneakers; it’s the promise that anyone, anywhere, can be an athlete. Even Oatly — chaotic, maximalist — lands because the position is consistent: a rebellion against dairy culture.

Then, why is positioning the cheapest

campaign you’ll ever run?

Because I’ve watched brands bleed budgets trying to skip it. Positioning isn’t "common stuff that anyone can do" — it’s the spine, the compass, the reason creative even knows where to go. Without it, you don’t get brilliance, you get noise: a playroom with no teacher, an orchestra with no conductor… a cheese plate with no bread — pick your mess.

But here's where it gets interesting— you’ll think the answer is more creative: more shoots, more copy, more stunts. But without positioning, all that spend just leaks out the bottom.

Great creative doesn’t fight strategy, it feeds on it. When the position is sharp, creative has something to aim at, something to amplify. That’s why the campaigns that stick in culture always feel bigger than the ad itself: they’re pulling from a deeper place.

So let’s look at some of the best creative work out there — the kind that shines precisely because it’s built on rock-solid positioning.

Dove – Real Beauty

Dove’s breakthrough wasn’t a pretty campaign, it was a repositioning of beauty itself. The brand claimed the space of “real beauty” — inclusive, authentic, unretouched. The creative worked (and still sparks conversation) because the position was strong: beauty belongs to everyone.

Positioning: Beauty belongs to everyone.

Dyson – Redefining the Everyday

Dyson doesn’t sell vacuums or hair dryers — it sells reinvention. The creative is clean, minimal, clinical, because the position is clear: machines so advanced they become premium objects of desire. People brag about owning a vacuum. That’s positioning.

Now, how can you implement this?

Positioning: Radical engineering as everyday luxury.

Patagonia – Don’t Buy This Jacket

When Patagonia told customers not to buy, it wasn’t a stunt. It was proof of a position rooted in activism and responsibility. The creative felt bold, but the credibility came from a stance Patagonia had owned for decades.

Positioning: Planet over profit.

Liquid Death – Murder Your Thirst

In a category built on purity and wellness, Liquid Death carved out the opposite. Skulls, heavy metal, wild stunts — the creative works because it flows from a position that says: this isn’t bottled water, it’s counterculture in a can.

Positioning: Water as rebellion.

Don’t be cheap.

I’ll say it straight: don’t be cheap. Cheap is expensive in the long run. You can save a buck skipping positioning, sure — but you’ll pay tenfold later trying to patch the holes with “more creative.” I’ve seen it too many times.

Also,

Why would you run your creative at 60% capacity when positioning lets it fire at 100? That’s what skipping strategy does. Until next time.

Thank you for spending time at the Trend Desk