1.

1 INTRODUCTION
Brand positioning refers to target consumers reason to buy brand in
preferences to others. It is a very grateful method in the marketing arena. it is ensures
that all brand activity has a common aim; is guided, directed and delivered by the
brands benefits to buy; and focuses at all points of contact with the customer.
In order to create a distinctive place in the market, a niche market has to be
carefully chosen and a differential advantage must be created in their mind. Brand
positioning is a medium through which an organization can portray its customers what
it wants to achieve for them and what it wants to mean to them. Brand positioning
forms customers views and opinions.
Brand positioning can be defined as an activity of creating a brand offer in such
a manner that it occupies a distinctive place and value in the target customers mind.
Brand positioning involves identifying and determining points of similarity and
differences to ascertain the right brand identity and to create a proper brand image.
Brand positioning is the key of marketing strategy. A strong brand positioning directs
marketing strategy by explaining the brand details, the uniqueness of brand and its
similarity with the competitive brands, as well as the reasons for buying and using that
specific brand. Positioning is the base for developing and increasing the required
knowledge and perceptions of the customers. it is the single feature that sets your
service apart from your competitors.
Positioning is a concept in marketing which was first introduced by Jack
Trout and then popularized by Al Ries and Jack Trout in their bestseller book
"Positioning - The Battle for Your Mind."
This differs slightly from the context in which the term was first
published in 1969 by Jack Trout in the paper "Positioning" is a game people play in
todays me-too market place" in the publication Industrial Marketing, in which the case
is made that the typical consumer is overwhelmed with unwanted advertising, and has
a natural tendency to discard all information that does not immediately find a
comfortable (and empty) slot in the consumers mind. It was then expanded into their

ground-breaking first book, "Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind," in which they
define Positioning as "an organized system for finding a window in the mind. It is
based on the concept that communication can only take place at the right time and
under the right circumstances".
Five factors of brand positioning
1. Brand Attributes
What the brand delivers through features and benefits to consumers.

2. Consumer Expectations
What consumers expect to receive from the brand.

3. Competitor attributes
What the other brands in the market offer through features and benefits to
consumers.

4. Price
An easily quantifiable factor Your prices vs. your competitors prices.

5. Consumer perceptions
The perceived quality and value of your brand in consumers minds (i.e.,
does your brand offer the cheap solution, the good value for the money solution, the
high-end, high-price tag solution, etc).
Take some time to create a thorough picture of the current market and
how your brand fits in that market to determine your brands current position. If thats

not the position you want for your brand, take the necessary steps to change it based on
the gaps defined when you analyzed the five factors above.
The brand position of indicate how well a firm is doing in the market place
compared to its competitors. In this fast moving era, there has been a great demand for
quality products; we can see that present market is being flooded by different kinds of
switches by many leading brands. in order to sustain the market the company must
have good hold over the market. In this scenario of tight competition a study was
conducted to know the brand position.

1.2 INDUSTRY PROFILE

The origin of the stock market in India goes back to the end of the eighteenth
century when long-term negotiable securities were first issued. However, for all
practical purposes, the real beginning occurred in the middle of the nineteenth
century after the enactment of the companies Act in 1850, which introduced the
features of limited liability and generated investor interest incorporate securities. An
important early event in the development of the stock market in India was the
formation of the native share and stock brokers 'Association at Bombay in 1875, the
precursor of the present day Bombay Stock Exchange. This was followed by the
formation of associations/exchanges in Ahmedabad (1894), Calcutta (1908), and
Madras (1937). In addition, a large number of ephemeral exchanges emerged
mainly in buoyant periods to recede into oblivion during depressing times
subsequently. Stock exchanges are intricacy inter-woven in the fabric of a nation's
economic life. Without astock exchange, the saving of the community- the sinews
of economic progress and productive efficiency- would remain underutilized. The
task of mobilization and allocation of savings could be attempted in the old days by
a much less specialized institution than the stock exchanges. Butas business and
industry expanded and the economy assumed more complex nature, the need for

'permanent finance' arose. Entrepreneurs needed money for long term whereas
investors demanded liquidity the facility to convert their investment into cash at
any given time. The answer was a ready market for investments and this was how
the stock exchange came into being. Stock exchange means any body of
individuals, whether incorporated or not, constituted for the purpose of regulating or
controlling the business of buying, selling or dealing in securities. These securities
include:(i) Shares, scrip, stocks, bonds, debentures stock or other marketable
securities of a like nature in or of any incorporated company or other body
corporate;(ii) Government securities; and(iii) Rights or interest in securities.

The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange of
India Ltd (NSE) are the two primary exchanges in India. In addition, there are 22
Regional Stock Exchanges. However, the BSE and NSE have established
themselves as the two leading exchanges and account for about 80 per cent of the
equity volume traded in India. The NSE and BSE equal size in terms of daily traded
volume. The average daily turnover at the exchanges has increased from Rs 851
crores in 1997-98 to Rs 1,284 crores in 1998-99 and further to Rs 2,273crore in
1999-2000 (April - August 1999). NSE has around 1500 shares listed with a total
market capitalization of around Rs 9, 21,500 crores. The BSE has over 6000 stocks
listed and has a market capitalization of around Rs 9, 68,000crore. Most key stocks
are traded on both the exchanges and hence the investor could buy them on either
exchange. Both exchanges have a different settlement cycle, which allows investors
to shift their positions on the bourses. The primary index of BSE is BSE Sensex
comprising 30 stocks. NSE has the S&P NSE 50 Index (Nifty) which consists of
fifty stocks. The BSE Sensex is the older and more widely followed index. Both
these indices are calculated on the basis of market capitalization and contain the
heavily traded shares from key sectors. The markets are closed on Saturdays and
Sundays. Both the exchanges have switched over from the open outcry trading

system to a fully automated computerized mode of trading known as BOLT (BSE

on Line Trading) and NEAT (National Exchange Automated Trading) System. It
facilitates more efficient processing, automatic order matching, faster execution of
trades and transparency; the scrip's traded on the BSE have been classified into 'A',
'B1', 'B2', 'C', 'F' and 'Z' groups. The 'A' group shares represent those, which are in
the carry forward system (Badla). The 'F' group represents the debt market (fixed
income securities) segment. The 'Z' group scrip's are the blacklisted companies. The
'C' group covers the odd lot securities in 'A', 'B1' & 'B2' groups and Rights
renunciations.

The

key

regulator

governing

Stock

Exchanges,

Brokers,

Depositories, Depository participants, Mutual Funds, FIIs and other participants in

Indian secondary and primary market is the Securities and Exchange Board of India
(SEBI) Ltd.

BRIEF HISTORY OF STOCK EXCHANGES

Do you know that the world's foremost marketplace New York Stock
Exchange(NYSE), started its trading under a tree (now known as 68 Wall Street)
over 200 years ago? Similarly, India's premier stock exchange Bombay Stock
Exchange (BSE) can also trace back its origin to as far as 125 years when it started
as a voluntary non-profit making association. News on the stock market appears in
different media every day. You hear about it any time it reaches a new high or a new
low, and you also hear about it daily in statements like 'The BSE Sensitive Index
rose 5% today'. Obviously, stocks and stock markets are important. Stocks of public
limited companies are bought and sold at a stock exchange. But what really are
stock exchanges? Known also as the stock market or bourse, a stock exchange is an
organized marketplace for securities (like stocks, bonds, options) featured by the
centralization of supply and demand for the transaction of orders by member
brokers, for institutional and individual investors. The exchange makes buying and
selling easy. For example, you don't have to actually go to a stock exchange, say,

BSE - you can contact a broker, who does business with the BSE, and he or she will
buy or sell your stock on your behalf.

MARKET BASICS ELECTRONIC TRADING

Electronic trading eliminates the need for physical trading floors. Brokers can trade
from their offices, using fully automated screen-based processes. Their workstations
are connected to a Stock Exchange's central computer via satellite using Very Small
Aperture Terminus (VSATs). The orders placed by brokers reach the Exchange's
central computer and are matched electronically.

EXCHANGES IN INDIA
The Stock Exchange, Mumbai (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) are
the country's two leading Exchanges. There are 20 other regional Exchanges,
connected via the Inter-Connected Stock Exchange (ICSE). The BSE and NSE
allow nationwide trading via their VSAT systems.

COMPANY PROFILE
GEOJIT BNP PARIBAS FINANCIAL SERVICES LTD
Geojit BNP Paribas today is a leading retail financial services company in India
with a growing presence in the Middle East. The company rides on its rich
experience in the capital market to offer its clients a wide portfolio of saving and
investment solutions. The gamut of value added products and services offered
ranges from equities and derivatives to Mutual Funds, Life &General Insurance and
third party fixed Deposits. The needs of over 495,000 clients are met via
multichannel services a countrywide network of over 600 offices, phone services,
dedicated Customer Care and the internet.

Geojit BNP Paribas has membership in, and is listed on, the National Stock
Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). In 2007, global banking
major BNP Paribas joined the companys other major shareholders Mr. George,
KSIDC

(Kerala

State

Industrial

Development

Corporation)

and

Mr.

RakeshJhunjhunwala.
Now Geojit BNP Paribas is the pioneer in online trading in India. It is a public
undertaking company that offers a wide range of trading and investment products
and solutions. There are more than 3000 employees in the company at present
playing vital role in the growth of the company.

EVOLUTION OF THE COMPANY

It all started in the year 1987 when Mr. C J George and Mr. RanjitKanjilal
founded Geogit as a partnership firm. In 1993 Mr. RanjitKanjilal retired from the
firm and Geojit became the proprietary concern of Mr. C J George. In 1994, it
became a Public Limited Company named Geojit Securities Ltd. The Kerala State
Industrial

Development Corporation Ltd (KSIDCO), in 1995, became a co- promoter of Geojit

by acquiring a 24 % stake in the company, the only instance in India of a
government entity participating in the equity of a stock broking company. The year
1995 also saw Geojit being listed on the leading regional stock exchanges. Geojit
listed at the Stock

Exchange, Mumbai (BSE) in the year 2000.Companys wholly owned subsidiary,

Geojit Commodities Limited, launched online features trading in agrocommodities, precious metals and energy futures on multiple commodity exchange
in 2003. This was also the year when the company was renamed as Geojit Financial

Service Ltd (GFSL). The Board consists of Professional directors; including Kerala
Government nominee.

With the effect from July 2005, the company is also listed at the National Stock
Exchange (NSE). Company is a charter member of the Financial Planning
Standards Board of India and is one of the largest Depository Participant (DP)
brokers in the country. On 31 December 2007, the company closed its commodities
business and surrendered its membership in the various commodity exchanges held
by Geojit Commodities Ltd. In 2007 the global banking major BNP Paribas took a
stake to become the single largest shareholder.

JOINT VENTURES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Barjeel Geojit Securities the joint venture with the AI Saud group in the United
Arab Emirates that is headquartered in Dubai with the branches in Abu Dhabi, Ras
Al KhaimahSharjah and Muscat.AloulaGeojit Brokerage Company headquartered
in Riyadh with the Al Johar group in Saudi Arabia.Business partnership with the
Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait.

OBJECTIVES OF THE COMPANY

As a financial services company, Geojit BNP Paribas has always focused on
being ahead of the curve, sustained by its commitment to values such as
transparency, heightened efficiency and better investor relations. To this day, the
company works hard to be the first to make technology-enhanced investment
platforms available to investors while also focusing on increasing awareness on

capital markets and investment methods. Geojit BNP Paribas is also looking at
branch expansion

VISION
The vision of Geojit is to be leading financial and commodities market
intermediary for individuals and institutional clients from India band overseas.
They continually strive to raise their products and service standards by
intelligent application of technology and processes.

VALUES AND BELIEFS

They understand and respect customers needs to consistently deliver total quality
solutions through constant skills up gradation.
They believe that the company culture helps to attract and retain the best talents.
They are committed to achieve profitable progress consistently.
They freely share their investment experience across all ages and strata of society to
encourage wise investment for better future.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

NAME
MR. A.P KURIAN

DESIGNATION
CHAIRMAN

&

INDEPENDENT

NON

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

MR. C.J GEORGE

MANAGING

DIRECTOR&

PROMOTER

MR. MAHESH VYAS

INDEPENDENT

NON

EXECUTIVE DIRECCTOR

MR.RAKESH

NON

JHUNJHUNWALA

DIRECTOR

MR.

INDEPENDENT

RAMANATHAN

EXECUTIVE

NON

BUPATHY

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

MR. PUNNOSE GEORGE

NON
DIRECTOR

VARIOUSE PRODUCTS OF GEOJIT

EQUITY PRODUCTS

MUTUAL FUNDS

CURRENCY FUTURES

INSURANCE

IPO

PMS

EXECUTIVE

PROPERIES

EQUITY PRODUCTS
Geojit BNP Paribas, a member of NSE and BSE, has a network of 522 branches in India
and abroad, rendering quality equity trading services. Geojit BNP Paribas not only has a
strong offline presence but also provides automated online trading services.

1.4 REVIEW OF LITTERATURE

Christoph Fuchs and Adamantios Diamantopoulos (1999): A consumer derived
measure of brand positioning effectives, development and validation. Brand
positioning, which refers to the act of designing the companys offering and image to
occupy a favorable and distinctive place in the mind of the target market, is a central

success factor for the overall performance of a brand in the marketplace. Despite the
importance of the positioning construct, existing methods aimed at measuring the
soundness of brand positioning strategies are associated with several limitations. In an
attempt to overcome these limitations, the authors develop and validate a
generalizable, consumer-derived scale that assesses the effectiveness of brand
positioning. Based on a comprehensive literature review, positioning effectiveness is
modeled as a multidimensional construct, capturing conceptually-relevant dimensions
of positioning success namely favorability, differentiation, and credibility. Favorability,
which reflects the magnitude of positive brand associations towards a brand, satisfies
the criterion that consumers need to value a brand in order to be attracted.
Differentiation, on the other hand, is essential because a well-positioned brand needs to
occupy a distinct position in the minds of consumers. Differentiation captures two subdimensions namely distinctiveness (i.e., is the brand perceived as similar or distinct in
comparison to competitor brands?) and uniqueness (i.e., is the brand the only one of its
kind?). Credibility constitutes the third positioning effectiveness dimension and
indicates the extent to which the associations consumers hold with a brand are also
believable. By conducting nine complementary studies, the authors provide strong
evidence of the scales dimensionality, reliability, and (discriminant, convergent,
nomological, predictive) validity. Overall, the proposed measure is easy to administer,
enables the comparison of all types of positioning strategies and allows marketers to
detect weaknesses and strengths with their current strategies. Areas for future research
involving the measures application are also identified and discussed as are limitations
of the measure.
Sally Dibb, Lyndon Simian (1991): Targeting segments and positioning Customers
have unique requirements, aspiration and satisfaction level. Some customers, though,
are similar they have common requirements for goods, services and ideas. If these
customers needs can be clearly identified and those with similar needs grouped in
quantities of sufficient sizes, market segment have been determined. Each customer
group-or market segment-has specific expectations and retail marketers must develop
retail brands and concepts which cater for needs of the segment target. Having decided

on which segment (or segments) to target, retailers position their brands with an image
with which the targeted customers identify. Market segmentation, targeting and
positioning is a fundamental process in modern retail marketing strategy. The key
decisions and the steps necessary for successful implementation are examined.
Authors: Dan Horsky and Paul Nelsin (1992): positioning Due to the
globalization of the economy, there has been great competition in the business sector.
The basic human desire to challenge new limits and capture as much market as it is
possible has given a new dimension to the concept of marketing - brand positioning. To
position a brand requires making choices; whereas having a position means people will
prefer a brand over another. A brand can be positioned in several ways: offering a
specific benefit, targeting a specific segment, price or distribution. Despite the fact that
positioning is considered by both academics and practitioners to be one of the key elements of modern marketing management, it is surprising to uncover general paucity of
consumers/customers derived studies regarding brand positioning strategies.This
article analyzes the market position held by a competitive set of brands in the hair oil
market through a comparison of cognitive and conative perceptions. Cognition will be
identified by trailing a factor analytic adaptation of importance performance analysis.
In turn, conation will be gauged by stated intent of the consumers to purchase the hair
oil brands under study. The alignment of the results from these techniques will help in
identifying the position of leadership held by a brand in the hair oil market. The
marketers, in order to strategically place their brands in todays competitive market,
need to identify the attributes on which they need to focus and those of paramount
importance for the consumers. This method of positioning analysis offers a practical
means for present-day marketers faced with the challenge of identifying one or few
brands from their diverse and multi-attributed brand range that could be developed to
differentiate their brand in a meaningful way to consumers.
Jacques R. Chevron (2007): Dont assume the position I realize that my statement
requires an explanation. The words brand positioning (or its little brother, brand
repositioning) are found often in the pages of this very magazine and in the resumes
of many capable applicants. Yet, those who use these words are showing that they

either have not given much thought about branding issues or have little discipline
about using vocabulary. I strongly suspect that they simply use the word brand where
the word product is more accurate. Heres why. Positioning is a marketing
communication tool, and probably the most important of them. It seeks to create the
perception of a difference between your product and those it competes with. That
difference ought to be relevant enough to give the consumer a reason for using your
product rather than someone elses. The art of positioning, then, is to select, among all
the possible things to say about a product, the one thing that will make the product
most attractive compared to its competitors. You may select from any aspect of the
product, its looks, its packaging, its features, its end benefit, etc. Once you have made
a choice, you should focus on communicating it forcefully and single-mindedly and
reject everything else. The Single-Minded Communication principle is essential to
positioning. For instance, if you market toothpaste, your product likely offers similar
performances to those of its competitors in areas If you are lucky, and a concept test
shows positive consumer reactions to a mouth-feel claim (e.g., Your mouth will feel
as clean as after a visit to the hygienist) and none of your competitors uses that claim,
you might chose mouth-feel as your products positioning. The Single Minded
Communication principle means that your communication should ignore all the other
benefits you could communicate about your product -- such as cavity fighting, breath
freshening, teeth whitening, etc. and focus exclusively on mouth-feel.
Jaywant Singh, Stavros P. Kalafatis & Lesley Ledden, (2014) "Consumer
perceptions of cobrands: the role of brand positioning strategies" Co branding is
increasingly popular as a strategy for commercial success. Brand positioning strategies
are central to marketing, yet the impact of perceptions of parent brands positioning on
consumers perceptions of cobrand positioning has not been investigated. The aim of
the present study is to fill this gap. Employing a quasi-experimental design, the authors
create cobranding scenarios in three product categories (tablet computers, cosmetics,
and smart phones). The data are collected via structured questionnaires resulting in 160
valid responses. The data are analyzed employing Partial Least Squares-based
Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), and consumer evaluation of cobrands is

tested in relationship to the prior positioning of the parent brands, product fit and brand
fit, along with post-alliance positioning perceptions of the partner brands.The results
confirm brand positioning as a robust indicator of consumer evaluation of cobrands.
Positioning perceptions of partner brands are positively related to cobrand positioning
perceptions. In addition, pre-alliance positioning significantly relate to post-alliance
positioning, confirming cobranding as a viable strategy for partner brands. The paper
recommends research that could reveal the impact of differential brand equities of
partner brands, such as, between a high-equity brand and a low/moderate-equity brand,
mixed brand alliances product/service; service/service, and at different levels of
partner brand familiarity. Managers should design cobrand positioning based on
existing positioning perceptions of the partner brands, rather than focusing on product
fit and brand fit. The study demonstrates the focal role of positioning strategies of
partner brands in consumer evaluation of cobrands.
Lisa M. Wood & Barry J. Pierson, (2006) "The brand description of Sainsbury's and
Aldi: price and quality positioning The research outlined in this paper seeks to
establish whether or not there are discernible differences in the positioning attributes of
Aldi and Sainsbury's. Particular emphasis is given to price positioning and to what
extent this can be explained by product quality differences. Price differences are
assessed using the shopping basket technique and product quality differences are
evaluated using perceptual discrimination tests conducted blind of brand. Where
differences between products are discernible, product preference is identified. The
study identified discernible differences in the pricing strategies of Sainsbury's and Aldi
particularly amongst the higher added value products. Although differences in product
quality were evident in some product categories, there was no statistically significant
preference for one brand over the other. Owing to the resource intensive nature of
perceptual discrimination tests, this research was conducted on a relatively small
number of products and cannot be extrapolated to the full range of products available
from either retailer, though it may indicate comparable quality.This paper evaluates the
brand description of two UK-based retailers, Sainsbury's and Aldi. In market
positioning, they are at different ends of the retailing spectrum, with Sainsbury's a high

added value retailer with an ABC1 consumer profile, and Aldi a hard discounter with a
largely C2D consumer base. However, this study is based on a retail site that has the
two brands located directly opposite each other in a conspicuously AB suburb of a
major UK city. This location deviates from the holistic profile of the Aldi brand and as
such provides a special research site.
Salah S. Hassan & Stephen Craft, (2012) "Examining world market segmentation
and brand positioning strategies" This paper aims to examine the conceptual as well as
empirical linkages between segmentation bases and brand positioning strategies in the
context of discussing practical implications for firms operating in increasingly
globalizing markets. This paper empirically examines an inventory of market
segmentation factors in relation to four global strategic positioning decision options.
The two studies reported suggest that a combined use of macro and micro-bases to
segment world markets is significantly linked to the perceived positioning strategies of
global top brands, whereas firms seeking more localized positioning strategies use only
micro-bases to segment. The conceptual and empirical findings reported in this paper
pave the way for embarking on promising and relevant future research that is needed to
substantiate and enrich the academic understanding and managerial practice of
segmentation and strategic brand positioning decisions in world markets.This paper is
unique in identifying a link between global brand positioning and segmentation factors.
Anne Maarit Jalkala, Joona Kernen, (2014) "Brand positioning strategies for
industrial firms providing customer solutions" Despite increasing interest in customer
solutions, and the importance of brand management in the B2B context, prior research
provides little understanding on brand positioning strategies adopted by solution
providers. The present study aims to examine the possible brand positioning strategies
for industrial firms providing customer solutions. The empirical part of the present
study consists of a multiple case study, involving four industrial firms providing
customer solutions. Primary data was gathered by semi-structured interviews from a
total of 22 business managers from the case companies. The present study identifies
four possible brand position strategies for industrial firms providing customer
solutions: customer value diagnostic, global solution integrator, high quality sub-

systems provider, and long-term service partner. The identified strategies highlight the
tendency of solution suppliers to position their brands around different capabilities that
are needed at different phases of the solution delivery process.The present study was
conducted from the industrial supplier's perspective and is context-bound to companies
operating in solution-oriented process and information technology industries.
Managers need to identify the capabilities that are central to delivering customer value
and acquire and/or develop capability configurations that differentiate their brand
positioning from competitors. Existing literature on branding lacks understanding
about the specific characteristics of building brands in solution-oriented B2B contexts.
The present study identifies four brand positioning strategies that illuminate the special
characteristics of branding customer solutions

Christoph

Fuchs,

Adamantios

Diamantopoulos,

(2010)

"Evaluating

the

effectiveness of brand-positioning strategies from a consumer perspective" The

purpose of the paper is to explore empirically the overall relative effectiveness of
alternative positioning strategies from a consumer perspective. Two studies (withinand between-subjects design) are conducted aimed at evaluating the positioning
success of four distinct positioning strategies of real brands in terms of consumers'
perceptions of brand favorability, differentiation, and credibility, while controlling for
brand-specific, product category-specific, and socio-demographic influences. The
results show that the type of positioning strategy used affects the positioning success of
a brand. More specifically, the study confirms normative arguments about the overall
relative effectiveness of main positioning strategies by revealing that benefit-based
positioning and surrogate (user) positioning generally outperform feature-based
positioning strategies along the three effectiveness dimensions. The findings also
demonstrate that no single strategy outperforms all the others on all dimensions. The
study is limited in terms of the number of positioning strategies and product categories
evaluated. The paper introduces an alternative approach to measure the effectiveness of
positioning strategies of real brands. Moreover, the results of the paper show

empirically that measuring positioning effectiveness must extend beyond capturing

one-dimensional brand attitude measures. The findings should guide brand managers in
selecting the most appropriate positioning strategies for their brands in highinvolvement markets such as the automobile market. The study sheds initial light on
the overall relative effectiveness of major positioning strategies. The study
differentiates itself from existing studies by focusing on the conceptually most
prominent positioning strategies, a different dependent variable, and employing reallife brands and advertisements.
Diana Ingenhoff, Tanja Fuhrer, (2010) "Positioning and differentiation by using
brand personality attributes: Do mission and vision statements contribute to building a
unique corporate identity?" The purpose of this paper is to examine the current state of
mission and vision statements on corporate web sites and to analyze differentiation
strategies through the use of online brand personality attributes in order to find if and
how the attributes are effectively used to build up a unique corporate identity.Content
analysis is used to investigate similarities and differences between sectors and
industries in Switzerland, based on the brand personality scale of Aaker. Also, the
paper focuses on the impact of the communication of brand personality elements, in
terms of positioning and differentiation, using correspondence analysis. The claim that
companies do present brand personality by frequently communicating respective
attributes through mission and vision statements published on their web site are
supported. However, top management does not seem to be geared towards industry
norms when phrasing the statements, as a considerable similarity in statement content
is found across industries. The results show that companies position themselves using
their competitors as a frame of reference. The results may lack generalizability to small
and medium-sized businesses and other industries. As most companies in the study
position themselves using the same attributes and specifically emphasize
competence, the results include practical implications for the need to develop
uniqueness and differentiation by other means. This paper discovers a gap between the
claim that organizations seek uniqueness in their personality attributes and the reality

of their involvement in mutual co-orientation when defining their identity, forcing

them to adapt to each other.