Operating a Small Business > Marketing > Developing Your Company Image > Company Image and Positioning of the Product and in the Market
It's impossible to discuss the concept of a company image without including its relationship with both product and market positioning.
| Product Position | Market Position |
| The attributes of a product that differentiates or positions it among competing products. | The attributes of an entity (store, business, person) that differentiates or positions it among competing entities. |
| Ben & Jerry's offers a premium product in the world of ice cream. The ice cream is made with high quality, rich ingredients and can demand a premium price. It is not, however, the only premium ice cream. Therefore, its product position among premium ice cream is less differentiated than is its product position among all ice creams. | Walmart offers thousands of products, each with its own product position. As an entity, however, Walmart holds a market position both among discount retailers and among department stores in general. |
Both product and market positions influence a company image, but are not the only components to a company image. Customer service, hiring practices, advertising, marketing materials and many other factors combine to create an overall company image.
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