Guest Commentary: Artist/brands Needs Proper Positioning

Recently, someone provided a Guest Commentary on the difference between "product" marketing and "brand" marketing (Billboard, Aug. 29). To explore that important topic a little further, in my opinion the most critical component of "brand" marketing is the development of, and unwavering commitment to, a "brand positioning statement."
A brand positioning statement is what is used to describe the specific position in a consumer's mind that one wants an artist/brand to occupy. The positioning statement should drive the development of all marketing elements used to support the artist/brand, including, but not limited to, media, promotions, concerts, merchandising, and potential corporate partners.
While working as a senior brand manager of a globally marketed brand, I developed a positioning statement that drove everything I did, including the selection of specific NBA players and hip-hop artists that best supported my brand's desired positioning. The result was that this brand grew faster than any other in its category for two consecutive years.
To put a music industry spin on this, consider the following: If someone from planet Mars asked, 'Who is Garth Brooks?,' most people could quickly rattle off a series of detailed descriptions of Garth, even if they are not fans of country music. This is because Garth occupies a specific position in our minds‹"rock-like" country music, complete with the level of mainstream success and respect that implies‹and everything he does is rooted in this positioning. Similarly, Lauryn Hill has carved out a specific position in our minds‹the intellectual/spiritual/loving side of hip-hop‹whether we like that genre of music or not.
I don't know if either Brooks or Hill began their careers with positioning statements in hand, but I do know that to increase the probability of building a successful artist/brand "long term," one must began by developing a positioning statement.
Each artist on a label should have a "unique" positioning statement, and each of these positioning statements should possess unique "core values" that separate this artist/brand from any other artist/brand in the marketplace.
Allowing for the value of positioning statements, it is vital to consider the importance of leveraging consumer needs in defining that statement. A positioning statement should clearly identify how an artist/brand is filling a consumer need that no other artist/brand can fill. I strongly believe that a nice "vibe" and good "beats" are only surface-level reasons why people buy records. Vibes and beats alone do not and cannot satisfy a deeper consumer need.
public validation
On the other hand, if people think that your artist "reinforces their view of the world," then you have satisfied a basic need that people have for "public" validation of their feelings and thoughts. This public validation makes people feel good about themselves and more confident about their thoughts. For example, millions of young women around the world were convinced that Alanis Morissette personally identified with their daily lives, and this made them feel united and more confident. I know few young people who do not need to feel more confident in themselves, and Morissette uniquely satisfied this universal "need."
To return to my earlier examples, Brooks has enabled country music fans to proudly boast, "We are country music; we are popular, contemporary, and relevant," while Hill keys in to the spiritual side of her fans.
A final thought: If a 9-year-old kid cannot quickly understand what the positioning statement is trying to say and what need a particular artist/
brand is satisfying, it's probably too complex. Refine it, and try again.