Exercise – Positioning

This exercise asks you to apply Positioning to Colorado Ricardo Mountain Bikes.

The Scenario: Colorado Ricardo Mountain Bikes

Colorado Ricardo Mountain Bikes was founded by Ricardo Francisco, a keen off-road cyclist who grew frustrated with bikes breaking down under the strain of the Colorado mountains. After years of trial and error, he built a bike tough enough to survive the terrain and named it the “Colorado Ricardo”. Word spread quickly among local riders, and Ricardo gave up his day job to build and sell bikes full-time from a small workshop outside Denver.

Ricardo competes against two very different types of rival: a mass-market retailer brand that sells low-priced bikes with average durability through big-box stores, and a premium national brand that matches Colorado Ricardo on ruggedness but is far better known. Ricardo is also considering an e-mountain bike.

Your task: Describe where Colorado Ricardo currently sits on a positioning map of Price against Perceived Durability relative to these two rivals, and write a one-sentence positioning statement for its possible new e-mountain bike.

Positioning map: price versus perceived durability

Once you have drafted your own answer, compare it with Marketing Teacher’s suggested answer.