Geoffrey Moore’s positioning statement is a two-sentence template from his book Crossing the Chasm (1991). It defines who a product is for, what category it belongs to, its key benefit, and how it differs from the main alternative. It became the standard positioning format for technology companies because it forces one decision most teams avoid: naming exactly what the customer would choose instead.
This page explains the template line by line, shows worked examples, and lists the mistakes that make it useless. For other positioning formats, see positioning statement: examples, template and formula.
The template
For (target customer) who (statement of the need or opportunity), the (product name) is a (product category) that (statement of key benefit, the compelling reason to buy). Unlike (primary competitive alternative), our product (statement of primary differentiation).
The first sentence establishes the position. The second defends it against the alternative.
The template, line by line
| Element | What it asks | What a good answer looks like |
|---|---|---|
| For (target customer) | Who exactly is this for? | A specific group in a specific situation, narrow enough to exclude people |
| Who (need or opportunity) | What problem or opportunity do they have? | Described in the customer’s terms, not yours |
| The (product name) | What is it called? | The actual product name |
| Is a (product category) | Which category will buyers compare it in? | A category buyers already recognize and have budget for |
| That (key benefit) | Why would they buy it? | One benefit, stated as an outcome |
| Unlike (primary alternative) | What would they do otherwise? | The real alternative, which is often a workaround, a spreadsheet or doing nothing |
| Our product (differentiation) | Why is yours the better choice against that alternative? | Something the alternative cannot credibly claim |
Worked examples
All companies below are invented.
Project software
For construction project managers who coordinate dozens of subcontractors, SiteLine is a scheduling platform that keeps every trade working from the same live plan. Unlike spreadsheets emailed between offices, SiteLine updates every schedule the moment one changes.
Specialist retailer
For serious amateur cyclists buying a premium road bike, Gearhouse is a specialist bike retailer that makes sure the bike fits before it leaves the shop. Unlike online retailers, Gearhouse includes a professional fitting and a year of workshop care with every bike.
B2B service
For finance teams at mid-size manufacturers who close their books late every month, Ledgerwise is an accounting service that closes the books within five working days. Unlike traditional accounting firms, Ledgerwise works on fixed monthly fees and shared live dashboards.
DTC brand
For runners who train through winter, Northpace is a performance apparel brand that keeps them warm without overheating. Unlike general sportswear brands, Northpace designs only for cold-weather running and tests every garment below freezing.
Common mistakes
Naming a competitor nobody considers. The “unlike” clause should name the alternative your customer actually weighs: often a manual process, an in-house team or an incumbent tool. Naming a direct competitor that customers rarely consider makes the statement look sharp but tells your team nothing useful.
A category that doesn’t exist yet. Moore’s own advice is to position within a category buyers already understand, at least at first. Inventing a new category forces you to explain the category before you can sell the product.
Several benefits. “That saves time, reduces costs and improves collaboration” is three benefits, which means none. Pick the one that wins the decision.
Differentiation that’s really a feature. “Unlike X, our product has AI” is a feature. “Unlike X, our product catches problems before they cost money” is a difference.
Writing it once and filing it. A positioning statement is only useful if it shapes what gets said. If your ads and sales pages don’t reflect it, it exists only in a slide deck.
From the template to everyday marketing
The Moore template is written for strategy discussions, but every element maps to rules for content:
- Target customer becomes audience and targeting rules.
- Key benefit becomes the lead message, the first thing an ad says.
- Unlike becomes framing to use, and comparisons to avoid.
- Differentiation becomes proof points that must appear in sales and campaign copy.
Those rules belong in the brand messaging framework and the creative brief, and every piece of content can then be checked against them. When ads stop reflecting the positioning, it rarely shows in any single piece. It shows across hundreds, which is why checking them systematically is part of brand governance.
Geoffrey Moore positioning template (copy and fill in)
| Element | Your answer |
|---|---|
| For (target customer) | |
| Who (need or opportunity) | |
| The (product name) | |
| Is a (product category) | |
| That (key benefit) | |
| Unlike (primary alternative) | |
| Our product (primary differentiation) | |
| Test: could the alternative claim your differentiation? | yes / no |
| Test: does every recent ad express the key benefit? | yes / no |
FAQ
What is Geoffrey Moore’s positioning statement?
It is a positioning template from Geoffrey Moore’s book Crossing the Chasm: For (target customer) who (need), the (product name) is a (product category) that (key benefit). Unlike (primary competitive alternative), our product (primary differentiation).
What book is the Geoffrey Moore positioning statement from?
Crossing the Chasm, first published in 1991, which focuses on marketing technology products to mainstream customers.
What should go in the “unlike” part of the template?
The alternative your target customer would most realistically choose instead, which is often a manual process, an existing tool or doing nothing, rather than the competitor you most want to beat.
Is the Moore template only for technology products?
No. It was written for technology companies but works for any product or brand that is chosen against a clear alternative, including retailers, services and consumer brands.
How is the Moore template different from a classic positioning statement?
Classic formats usually define audience, frame of reference, point of difference and reason to believe. Moore’s version adds an explicit competitive alternative, which forces the differentiation to be relative to something specific.
Vashor is a brand governance platform that turns a brand’s declared strategy, including its positioning, into rules every ad is checked against before it is published. It never writes the copy. See how Vashor checks your content →