LWCC Speaker Series: The Power of Positioning

Andy Cunningham’s connection to LWCC goes beyond the Speaker Series. Cunningham previously worked alongside LWCC to help shape Louisiana Loyal, a movement to celebrate and elevate our home state.

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That made her return to the Foster Learning Center especially fitting. LWCC’s vision is to be a catalyst elevating Louisiana’s position in America, making her message especially relevant to our work and our state.

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Drawing on decades of experience, like helping Steve Jobs launch Macintosh and advising companies ranging from Pixar to Cisco, Cunningham explored positioning as the foundation for how a business presents itself to the world. Rather than trying to appeal to everyone, effective positioning requires organizations to understand their unique strengths, identify the audiences they are best positioned to serve, and consistently reinforce the value they provide.

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Her keynote offered attendees five principles for putting positioning into practice:

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1. And: Know whom you’re for and position accordingly.
Strong positioning begins with understanding your audience. Organizations create stronger connections when they clearly identify whom they serve and build their positioning around the needs, expectations, and aspirations of those audiences.

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2. Because: Give people a reason to believe.
A strong position requires proof. Organizations must demonstrate why their claims are credible and give customers, employees, and stakeholders tangible reasons to believe in the value they promise.

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3. So: Reward believers with affirmation.
Positioning does not end when someone chooses your organization. Reinforcing that decision helps build confidence, loyalty, and a stronger connection between the organization and the people who believe in it.

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4. But: Grow the tribe but keep it aspirational.
Growth can expand an organization’s reach, but maintaining a sense of aspiration helps preserve what makes the brand distinctive and gives people something meaningful to identify with.

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5. Until: Keep going until the world catches up.
Positioning takes consistency. Organizations must continue reinforcing who they are and why they matter, giving their position time to take hold in the minds of the audiences they want to reach.

With historic investment and new opportunities shaping Louisiana’s economy, the conversation then turned to what positioning means for our state right now. Joined by Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois and LWCC Chief Information Officer Amanda Didier, Cunningham explored how positioning can help organizations capitalize on the economic momentum building across the state. Moderated by LWCC President and CEO Kristin W. Wall, the discussion considered how leaders can prepare their organizations for new opportunities while helping position Louisiana for continued growth.

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The conversation reinforced the important role businesses and leaders play in shaping how Louisiana is seen and understood. By sharing the people, ideas, investments, and businesses moving our state forward, we can help build greater awareness of the opportunities taking shape across Louisiana.

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Attendees were encouraged to put that idea into action by becoming Louisiana Storytellers through Louisiana Economic Development and by reading, sharing, and recommending businesses for LWCC’s Louisiana Loyal Story Series.

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