Mapping your competition: a positioning matrix for breweries

A positioning statement needs a map behind it

Every brewery says it is different. Few can name who it is different from. Positioning comes down to plain answers: what you make and the experience around it, who it is for and how you differ from the others. Differ, not beat. Every brewpub in Bengaluru calls itself better, so the word tells a drinker nothing. Our guide to beer brand positioning covers the basics. This one goes deeper on the map you check it against.

Write the statement in one sentence of under 30 words: [Brewery] offers [beer and experience] to [drinkers] who want [benefit], unlike [competitors]. The last clause is where most drafts go vague. The matrix fixes that.

Your competition is whatever your drinker picks instead of you

Your competition is whatever your drinker picks instead of you on a given evening. For a brewpub in Pune that means the other brewpubs within 5 km, but also the imported cans in the bottle shop, the big lager brands, a cocktail bar and the café that now pours hop water. A brewery that sells cans through a distributor competes on the shelf with every 500 ml can in the chiller.

For each competitor, write down four things: the name, who they serve, what benefit they give those people and what they do well. Be generous on the last one. A small town may hold five relevant names and a big metro fifty. Start with 8 to 12 and add more if your city is crowded.

Good axes are things a drinker can see or taste

These are the pairs we reach for with Indian breweries:

• taproom led or production led
• draught or packaged (cans and 650 ml bottles)
• affordable or expensive
• traditional or experimental
• new or established
• clean, minimal design or colourful, illustrated design
• approachable beer or niche beer
• weakly branded or strongly branded

Two tests help. Each axis should be something a drinker can see or taste, not an internal fact. The two axes should also measure different things. Price and branding strength often move together, so a matrix with both tends to put everyone on one diagonal and tell you nothing. Draw at least three matrices with different pairs.

Plot alone first, then argue about it

Keep the sign-off group to four to six people. Each of them places every competitor alone first. Then compare. Where five people put one brewery in five places, that brand is blurry. Where everyone agrees, it owns its spot.

Use real numbers for price. Pours come in different sizes, so convert menu prices to rupees per 100 ml. A 500 ml pour at ₹450 is ₹90 per 100 ml. A 330 ml can at ₹250 is about ₹76. Plot yourself last and be as hard on your own brand as on the bar down the road.

Empty corners are questions, not answers

An empty quadrant is tempting. It may also be empty because no drinkers live there. Run every gap past three checks before you chase it. Can you name the drinkers who would sit there? Can you brew that beer consistently at your scale? Can you sell it at a price that pays for the packaging? Our guide to beer drinker personas helps with the first check.

A crowded corner is not always bad either. If four brands sit there and drinkers still queue, the demand is proven. You then need a sharper difference, not a new corner.

Ninety minutes is enough for a first map

Block 90 minutes with the executive team. Bring the competitor list, a whiteboard and coloured sticky notes. Draw three matrices, plot alone, then compare. Close by rewriting the positioning statement so its "unlike" clause names a real group from the map. The matrix then feeds the rest of the brand strategy in our rebrand guide.

Plotting your own brand is the hardest part, because nobody sees their brewery the way a stranger does. An outside eye will spot the blur you have learned to ignore. Ask two regulars to plot you as well.

The first step is small: by Friday, one person drafts the list of 8 to 12 competitors with the four notes for each.

About the authors

Ankur Napa is a Master Brewer who also works in data and AI. Chatty Girija spent more than 30 years in advertising, hosts the Cheers Chatty Beer Podcast and teaches at Craft Beer School.

Common questions

How many competitors should go on a positioning matrix?

Start with 8 to 12 that your drinkers really choose between. Add more if your city is crowded.

Should non-beer drinks count as competition?

Yes, if your drinker picks them instead of you. Cocktail bars, imported cans and hop water can all belong in the competitive set.

Which axes work best?

Ones a drinker can see or taste, such as price per 100 ml or design style. Avoid pairing two axes that move together, such as price and branding strength.