No, the Fire Truck Isn’t Moving In: A Lesson in Positioning

This morning, before I’d even had my coffee, I accidentally launched a major miscommunication campaign—to an audience of one.

It started innocently enough. I told my son, “We’re getting a new fire station!”

His eyes lit up with wonder…and then slowly narrowed with suspicion.

“Wait… the fire trucks are coming here? Are they going to park in the driveway? Will the firefighters sleep in our house? Are they using our kitchen?!”

Cue a 30-minute spiral trying to explain that the fire station was being built in our neighborhood, not on our lawn, and no, the fire chief would not be joining us for breakfast.

The issue? Positioning.

I failed to give the proper context, and the message landed totally wrong. Had I said, “The neighborhood is getting a new fire station,” I could’ve saved myself from explaining why we’re not suddenly opening a bunk room for first responders.

And that, my friends, is the same trap we fall into when bringing products to market.

The Positioning Problem

When you lead with the wrong message, or without enough clarity, your audience fills in the blanks for you. And those blanks? They usually lead to confusion, skepticism, or incorrect assumptions. Just like my son envisioned our house turning into a fire station, your customer might assume:

• Your product isn’t for them
• It solves a different problem than it actually does
• It’s more (or less) complex than it really is
• It requires resources they don’t have

Whether You’re Talking to a 5-Year-Old or a Fortune 500

Positioning matters at every level. It’s not about using big words or flashy decks. It’s about delivering the right context, to the right audience, at the right moment. Whether you’re trying to convince a kindergartener that he won’t be sharing his snacks with firefighters, or you’re launching a platform into a new market segment, clarity wins every time.

The Takeaway

Next time you’re preparing to go to market (or talking to a curious kid) remember:

• Don’t assume shared knowledge
• Start with the why and where, not just the what
• Test your messaging for clarity before rollout (or breakfast)

Because if your audience walks away believing a fire truck is about to move in…you’ve got some repositioning to do.

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