Introducing the 101 of Category Design: Step 2 – Naming and Framing Your Category
A strong category starts with a clear Point of View (POV). The most influential POVs redirect the conversation in such a novel way that many people struggle to grasp or accept what this new perspective could mean for the world.
Two compelling examples illustrate this approach:
- “Don’t Go There, Live There.” Airbnb’s tagline embodies a POV. Rather than claiming superiority over hotels, the brand reframed the category and offered a distinct experience. Once people perceived this legendary, different POV, they couldn’t unsee it.
- When Henry Ford described the first vehicle as a “horseless carriage,” he used language designed to stop people, listen, and immediately grasp the FROM-TO shift: from the old world to the new, different future he envisioned. Calling it a “faster horse” would have been lazy language and thinking.
A simple architecture underpins legendary POVs:
1) Frame a different problem or opportunity.
2) Evangelize a different future.
3) Demonstrate how your “solution” bridges the gap from the current problem to the new future.
Let’s apply this framework to Vinebox and how it framed, named, and claimed its POV: “Premium wine by the glass,” using messaging drawn from its website.
From Vinebox’s messaging:
- We believe premium wines are delicious, but buying an entire bottle of premium wine before you know you’ll enjoy it is a terrible experience. So instead, we ship vials of premium wine by the glass—and then, if you like them, you can buy a full bottle as well.
Breaking it down:
- Frame: We believe premium wines are delicious, but buying an entire bottle only to risk dissatisfaction is a terrible experience.
- Evangelize: We ship you vials of premium wine by the glass.
- Show: If you really like something, you can buy a full bottle.
Two benefits emerge when language is effectively aligned with a well-defined category POV:
1) You become known for the new language you’ve coined.
– You know your language is working when customers start using it themselves. For example, in the early 2000s, Salesforce founder Marc Benioff introduced the term “cloud-based software.” This contrasted with the traditional notion of software installed on a computer via CD-ROM, and people began adopting the new terminology across the tech industry.
2) Customers see you as different, not merely better.
– By shaping the narrative around the new category, you create a gap between the old and the new. A product like an “e-bike” isn’t simply a better bicycle; it’s a different offering with distinct benefits, use cases, pricing, and manufacturing considerations. A single hyphen can signal a fundamental shift in what the product is.
When you own the language that defines your category, you position yourself as the trusted authority to educate the market about the new framework. That foundation is essential before applying a broader framework designed to boost your odds of becoming a Category King or Queen—the Magic Triangle. We’ll explore that in the next post.
