Obviously Awesome - critical summary review

Dunford, a seasoned product marketing expert with years of experience bringing complex products to market, shares a practical and actionable guide for crafting a positioning strategy that sets your product or service apart. This book offers a modern take on positioning—an often misunderstood and underutilized business discipline—and provides a systematic 10-step framework that helps businesses identify their ideal customers, refine their messaging, and achieve product-market fit in a competitive landscape.

At its core, “Obviously Awesome” argues that positioning is more than just a clever tagline or marketing strategy—it’s the foundation for how customers perceive your product and make purchasing decisions. Dunford critiques outdated positioning templates and practices, which are too often formulaic and ineffective, and introduces a fresh approach that is dynamic, iterative, and deeply rooted in understanding customer needs and market context.

Dunford’s 10-step methodology is the centerpiece of the book. This process walks readers through everything from identifying their best-fit customers to determining their unique market category and building a compelling narrative that highlights their product’s value. Importantly, she emphasizes the collaborative nature of positioning, stressing that the process aligns internal teams around a shared vision and ensures consistency across marketing, sales, and product development efforts.

Why Positioning Matters: Helping Customers Understand and Care

The author points out that the way we present a product—its “positioning”—is crucial in helping people understand what it is, who it’s for, and why they should care. She compares positioning to setting a scene in a movie. Just as the opening moments of a film help you quickly grasp what kind of story you’re about to see, good product positioning sets the stage for customers so they can immediately understand the product’s purpose and value. Without a clear context, people end up confused or uninterested, no matter how good the product might be.

Dunford uses the example of the famous violinist Joshua Bell playing in a busy subway station. When he’s in a grand concert hall, wearing formal attire and surrounded by an orchestra, it’s obvious to the audience that he’s a world-class musician. Tickets are expensive, and people make an effort to sit quietly and listen. But in the subway, dressed casually and standing near a garbage can, he looks like any street performer. Even though his music didn’t change, the new setting made commuters overlook his talent. This shows that without the right context, even something extraordinary can seem ordinary.

The same principle applies to products. When people first encounter something new, they search for clues in the product’s description, price, features, and branding. These clues form a mental frame of reference that helps them decide if the product is relevant and valuable to them. If the context is set incorrectly, customers may misunderstand the product. They may see something special as just another forgettable item, or they may think it’s not for them when in fact it could be exactly what they need.

Dunford explains that many companies fall into two traps. First, they stick with their original idea of what the product is supposed to be, ignoring that through development and customer feedback, it may have evolved into something else.

For example, you might start off wanting to make a great chocolate cake, but through experimentation, you end up creating a single-serving sweet treat more like a muffin. If you insist on calling it “cake,” you’ll be forced to follow the rules and expectations of the cake market—selling at bakeries, competing against other desserts, and charging certain prices. But if you realize it’s actually more like a muffin, you can sell it in coffee shops and compete with donuts or bagels. By rethinking the product’s “context,” you open up new opportunities.

The second trap is failing to recognize when the market changes. Maybe your product once fit the “diet food” category, but now customers are looking for “gluten-free paleo snacks.” If you don’t adjust your positioning to match what people now care about, you’ll lose out to competitors who did change with the times.

To avoid these problems, Dunford says you must position your product deliberately. You cannot rely on a “default” category or just fill out a template positioning statement and hope it works. Instead, you must closely examine how customers see their options. Understand what alternatives they have if they don’t use your product. Identify what makes your product truly unique, what real value that uniqueness creates, and which specific customers care about that value the most. Then, choose the right “market category” to present your product in a way that makes your differences shine through.

In essence, Dunford’s message is that the world is crowded with choices. Customers need to quickly understand what you’re offering and why it matters. Good positioning provides the shortcut they need, making it easier to appreciate the product’s true worth rather than overlooking it as just more noise in the market.

Don’t Just Describe Features—Explain Why They Matter Now

A key point April Dunford makes is that buyers don’t buy products in a vacuum. They want to know how the product fits into the larger world. They’re curious about trends and changes in their industry because these shifts often signal that it’s time to consider new tools or methods.

She uses examples from both the fashion world and the technology space to illustrate this. In fashion, a company can stay relevant by introducing a trendy pink couch when pink is declared the “color of the year.” In technology, trends like AI or blockchain can highlight why a product is modern, forward-looking, and essential right now. Dunford clarifies that while trends aren’t always necessary, they can help you show customers that your product is not just another solution—it’s a solution designed for today’s challenges.

She provides an example of a company called Sampler, which helps consumer brands distribute product samples more effectively. Initially, Sampler struggled to explain its unique value. Simply calling themselves “online product sampling” confused buyers who thought they only handled digital giveaways and not physical samples.

By reframing their positioning as “direct-to-consumer sampling,” Sampler aligned itself with a major trend: big brands trying to build direct relationships with their buyers rather than relying solely on retailers or Amazon. Making that connection to a known, significant shift in the market helped Sampler’s customers immediately understand why the product was relevant and important at this moment.

Dunford also highlights that positioning is made up of several interconnected components: the set of features that make your product unique, the value those features create, the target customers who most appreciate that value, and the broader market category and trends that put everything into a meaningful context. She emphasizes that the order in which you determine these components matters.

For instance, starting with features alone might miss the point that those features are only important if they stand out against other alternatives your customers already use. Positioning should start with identifying the customers who love your product most, and, from there, figure out what they see as its main competitors, which attributes they value, what market category it fits into best, and which industry trends can make it even more compelling.

She advises beginning with the customers who are happiest and most enthusiastic about the product. Understanding what these customers value and what alternatives they consider helps you see the product’s true strengths. From there, you can decide how to present the product in a way that leverages the best market category and, if relevant, ties into important trends. This approach ensures that when potential buyers encounter your product, they immediately see why it’s unique, valuable, and perfectly suited to the current moment.

Make Sure Your Team Shares the Same Understanding of Positioning 

Dunford explains that everyone on your team needs to share a common understanding of what positioning actually means. Positioning is about placing your product in a certain context in the market so that potential customers instantly understand why it’s special and worth choosing over alternatives. The team should align on key definitions—such as what “positioning” involves and what its components are—so they won’t waste time debating the basics when they should be refining their messaging.

Next, she talks about the idea of “positioning baggage.” This is when you’re stuck thinking about your product the way it was originally conceived without considering that the market may have changed. Your product might have started out to solve one problem, but today it might solve another even better. She gives a classic example with Arm & Hammer baking soda.

Originally designed for baking, the product later thrived by being repositioned as an odor absorber—especially for refrigerators. By abandoning the old way of seeing their product, Arm & Hammer tapped into a new, more profitable market. Dunford wants you to consider that maybe your product, too, can be seen from a fresh angle. To do this effectively, everyone on your team should agree to temporarily let go of their preconceived notions.

She also shares the story of Clearpath Robotics, a company that initially presented their offering as a “robot” to manufacturers. But customers expected robots to be stationary machines performing repetitive tasks. Clearpath’s creation was actually more like a self-driving car for factory floors—something more dynamic and intelligent. By rethinking their positioning and drawing parallels with autonomous vehicles, they helped customers understand their product’s true benefits.

Dunford explains that to shape effective positioning, you must understand what your customers consider to be the real alternatives to your solution. This might not be what you think. Customers don’t always compare you to the competitors you have in mind. They might compare you to a completely different kind of solution—or even doing nothing at all. By asking what customers would do if your product didn’t exist, you uncover their true frame of reference.

Maybe instead of another high-tech tool, they’d just hire an intern, use a spreadsheet, or rely on a more basic piece of software. Identifying these genuine alternatives helps you understand the categories in customers’ minds. You can then position your product so that its distinctive advantages stand out clearly against what customers really see as their other choices. 

Once you’ve identified the main alternatives customers might consider, the next step is to pinpoint what makes your product different and better. Here, Dunford advises focusing on concrete features rather than vague claims. A feature should be something you can prove, like a specific technical capability, a unique material, a certain integration, or a patented technology. Avoid fuzzy statements like “we have better customer service” unless you can back it up with facts or evidence (for example, industry awards or measurable response times).

Find Your Best-Fit Customers by Identifying Who Cares About Your Value

Dunford guides us through three key steps: mapping features to value, clustering that value into themes, and identifying who really cares about those themes. First, she points out that we tend to think about products in terms of their features—things like a camera’s megapixel count or the material something is made from. But customers don’t actually care about the features on their own. What they really care about is what those features do for them—the benefits—and, beyond that, how those benefits help them achieve their goals.

For example, a phone might have a 15-megapixel camera (feature). The benefit is that it takes sharp photos. The value comes in how that helps the customer do something they care about, like making beautiful large prints or zooming in without losing clarity. Another feature might be all-metal construction, which leads to a stronger frame (the benefit), and that, in turn, might help the customer save money on repairs over time (the real value).

By understanding this, you move from just listing features (like “24-hour support”) to stating their value in meaningful, customer-friendly terms (like “help is always available no matter where you are or what time it is”). This reframing is crucial because while engineers or product creators can think in terms of features, customers need to see how those features help them solve their problems or reach their desired outcomes.

After mapping out the features, benefits, and value, Dunford recommends looking for patterns. Group similar types of value into a few value “themes.” This makes it easier for you and your customers to see what’s really special about your product. For instance, if you have several features that help people use the product anywhere without a reliable internet connection, you might group them under a theme like “supports remote environments.” Clustering this way simplifies your message. Instead of listing dozens of features, you highlight a handful of main ideas that show how your product is uniquely helpful.

Once you’ve discovered these value themes, the next step is to figure out who cares about them the most. Not everyone will value the same things equally. For example, integration with QuickBooks might be incredibly valuable to businesses that send many invoices and rely on that software. But for those who don’t use QuickBooks or only send a few invoices, that feature’s value doesn’t matter as much. Here, Dunford introduces the concept of segmentation, which means sorting out your customers into groups based on what they find valuable, not just by their basic characteristics (like their size or age).

The idea is to identify your “best-fit” customers—the ones who will love your product the most because it delivers exactly what they need. These are the people who understand the value immediately. They’ll buy faster, pay more willingly, and stick around longer. Best-fit customers often share certain traits—maybe the type of services they offer, their internal processes, or the other tools they already use. When you target these customers, your marketing and sales efforts become more effective and efficient.

Adapt Your Market Strategy to Stay Relevant and Competitive

Dunford explains that most of us start off thinking about our product in a certain market category—like “database,” “robot,” or “bicycle”—without really questioning if that category still fits. Over time, both your product and the market can change. Because of this, the original category you chose might no longer shine a spotlight on what makes your product special.

Customers, too, might have their own ideas of where your product belongs, and those ideas might not help you at all. Instead of automatically sticking with your old, “default” market category, Dunford urges you to rethink and choose a market frame of reference that puts your product’s best features right at the center.

She suggests several ways to find the right market context. One is “abductive reasoning,” which is basically a fancy phrase for looking closely at what your product does well—its standout features and their benefits—and asking, “What type of product usually has these kinds of features and delivers this kind of value?” By doing this, you might uncover a market category where customers already expect the kind of strengths you provide.

Another approach is to look at “adjacent markets”—market categories close to the one you first considered, possibly where customers’ needs overlap with your product’s features. These related markets could be growing fast, which might help you appear fresh and exciting. However, Dunford warns that just wanting to jump into a hot, trending market category isn’t enough if that market doesn’t highlight what you’re good at.

She also discusses being careful when asking customers what market you belong in. Customers, after all, are not experts in market definitions. They might lump you into categories simply because they’re familiar or seem related, even if that doesn’t bring out your product’s true strengths. Dunford says not to rely too heavily on this method—use customer input as one data point, but don’t let it drive you entirely.

After guiding you in selecting a market, Dunford moves on to how you can position your product within that chosen market. Positioning essentially means answering the question, “What are you?” in a way that makes customers say, “Oh, now I get why I need you!” 

Dunford also explores how tapping into a current trend can strengthen your positioning. If a big industry trend lines up with your product’s value, mentioning it can make your offering feel more modern and urgent. But she warns against forcing trends if they don’t naturally fit.

Final notes

Throughout the book, Dunford's writing is engaging and to the point. She avoids that pitfall of many business books in which insights are overextended and delivers instead concise, impactful advice that immediately can be taken on by readers. Her use of humor and an approachable tone makes complex concepts feel approachable.

In addition to the practical framework, “Obviously Awesome” also provides actionable insights for entrepreneurs launching new products, established businesses seeking to pivot, and marketers looking to fine-tune their positioning strategies. Dunford's approach helps readers cut through the noise of traditional marketing strategies and focus on what truly matters: creating a clear, compelling story about why their product is the perfect fit for a specific audience.

This book's purpose is underlined by glowing testimonials from readers who have put its lessons to work, from founders crafting their first go-to-market strategies to seasoned executives leading workshops based on Dunford's methods. Her framework has been praised for its ability to not only produce better positioning documents but also foster alignment among teams and accelerate business growth.

12min tip

Marketing is evolving—are you? Don’t miss out on this opportunity to rethink your approach and create a brand that truly resonates. “H2H Marketing: The Genesis of Human-to-Human Marketing” isn’t just another marketing guide—it’s a manifesto for building trust, empathy, and meaningful relationships in a world increasingly driven by digitalization. This book is your blueprint for transforming marketing from a transactional, product-focused grind into a dynamic, people-centered art form.