Imagine you’re throwing a party. You want everyone to show up, remember it, and talk about it for days. That’s what great B2B positioning feels like. It’s the secret sauce to standing out and getting noticed. But what if you’re not just hosting a party? What if you’re inventing a brand new kind of party—and everyone’s suddenly curious about it?
That’s where category design comes in. Instead of competing in someone else’s space, you create a new one. Yep, you build your own playing field. And guess what? You make the rules.
What Is Category Design?
Category design means you don’t just sell a product. You define a new “category” of solution. You turn the market’s attention toward a problem they didn’t *fully* realize they had—and position yourself as the only option to solve it.
This isn’t just clever marketing. It’s a strategy. A bold one.
Here’s Why It Works:
- You lead instead of chase. No more copying what others are doing.
- You own the conversation. As the first in the category, you’re the expert.
- You turn buyers into believers. They didn’t even know they needed you—until you showed them why they do.
This approach flips traditional B2B positioning on its head.
Why Traditional B2B Positioning Falls Flat
Most B2B companies try to out-feature, out-price, or out-buzz their competitors. It becomes a shouting match. And in the noise, everyone sounds the same.
Here’s the pattern:
- Create a product based on an existing need.
- See who else is doing it.
- Try to claim you’re a little cheaper, faster, or more “AI-powered.”
Boring, right?
No one dominates a market that way. At best, you’re one of many. At worst, you’re ignored.
The Playbook for Great Category Design
Now for the fun part. Let’s talk about how you “nail it” with B2B positioning using category design.
Step 1: Identify a Problem No One Truly Owns
This is the spark. You need a unique insight about a major problem that current solutions barely touch.
Ask yourself:
- What do our customers constantly struggle with?
- What ideas do they resist—yet deep down know they need?
- What change is coming that most people are ignoring?
Don’t just hunt for pain. Look for tension—the kind that hasn’t been clearly named or addressed yet.
Step 2: Name the Category
Once you’ve found the problem, give the solution its own identity.
This isn’t just branding. It’s about helping people understand why your way is not like the rest. Naming helps that idea stick.
Good names are:
- Specific – They point clearly to the problem you solve.
- Memorable – Easy to say, repeat, and share.
- Open-ended – Broad enough for your full vision to fit inside.
Think of how Salesforce created “CRM as a service” or how Drift coined “conversational marketing.” They didn’t improve existing labels—they made new ones.
Step 3: Evangelize the Problem
Here’s the twist: In category design, you don’t sell the product first. You sell the story about the problem.
You educate, inspire, and stir the pot. You make the world see what they’ve been missing.
Use content. Keynotes. Webinars. Podcasts. Show them what’s broken before you offer the fix.
Step 4: Build the Business Around the Category
You’re not merely launching a thing. You’re leading a movement.
Every part of your messaging, your roadmap, and your team’s mindset should amplify the category you’ve created.
That means:
- Your vision decks talk about the category, not just your logos.
- Your investors back the category potential, not just the tech.
- Your early adopters see themselves as pioneers, not just buyers.
It’s a mindset—and the companies who go all-in are the ones who win big.
What If There’s Already a Category?
Good question! You can still play the game. But instead of creating a new category, you can reframe an existing one.
Here’s how:
- Find an underserved segment.
- Challenge outdated assumptions about how the category works.
- Introduce a new term or approach within the broader space.
Plenty of companies start off competing, then break out by redefining the rules. Think of how HubSpot reframed “marketing software” into “inbound marketing”—they didn’t invent marketing tools, they gave people a new compass.
Real-World Example: Gong.io
When Gong hit the scene, the world had no idea what “Revenue Intelligence” was. Sales teams had CRMs and call recording tools—but nothing showed what actually made deals happen or die.
So Gong created a new category: Revenue Intelligence.
They named it. Evangelized it. Then positioned themselves as the undisputed leader.
The result? Explosive growth—and a loyal tribe of users who know Gong isn’t just another sales tool. It’s the way modern sales operates.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Category design isn’t a magic spell. Some companies get it wrong by:
- Inventing something with no real problem behind it. If your category feels made-up, no one will care.
- Failing to educate the market. If people don’t understand the problem, they won’t buy the solution.
- Just renaming old stuff. Buzzwords aren’t strategy. You need a clear narrative and a genuine difference.
This is why commitment matters. It’s not about playing dress-up. Great category creators believe in the category.
Who Should Own Category Design?
This isn’t just a job for marketing. Category design touches:
- Product teams – They shape the reality of the vision.
- Founders – They tell the origin story and rally the team.
- Sales – They bring the message to life in front of customers.
It’s a company-wide effort. Everyone needs to speak the same language. Everyone needs to feel the mission.
You’re Not Selling—You’re Shaping Reality
The truth is, people don’t just buy products. They buy a version of the world they want to live in. Category design gives you the power to paint that world first—then sell the tools to make it real.
When you nail B2B positioning with category design, you don’t compete for attention. You create gravity. People come to you because they get it—and they want in.
So go big. Think different. And most of all, give your market a new way to see the world. That’s how you win. Not just today—but for years to come.
