Centrality / Distinctiveness Map

A brand-positioning exercise from Niraj Dawar & Charan K. Bagga, “A Better Way to Map Brand Strategy” (Harvard Business Review, June 2015). Drag each school onto the grid: how central it is (the school families picture first) and how distinctive it is (how unlike the others). Hover a quadrant title for what it means. The low/low quadrant — Dawar & Bagga’s “Peripheral” — is labeled Substitute here.

Drag cards from the tray onto the map. Drag them back to the tray to reset.
Distinctiveness →
Unconventional i Like Tesla, Mini, or Jeep. Highly distinctive but not (yet) top-of-mind. Loved by a specific audience; punches above its size on identity.
Aspirational i Like BMW, Mercedes, or Porsche. Broadly desired and clearly set apart. Commands a premium and shapes what the category wants to be.
Substitute i Like Kia or Mitsubishi (Dawar & Bagga’s “Peripheral”). Neither top-of-mind nor distinctive — interchangeable, competing mostly on price.
Mainstream i Like Toyota, Honda, or Ford. The safe default everyone considers. High awareness and volume, but little to set it apart.
Centrality →

Schools

Your school is highlighted. Drag each onto the map.