Attract-and-Repel Positioning Rule
Express a distinct point of view that attracts ideal customers and repels others.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 94%
The rule treats audience polarization as a positioning mechanism rather than a reputation failure. A business expresses a recognizable point of view, style, or preference; that signal attracts people who identify with it and repels people who do not. Both outcomes sharpen the audience and make the brand easier to remember. The entrepreneur therefore evaluates communication not by whether everyone approves, but by whether the right people move closer while poor-fit customers move away. This reduces the pressure to become universally agreeable and counters the generic messaging that stunts growth on social media. The intended output is not controversy for its own sake, but a distinctive brand whose ideal customers can recognize, discuss, and choose it with confidence.
Origin
Jasmine Star connected this rule to advice from her immigrant father and used an ice-cream-shop analogy to explain why brands must become a distinctive flavor. Extracted from The Jasmine Star Show.
Core principles
- 01A memorable brand cannot appeal equally to everyone.
- 02Other people's opinions are outside your control.
- 03Clear preferences help ideal customers recognize themselves.
- 04Repelling poor-fit customers is a useful positioning outcome.
- 05Criticism can expose the brand to people who appreciate it.
How to run it
- 1
Define Your Orbit
Identify the people whose values, needs, and working style make them ideal customers. Describe who should feel invited into the brand and who is likely to be a poor fit.
Pro tip Use existing customers you enjoy serving as reference points.
Watch out An audience defined as everyone provides no useful positioning constraint.
- 2
Choose a Distinct Flavor
Express specific preferences, language, and perspectives that your audience can recognize. Aim to be meaningfully identifiable rather than artificially provocative.
Pro tip Use genuine opinions that relate to how you work or what you believe.
Watch out Manufactured outrage attracts attention without necessarily attracting suitable customers.
- 3
Publish the Signal
Communicate the position clearly enough that people can decide whether it resonates. Avoid weakening it with qualifications intended solely to prevent disagreement.
Pro tip Repeat core positions consistently across content and offers.
Watch out Inconsistent signals make it difficult for customers to understand what the brand represents.
- 4
Observe Attraction and Repulsion
Evaluate whether ideal customers engage, inquire, or buy while unsuitable prospects disengage. Treat both movements as evidence that the positioning is functioning.
Pro tip Prioritize the quality of responses over universal approval.
Watch out Do not mistake abusive behavior or factual errors for useful brand polarization.
- 5
Stay Focused Through Criticism
Separate actionable feedback from opinions that merely reflect a poor audience fit. Preserve the positioning when criticism confirms that the message reached beyond the intended audience.
Pro tip Ask whether the critic is someone you intended to serve before changing direction.
Watch out Ignoring all criticism can conceal genuine customer or ethical problems.
In the wild
A business in a crowded category stops describing itself with the same safe terms as every competitor. It adopts a vivid style and a clear philosophy that some prospects dislike but ideal customers immediately understand. Instead of acting like the default vanilla option, it becomes the specific flavor a smaller audience actively seeks.
→ The brand becomes more memorable and attracts customers with stronger preference and fit.
Common mistakes
Trying to Be Everything to Everyone
Universal messaging removes the signals customers need to recognize whether the brand is right for them. The result is safe but forgettable positioning.
Creating Controversy Without Purpose
Repulsion should result from an authentic and relevant position, not hostility or attention-seeking. Empty provocation can damage trust without improving audience fit.
Changing Course After Every Opinion
Reacting to every outside judgment lets poor-fit observers control the brand. Filter feedback according to the intended audience and the substance of the criticism.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for entrepreneurs and personal brands operating in crowded markets where distinctiveness and audience fit matter.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for regulated, safety-critical, or purely informational communication that requires strict neutrality and universal clarity.
From the transcript
“I must attract people into my orbit and I must repel people.”
“The thing that we so often see on social media, which is what stunts growth, is, that everybody wants to serve everybody and be everything…”
“My objective is to be the most annoying, amazing, palatable, disgusting, awful, delicious flavor of ice cream to somebody.”
From the episode
How To Serve The Gap In The Market