What does repositioning mean?
Repositioning is the act or process of moving something, or someone, to a different place, position, or orientation. In its literal sense, it can describe moving furniture, adjusting an object, or changing the position of one's body. It is also widely used in business and marketing to describe a strategic change in what a product, company, or service represents to its intended audience. Such repositioning may involve new packaging, messaging, pricing, features, or an overall change of market focus. The term often suggests deliberate planning rather than a temporary adjustment. It is related to, but broader than, physically relocating something: repositioning can leave an object in the same general location while altering its role, emphasis, or perception. In professional discourse, it is particularly associated with brand and product strategy.
nounThe act of moving something, or oneself, to a different position. It may also refer to changing a product, organization, or strategy so that it occupies a new role, market position, or strategic orientation.
- The action or process of placing something, or oneself, in a different position.
- The process of changing a product, organization, or strategy to adopt a new market position, role, or strategic orientation.
"The company announced a major repositioning of its product line to focus on smaller businesses."
"Careful repositioning of the shelves made the display easier for customers to navigate."
"The charity underwent a strategic repositioning in response to changes in the market."
The plural is grammatically regular but uncommon; the singular is normally used for the process or a strategic change.
"The agency specializes in brand repositionings for established companies."
In business, repositioning is the art of changing what something means to its audience without necessarily changing what it is.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does repositioning come from?
Repositioning was formed within English by combining the prefix re-, meaning “again,” with position and the suffix -ing. Position itself comes from Latin positio, a noun derived from positus, the past participle of ponere, meaning “to place or put.” Related English words such as positive, proposition, and composition ultimately share the Latin root ponere or its stem posit-.
Related word forms
How repositioning is actually used
The word is neutral in its literal sense but is especially common in business, marketing, design, and organizational contexts. Figurative uses often imply a deliberate change in strategy, identity, or market perception.
Easily confused with repositioning
Repositioning generally means moving or altering something's position or strategic role, whereas redeploying usually means sending or assigning people or resources to a different place or task.