By Maritza Zapata, Director of Marketing, dash designI am the marketing manager for dash design, an interior design and brand development firm  that has grown significantly over the past few years. And with that growth has come change.  Hence, the principal and I decided it was time to re-examine our positioning statement, collateral and all the tools we use to communicate who we are, what we do best and what value we deliver to the market to our various audiences. In other words, we need to create a positioning statement that answers who we are now.The good news is that the foundation for building this new ‘mantra’ is in place. Our public relations agency, The Boreland Group, and I surveyed both our clients and staff. The resulting data will influence how we reposition ourselves based on goals set forth by our principal and executive committee.There are, however, intangibles to consider along with the data. I keep going back to how do our services equate to value for our clients? What is it that we do better than most, and how closely does our internal perception match those of the outside world? How can I make this statement compelling, and accurately capture the value that our clients say we deliver? And how can I properly represent the incredible group of dedicated and talented creatives with whom I have the pleasure of working? As my fellow marketing professionals know, this is a challenge, and a serious task to undertake.Recently, I had a meeting with our principal and another consultant who works with our firm on process and communication issues. This meeting was not about communication issues but rather to discuss the evolution of our positioning statement.  In the midst of our chat, the principal and I had a moment where we had differences of opinion.  After our meeting, it occurred to me that I had to examine his input not just for the obvious reason (he is the owner/ the principal of our firm), but mainly because he’s out in trenches and my work takes place here in our Long Island City-based headquarters. This was my a-ha moment!  I realized that part of the challenge of re-examining our statement was caused by the fact that I wasn’t actually in the field…that I needed to be out in the world, doing more networking and meeting with the very people who can assist me  in answering these questions regarding our positioning statement. Without that, I can only “see” half of the whole picture.Don’t get me wrong. My time behind the desk has delivered value. I have helped to build a business that has grown exponentially in a highly challenging and competitive field.  But I need to do more….I need to get up and out from behind my desk to gain knowledge that will complement and grow my business acumen. This  new insight will allow dash design to best answer the question “who are we” and “what we do best” and “what value do we deliver to the market” in a much more nuanced and thoughtful manner. And that’s what I’m doing.[author]About the Author: Maritza Zapata is the director of marketing at dash design (www.dashdesign.net), an interior design and brand development company headquartered in Long Island City, New York.  Highly regarded for her marketing expertise, Zapata previously worked at desgrippes gobé, G2 Worldwide and Enterprise IG. [/author]