Before getting into the specifics of horizontal vs vertical brand positioning, let me start with some examples.

Since at least early 2014, Esurance has been running a new campaign with the tagline, “7 1/2 minutes could save you on car insurance.” And although the Beatrice ad does amuse me, I want to explain why the thinking and strategy behind these ads are flawed.

But to do that, we first need to talk about impotence.