How to Create a Brand Positioning Map in Google Slides (Using a Scatter Plot)

Ever tried explaining your market position to a room full of stakeholders using a list of bullet points?

It usually ends with blank stares. People don't want to read about where your brand sits compared to the competition. They need to see it.

That’s exactly why brand positioning maps exist.

By plotting competitors on a visual grid, you instantly communicate where the gaps in the market are—and why your product is perfectly positioned to fill them.

But building these maps in Google Slides can be frustrating. You either end up manually drawing shapes and dragging text boxes around, or you wrestle with clunky native charts.

There's a much better way. Today, I'm going to show you how to build a data-driven brand positioning map right inside your presentation using a scatter plot.

Why a Scatter Plot is Perfect for Positioning

A traditional brand map is just a 2x2 grid. You pick two defining metrics for your industry—like Price vs. Quality, or Ease of Use vs. Power—and map out where everyone falls.

A scatter plot is literally built for this.

It takes two variables (an X-axis and a Y-axis) and plots data points at their intersection. By scoring your competitors from 1 to 10 on both metrics, you create a perfectly accurate, mathematically sound positioning map.

No more eyeballing where a logo should go. Let the data do the heavy lifting.

The Problem with Manual Mapping

If you've ever built one of these maps using the native drawing tools in Google Slides, you know the pain.

You draw two lines. You add a bunch of circles. You manually type out competitor names. It looks okay for about five minutes.

Then, a competitor launches a new feature or drops their pricing. Now you have to manually drag their little circle across the slide, re-align the text, and hope you didn't accidentally grab the background grid.

It’s a massive waste of time. We need a chart that is actually tied to underlying data.

Building the Map with ExtraChart

Native Google Slides scatter plots are functionally okay, but they often lack the visual polish you need for a high-stakes pitch.

This is where ExtraChart comes in. It’s an advanced chart maker that lives directly inside Google Slides as an add-on. You get publication-quality visualizations without ever leaving your deck.

Here is the step-by-step process to build your map.

Step 1: Define Your Axes and Score the Market

Before opening any software, pick your two dimensions. Let’s say we are analyzing project management software.

• X-Axis: Complexity (1 = Simple, 10 = Highly Complex)
• Y-Axis: Price (1 = Cheap, 10 = Expensive)

List out your competitors and give them a score for each. Put this in a quick spreadsheet.

Step 2: Open ExtraChart

Open your Google Slides presentation. Go to your top menu and click Extensions -> ExtraChart -> Create & Edit Charts.

The ExtraChart sidebar will slide open, giving you access to 20 different professional chart types.

Step 3: Select the Scatter Plot

Scroll down to the "Business & Analytics Charts" section in the sidebar and click the Scatter Plot icon.

Step 4: Paste Your Data

A detailed popup editor will appear. This is where the magic happens.

Click over to the Data tab. It looks just like a lightweight spreadsheet. Copy your competitor scores from your notes and paste them directly into the editor.

You'll see the chart preview update instantly on your screen. The dots (representing your competitors) will snap into their exact data-driven positions.

Step 5: Customize for the Boardroom

A good map needs to look entirely on-brand.

Switch over to the Settings tab. Here, you have total control over the chart's anatomy.

• Adjust the margins and spacing so the dots aren't crowded.
• Change the fonts to match your company's style guide (like Inter or Roboto).
• Use the Color Palette Manager to assign specific hex codes to different competitors. You can even highlight your own brand in a bright, contrasting color so it pops off the screen.

Step 6: Insert and Keep Moving

When it looks perfect, click "Create."

ExtraChart will insert your brand positioning map onto the slide as a crisp, high-resolution image.

The Best Part: Painless Updates

Remember the headache of updating manual shapes when the market changes?

With ExtraChart, that problem disappears. Because all the metadata (your competitor scores and design settings) is embedded right in the image, updating is incredibly simple.

If a competitor changes their pricing model next month, just click the chart on your slide and re-open the ExtraChart add-on. It pulls up your exact data exactly where you left off. Change their price score from an 8 to a 5, hit save, and your chart updates instantly.

No starting from scratch. No dragging shapes.

Stop wrestling with basic shapes and start letting your data tell the story. Add ExtraChart to Google Workspace and build your next positioning map the smart way.