Here is an example of a positioning statement for Volvo:

"For upscale American families, Volvo is the family automobile that offers maximum safety."

In this example, what serves as the frame of reference for the positioning statement?

The correct answer is letter "D": Other family automobiles.

Explanation:

In Marketing, a positioning statement is the segment a company uses to express how their product fits consumer needs. It can also represent the competitive advantage of the product letting know consumers why they ought to choose the company's product instead of competitors.

The frame of the positioning statement is the context of reference the segment is based on. Thus, in the example:

"For upscale American families, Volvo is the family automobile that offers maximum safety";

under the context of the family automobiles, Volvo is trying to promote its vehicles as the safest.