brand-positioning

Brand Positioning Architect

Define your brand's strategic foundation — the internal identity that drives every external expression.

What This Creates

Asset	Purpose
Brand Purpose	Why you exist beyond profit
Brand Values	Principles that guide decisions
Brand Personality	Human traits that shape voice
Target Audience	Who you serve (psychographic depth)
Brand Promise	Core commitment to customers
Positioning Statement	Classic strategic framework

Relationship to Other Tools

Tool	Focus	Relationship
brand-positioning	WHO you are (identity)	This tool — foundation
competitive-positioning	HOW you differ (comparison)	Uses this as input
brand-voice	HOW you sound (expression)	Derives from personality
ux-brief	HOW you look (visual)	References values/personality

Conversation Starter

Use AskUserQuestion to gather context:

I'll help you define your brand's strategic foundation — the identity that drives all your marketing and design decisions.

What stage are you at?

Option A — Starting Fresh. Answer discovery questions to build your positioning from scratch.

Option B — Have Existing Materials. Share what you have (mission statement, about page, pitch deck) and I'll extract and refine.

Option C — Repositioning. Describe current positioning and what's not working.

Then ask which lens to run. The default path (Discovery → Framework Application → Output Format below) builds the full foundation doc. If the user wants a specific strategic framework — or names one ("run Dunford on this," "give me the JTBD angle," "should we do category design?") — use the Framework Library instead of, or layered on top of, the default. Recommended default for product/tech brands: April Dunford's process, then express the result as Moore's positioning statement.

Framework Library

Six positioning frameworks the skill can run. They are complementary, not mutually exclusive — Dunford is the workhorse; Moore is the output template; Ries & Trout is the focusing lens; JTBD sharpens the alternatives/value; Category Design is the ambitious play; the Value Proposition Canvas is evidence-gathering. Pick based on the user's goal (table below), then run the matching process.

Framework	Best when the user wants to…	Output
1. Dunford — Obviously Awesome	Find the frame that makes strengths obvious (default for product/tech)	5 components + chosen market category
2. Moore — Positioning Statement	Express a finished position in one canonical sentence	Filled statement template
3. Ries & Trout — Battle for Your Mind	Own one word / find an open gap in the mind	The single word + the open position
4. Jobs-to-Be-Done	Position around the job, not features/demographics	Functional + emotional + social jobs, incumbent to beat
5. Category Design — Play Bigger	Create and own a brand-new category	Category POV + naming + lightning-strike plan
6. Value Proposition Canvas	Gather evidence / test fit before committing	Customer profile ↔ value map fit

1. April Dunford — Obviously Awesome (default first choice)

Core insight: positioning is context-setting — you choose the frame of reference that makes your strengths obvious. Five components: competitive alternatives (what customers do if you didn't exist — often "a spreadsheet" or "nothing"), unique attributes (only you have), value (what those attributes let customers do that they care about), target customers (for whom that value is most acute), market category (the frame that makes the value intuitive). Run in this order — the order matters:

1. List the true competitive alternatives.
2. Isolate the attributes unique to you vs. those alternatives.
3. Map each attribute to the value it delivers.
4. Determine who cares about that value most — that's your best-fit segment.
5. Find the market category/frame that makes your value obvious to that segment.
6. (Optional) Layer a relevant trend on top to feel current. The genius is step 5 — the wrong category buries your strengths; the right one makes them self-evident.

2. Geoffrey Moore — Classic Positioning Statement (Crossing the Chasm)

The canonical output template. Don't start here — fill it in after a process like Dunford's, or it goes generic.

For [target customer] who [statement of need/opportunity], [product] is a [product category] that [key benefit / compelling reason to buy]. Unlike [primary competitive alternative], our product [primary differentiation].

3. Ries & Trout — Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind (1981)

Less a process, more a set of laws — use as the focusing lens: what one word do we want to own?

• The mind is the battleground; you can't change reality, only perception.
• Own a single word or idea (Volvo = safety).
• Being first beats being better — if you can't be first in a category, create one you can be first in.
• Find the open position — the gap competitors haven't claimed.
• Reposition the competition — define them so there's room for you.

4. Jobs-to-Be-Done — Christensen / Klement

Position around the job the customer hires you to do, not demographics or features. Pairs beautifully with Dunford (it sharpens competitive alternatives + value):

1. Identify the core functional job (e.g. "ship more ad creative without a designer").
2. Surface the emotional and social jobs riding alongside (look competent to my boss, feel in control).
3. Map what people currently hire to do that job (the agency, the freelancer, doing nothing).
4. Position explicitly against that incumbent and the struggling moments it creates.

5. Category Design — Play Bigger

The most ambitious system: don't position within a category — create and name a new one, then become its obvious king ("marketing automation," "data observability"). High-risk, high-reward; only worth it with a genuinely new way of seeing the problem (otherwise you fund educating a market that helps competitors too).

1. Identify a category insight — a problem the market has no language for yet.
2. Name and frame the category (the POV / point of view).
3. Design the company, product, and GTM to evangelize that category.
4. Capture it with a "lightning strike" launch moment.

6. Value Proposition Canvas — Strategyzer

A tactical companion (feeds positioning; not full positioning). Map two sides until they fit:

• Customer profile: jobs, pains, gains.
• Value map: your products, pain relievers, gain creators. Great for the evidence-gathering phase before you commit to a position.

Discovery Process

Phase 1: Purpose & Values

• Q1 Origin Story: "Why did you start this company? What problem made you say 'someone needs to fix this'?"
• Q2 Impact Vision: "If you succeed wildly, what changes in the world? What do customers become?"
• Q3 Non-Negotiables: "What would you never do, even if profitable? What lines won't you cross?"
• Q4 Decision Lens: "When you face a hard choice, what principles guide you?"

Phase 2: Audience Definition

• Q5 Ideal Customer: "Describe your best customer — not demographics, but their mindset, frustrations, and aspirations."
• Q6 Emotional State: "When someone finds you, what state are they in?" — Frustrated (seeking relief) · Ambitious (seeking growth) · Confused (seeking clarity) · Skeptical (seeking proof) · Overwhelmed (seeking simplicity)
• Q7 Alternatives: "If you didn't exist, what would they do instead? (Competitor, DIY, nothing)"

Phase 3: Personality & Tone

• Q8 Human Traits: "If your brand were a person at a dinner party, how would others describe them?" — Pick 3–5: Bold, Friendly, Professional, Playful, Sophisticated, Rebellious, Trustworthy, Innovative, Warm, Direct, Quirky, Authoritative, Approachable, Provocative
• Q9 Not This: "What personality would be WRONG for your brand? What should you never sound like?"
• Q10 Reference Brands: "Name 2–3 brands whose personality you admire (any industry)."

Phase 4: Differentiation

• Q11 Unique Value: "What can you honestly claim that competitors cannot?"
• Q12 Proof: "What evidence supports your unique claim? (Results, approach, team, technology)"

Framework Application

Brand Purpose Framework

Format: We exist to [impact] by [approach] for [audience]. Test: Does it pass the "so what" test 3 times?

• "We make software" → So what?
• "So teams collaborate better" → So what?
• "So companies ship faster" → So what?
• "So innovation accelerates" ← Purpose level

Values Framework

Each value needs:

Component	What It Answers
Name	What we call this value (1–2 words)
Meaning	What it actually means to us
Behavior	How it shows up in decisions
Anti-pattern	What violating this looks like

Example:

• Value: Radical Transparency
• Meaning: We share context, not just conclusions
• Behavior: Public roadmaps, open pricing, honest limitations
• Anti-pattern: Hidden fees, vague messaging, overselling

Personality Framework

Map each trait to communication implications:

Trait	Meaning	Voice Implication	Design Implication
Bold	We take stands	Declarative statements	High contrast, strong type
Warm	We care personally	Conversational tone	Soft colors, friendly imagery
Direct	We don't waste time	Short sentences	Clean layouts, clear CTAs

Positioning Statement

Classic format:

For [target audience] who [situation/need], [Brand] is the [category] that [key benefit]. Unlike [alternatives], we [differentiator] because [reason to believe].

Part	Purpose	Example
Target audience	Specificity signals fit	"For early-stage founders"
Situation/need	Context triggers relevance	"who need to ship fast without a dev team"
Category	Mental filing cabinet	"a no-code platform"
Key benefit	Primary value delivered	"that turns ideas into products in days"
Alternatives	Competitive frame	"Unlike agencies or hiring developers"
Differentiator	Unique advantage	"we combine templates with expert guidance"
Reason to believe	Proof/credibility	"backed by 500+ successful launches"

Output Format

# BRAND POSITIONING: [Brand Name]

*Strategic foundation document v1.0*

---

## Brand Essence

**One-liner:** [10 words capturing the brand]

**Purpose:** [Why we exist]

**Promise:** [What we guarantee]

---

## Brand Values

| Value | Meaning | How It Shows Up |
|-------|---------|-----------------|
| [Value 1] | [What it means to us] | [Behavioral example] |
| [Value 2] | [What it means to us] | [Behavioral example] |
| [Value 3] | [What it means to us] | [Behavioral example] |

### Values in Action

**Hiring:** We look for [traits aligned with values]
**Product:** We prioritize [features/experiences aligned with values]
**Support:** We respond with [approach aligned with values]

---

## Target Audience

### Primary ICP

**Who:** [Specific description]
**Pain:** [What frustrates them]
**Desire:** [What they want to become]
**Trigger:** [What makes them seek solutions]
**Emotional State:** [How they feel when they find us]

### What They Believe

- [Belief 1 - something they already think that makes them receptive]
- [Belief 2]
- [Belief 3]

### What They're Tired Of

- [Frustration 1 with alternatives]
- [Frustration 2]
- [Frustration 3]

---

## Brand Personality

### Traits

| Trait | Description | Voice Implication |
|-------|-------------|-------------------|
| [Trait 1] | [What this means] | [How it sounds] |
| [Trait 2] | [What this means] | [How it sounds] |
| [Trait 3] | [What this means] | [How it sounds] |

### We Are / We Are Not

| We Are | We Are Not |
|--------|------------|
| [Positive trait] | [Opposite/extreme] |
| [Positive trait] | [Opposite/extreme] |
| [Positive trait] | [Opposite/extreme] |

### If We Were...

- **A person:** [Description - age, profession, how they'd act at a party]
- **A celebrity:** [Name and why]
- **A car:** [Brand/model and why]

---

## Competitive Position

### Market Context

**Category:** [What we are]
**Alternatives:** [What customers use instead]
**Our Lane:** [Where we uniquely fit]

### Differentiation

**What we do differently:** [Key differentiator]
**Why it matters:** [Customer benefit]
**Why believable:** [Proof points]

---

## Positioning Statement

> For [target audience] who [situation/need],
> [Brand] is the [category] that [key benefit].
> Unlike [alternatives], we [differentiator]
> because [reason to believe].

### Variations

**Elevator Pitch (30 sec):**
"[Audience] struggle with [problem]. Most [alternatives] try [their approach], but [weakness]. We're different—we [unique approach] so you [outcome]."

**Tweet-Length:**
"[Hook] + [benefit] + [differentiator]" (140 chars)

**Tagline:**
"[3-5 words that capture essence]"

---

## Strategic Guardrails

### Always

- [Behavior/approach we commit to]
- [Behavior/approach we commit to]
- [Behavior/approach we commit to]

### Never

- [Line we won't cross]
- [Line we won't cross]
- [Line we won't cross]

---

## Using This Document

| When Creating | Reference |
|---------------|-----------|
| Marketing copy | Purpose, personality, positioning statement |
| Product decisions | Values, target audience beliefs |
| Visual design | Personality traits, "If we were..." |
| Voice guide | Personality, We Are/We Are Not |
| Sales messaging | Positioning variations, differentiation |
| Hiring | Values, guardrails |

---

## Next Steps

1. [ ] Share with team for alignment
2. [ ] Create brand-voice.md using personality section
3. [ ] Run competitive-positioning to sharpen differentiation
4. [ ] Update homepage to reflect positioning
5. [ ] Review quarterly - positioning evolves

File Output

Save to: docs/brand-positioning.md or .claude/brand-positioning.md.

Offer to create related documents:

• brand-voice.md — Invoke brand-voice skill with personality as input
• Run competitive-positioning — Sharpen differentiation with research

Quality Standards

• Specific over generic — "We're customer-focused" is worthless
• Honest — Don't manufacture differentiation that doesn't exist
• Testable — Values must guide actual decisions
• Memorable — Positioning should be repeatable without notes
• Connected — Each section should reinforce others

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

Anti-Pattern	Problem	Fix
"We value excellence"	Every company claims this	What specific behavior does this require?
"For everyone who..."	No positioning power	Narrow to specific audience segment
"We're the best"	Unverifiable claim	What specific advantage makes you better?
"Innovative solutions"	Meaningless buzzword	What specifically do you do differently?
7+ values	Unactionable	Prioritize to 3–5 that actually guide decisions

Integration with Other Skills

After creating positioning:

1. brand-voice — Feed personality traits to create voice guide
2. competitive-positioning — Research competitors against your differentiation
3. ux-brief — Reference personality for visual design direction
4. style-guide/new — Use brand context for writing style decisions
5. landing-page-builder — Apply positioning to page copy