brand-positioning

Brand Positioning Architect

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

What This Creates

Relationship to Other Tools

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."

Discovery Process

Phase 1: Purpose & Values

Question 1: Origin Story "Why did you start this company? What problem made you say 'someone needs to fix this'?"

Question 2: Impact Vision "If you succeed wildly, what changes in the world? What do customers become?"

Question 3: Non-Negotiables "What would you never do, even if profitable? What lines won't you cross?"

Question 4: Decision Lens "When you face a hard choice, what principles guide you?"

Phase 2: Audience Definition

Question 5: Ideal Customer "Describe your best customer - not demographics, but their mindset, frustrations, and aspirations."

Question 6: 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)

Question 7: Alternatives "If you didn't exist, what would they do instead? (Competitor, DIY, nothing)"

Phase 3: Personality & Tone

Question 8: 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

Question 9: Not This "What personality would be WRONG for your brand? What should you never sound like?"

Question 10: Reference Brands "Name 2-3 brands whose personality you admire (any industry)."

Phase 4: Differentiation

Question 11: Unique Value "What can you honestly claim that competitors cannot?"

Question 12: 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:

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:

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].

Parts Explained:

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

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