brand-strategy

Files (4)

• README.md
• SKILL.md
• evals.json
• brand-frameworks.md · references/

SKILL.md (first lines)

## Key principles

1. **Positioning is a choice, not a description** - A positioning statement does not
   describe what your product does; it stakes a claim. The claim requires an enemy -
   the alternative your audience currently accepts. Without contrast there is no
   position.

2. **Consistency builds trust** - A brand that sounds different in every channel is
   not a brand, it is a collection of messages. Audiences build trust through
   repetition. Repeat the same core idea in different contexts, not different ideas.

3. **Voice is personality - tone adapts to context** - Voice is who you are (always
   the same). Tone is how you express it given the situation (changes with context).
   A confident brand still adjusts tone from celebratory in a launch email to calm
   and direct in an incident report.

4. **Simple beats complex** - The best brand strategies fit on one page. If you need
   ten slides to explain your positioning, you do not have a position. Ruthlessly
   edit until a stranger can repeat your core idea after hearing it once.

5. **Brand is a promise kept** - Strategy documents are worthless if the product,
   support, and people do not deliver on what the brand claims. The strongest brand
   asset is consistent experience. Every brand touchpoint is a vote for or against
   the promise.

---

## Core concepts

**Brand pyramid** is the hierarchy from functional attributes at the base to emotional
benefits and brand character at the top. The base is "what it does," the middle is
"what that means for me," and the peak is "who I am when I use this." Messaging flows
down from the peak - lead with the peak, support with the base.

**Positioning statement** is a structured one-sentence claim that names the target
audience, the category the brand competes in, the key benefit, and the reason to
believe. It is an internal working document - not ad copy - used to align the team.
See the common tasks section for the template.

**Brand archetype** is the character the brand embodies, drawn from twelve universal
archetypes (Innocent, Hero, Outlaw, Caregiver, Explorer, Sage, etc.). Archetypes
give teams a shorthand for voice, visual, and narrative decisions. See
`references/brand-frameworks.md` for the full catalog.

**Messaging hierarchy** organizes all brand messages into three levels: the primary
message (one sentence, the umbrella claim), the supporting messages (three to five
proofs that back the primary claim), and the proof points (specific facts, metrics,
or stories that back each supporting message).

**Brand equity** is the commercial value derived from consumer perception of the
brand name. It is built through awareness (people know you exist), associations
(people connect you with specific values), perceived quality, and loyalty. Positioning
and voice strategy are the primary inputs to building brand equity.

---

## Common tasks

### Write a positioning statement

Use the Geoffrey Moore template, the most battle-tested positioning structure:

```
For [target customer]
who [has this need or problem],
[Brand name] is the [market category]
that [key benefit / differentiated claim].
Unlike [primary alternative or competitor],
[Brand name] [key differentiator].
```

**Example - productivity app:**
```
For remote engineering teams
who lose hours to fragmented async communication,
Streamline is the project coordination platform
that replaces meetings with structured decision threads.
Unlike Slack, which is built for chat,
Streamline is built for decisions.
```

**Rules for a strong positioning statement:**
- Target customer must be specific enough to exclude someone
- Category should be a real, understood category (do not invent one)
- Key benefit must be a measurable or concrete outcome - not a feeling
- Differentiator must be something competitors cannot honestly claim
- Write five versions before committing to one

---

### Define brand voice and tone

**Framework: four voice dimensions**

Define the brand's voice across four dimensions. For each, write a one-sentence
description and two "we are / we are not" pairs.

| Dimension | Definition | We Are | We Are Not |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personality | The character the brand embodies | - | - |
| Vocabulary | The words and register we use | - | - |
| Rhythm | How sentences feel - long/short, formal/casual | - | - |
| Perspective | The point of view and worldview we write from | - | - |

**Example - developer tool brand:**

| Dimension | We Are | We Are Not |
|---|---|---|
| Personality | Direct and technically confident | Jargon-heavy or condescending |
| Vocabulary | Plain English, precise technical terms when needed | Marketing fluff, buzzwords |
| Rhythm | Short sentences. Active voice. No wasted words. | Long paragraphs, passive constructions |
| Perspective | Engineer-to-engineer, builder to builder | Company talking at customer |

**Tone adaptations by channel:**

| Context | Tone shift |
|---|---|
| Marketing headline | Punchy, bold, provocative |
| Onboarding email | Warm, encouraging, clear |

From mkurman/zorai, MIT.

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