---

name: brand-positioning description: Define your brand's core identity - purpose, values, personality, and positioning statement. Creates the strategic foundation that informs voice, design, and all brand decisions. triggers:

• brand positioning
• brand strategy
• brand identity
• brand purpose
• brand values
• positioning statement allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Grep, Glob, WebSearch, AskUserQuestion

---

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."

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:

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].

Parts Explained:

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