/58-positioning-global

name: 58-positioning-global
description: "Use when positioning needs defining or sharpening — a statement built on Promise, Proof, and Path, a differentiation matrix against competitors, category entry points, a three-level message hierarchy, and tagline directions. Trigger on 'positioning', 'positioning statement', 'what makes us different', 'USP', 'why should customers choose us over them', 'we sound the same as everyone else'. Also use when the user can list features but not a reason to pick them. Not for — competitor teardown research, see `08-competitor-research-global`; how the brand sounds in writing, see `35-brand-voice-global`; the offer and its value stack, see `31-offer-design-global`; the launch built on it, see `59-go-to-market-global`."
metadata:
  version: 1.0.1
  category: strategy
license: MIT
triggers:
  - "positioning"
  - "positioning statement"
  - "brand positioning"
  - "differentiation"
  - "USP"
  - "why should customers choose us"
  - "repositioning"
  - "brand message"
  - "category entry points"
output: "File .md — positioning statement (Promise + Proof + Path), differentiation matrix, category entry points, 3-level message hierarchy, tagline directions"
related:
  - product-marketing-context-global
  - 08-competitor-research-global
  - 09-customer-insight-global
  - 31-offer-design-global
  - 59-go-to-market-global
  - 02-campaign-brief-global

Positioning (Global)

> Positioning is not a pretty tagline. It is an explicit decision: who you serve, what you solve, and who you beat. Sharp positioning gives content an angle, ads a hook, and the team one story. Vague positioning makes everything generic. Run `08-competitor-research-global` and `09-customer-insight-global` first if you do not yet have competitor data and customer insight.

Information gathering

Read `.agents/product-marketing-context-global.md` and the Brand Hub if available. If missing, ask up to 4 questions:

1. **What is the product or service** — what concrete result does the buyer get, at what price, in what category? 2. **Who buys today and why** (ask real customers, do not guess)? What words do they use when they recommend you to someone else? 3. **How are the main competitors positioned** — what is their message, and what are their strengths and weaknesses? 4. **Where are you genuinely better** (with evidence)? Where are you genuinely worse, so you avoid positioning into a weak spot?

Principles

1. **Positioning requires a choice.** You cannot be cheapest, most premium, and fastest at the same time. Pick one lead direction and accept losing the others. 2. **Every claim needs proof.** Differentiation without evidence is a slogan. Buyers do not believe it, and under FTC substantiation rules an advertised claim needs supporting evidence on file before it runs. 3. **Know who you are NOT for.** Naming the segment you do not serve sharpens the message and stops budget waste. 4. **Positioning is stable, messaging is flexible.** Review positioning every 6 months as the market and competitors move. Campaign messaging can change; positioning should not change monthly. 5. **Feature to value to message.** Do not sell the feature ("real-time dashboard"). Convert it to value ("know today whether you are profitable"), then to a message that lands emotionally ("stop finding out at month end that you were losing money").

Workflow

1. Pick a positioning strategy

Six common directions — choose the one your real strengths can defend:

| Strategy | Description | Example message direction | |----------|-------------|---------------------------| | By attribute | Lead on one distinctive property | "The only CRM built for field service teams" | | By price and quality | Premium, or value-for-money | "Agency-grade creative at in-house cost" | | By use case | Own a specific situation | "Built for teams shipping weekly, not quarterly" | | By user | Aim at one narrow buyer | "For solo founders doing their own marketing" | | By category | Category creator or leader | "The first compliance layer for AI agents" | | Against a competitor | Define yourself by contrast | "Not another course. A working system." |

Define your category: narrow enough to win, wide enough to have a market.

2. Write the positioning statement

Two layers, use both:

**Layer 1 — Full statement (internal, used in every brief):**

For [target audience] — people who [specific pain or desire],
[brand/product] is the [category]
that helps them [core outcome],
unlike [competitor or alternative], because [real differentiator].

**Layer 2 — Promise + Proof + Path (for content, sales, and landing pages):**

| Component | Question | Example (DTC skincare) | |-----------|----------|------------------------| | Promise | What do you commit to, based on real customer insight? | "Know exactly what your skin needs before you spend on the wrong products" — not "effective skincare" | | Proof | What evidence shows the promise is real? | Verified before/after photos, dermatologist review, third-party ingredient testing, published pricing with no hidden fees | | Path | What steps does the buyer walk to get the promise? | 1. Free skin quiz > 2. Personal routine > 3. Follow the routine > 4. Reassess at 8 weeks |

The Promise fails if it is generic. The Path fails if the buyer cannot picture the next step.

3. Build the differentiation matrix

Pull data from `08-competitor-research-global`:

| Competitor / Alternative | Their positioning | Strengths | Weaknesses | How you differ (with proof) | |--------------------------|-------------------|-----------|------------|-----------------------------| | Competitor A | | | | | | Competitor B | | | | | | Alternative (DIY or do nothing) | | | | |

Then lock **3 real differentiators** — each a Claim plus its Proof:

| # | Claim | Proof / reason to believe | |---|-------|---------------------------| | 1 | | | | 2 | | | | 3 | | |

Primary differentiator: one sentence. This is what every piece