| name | positioning |
| description | Use when the user wants to define, refine, or stress-test their product positioning, brand identity, or competitive framing. Also use when the user mentions 'positioning,' 'how we're different,' 'value proposition,' 'competitive alternatives,' 'brand strategy,' 'community,' 'mission,' or 'who is this for.' |
Positioning
Positioning is not a tagline. It's the decision about which context makes your product obviously the right choice for the right buyer. Everything downstream depends on positioning being correct first.
The Two-Layer Stack
Layer 1 — Positioning (April Dunford): How does this product fit into the market? What category does it win in? For whom is it obviously the best choice?
Layer 2 — Brand philosophy (Seth Godin): What does this brand believe? Who does it lead? What story does the customer tell themselves?
Layer 1: April Dunford's Positioning Framework
The 5 Components
1. Competitive Alternatives — What would the customer do if this product didn't exist? Not the feature-by-feature competitor list. The actual alternatives: Excel, hiring someone, doing nothing.
2. Unique Attributes — What does this product have that alternatives genuinely lack? Must be specific, verifiable, and differentiating.
3. Value from Attributes — For each unique attribute: what outcome does it enable? Attribute → capability → customer outcome.
4. Best-Fit Customer Characteristics — Who benefits most? Defined behaviorally: what situation are they in? What do they value? What alternatives do they use?
5. Positioning Statement:
For [best-fit customers] who [situation/need],
[product] is the [category frame]
that [unique value].
Unlike [competitive alternatives],
[product] [key differentiator].
Positioning Stress-Tests
| Test | Pass condition |
|---|
| The swap test | Swap in a competitor's name — does it still work? (If yes, differentiation is too weak.) |
| The alternative test | Does the positioning clearly explain why this wins against each top alternative? |
| The best-fit test | Would 3 best-fit customers say "that's exactly what I need"? |
| The sales test | Would a salesperson say "I can work with this"? |
Layer 2: Seth Godin's Brand Philosophy
Smallest Viable Audience
Find the smallest audience that would truly miss the brand if it disappeared. Build for them obsessively.
The Brand Promise
The one thing a customer is guaranteed to get every time. About consistency, not aspiration.
The Purple Cow
Remarkability is not optional. Before any campaign: is there anything here worth remarking on? If no: brand strategy work must happen before the campaign.
Generosity Strategy
- What category knowledge does this brand have that competitors charge for?
- What can the brand teach that makes customers better at their jobs?
- What community resource can the brand create that would exist even if the product didn't?
Key Messages Architecture
Primary claim: [single sentence capturing the positioned value]
Support points:
- Claim: [support point] | Proof: [specific evidence]
Objections:
- Objection: [top objection] | Response: [positioning-grounded response]
Segments:
- Segment: [ICP] | Tailored claim: [how primary claim is reframed for this segment]
Common Rationalizations
| Rationalization | Reality |
|---|
| "Our positioning is our tagline" | A tagline is the output of positioning, not the positioning itself. |
| "We position differently to different segments" | You have one positioning. You may have segment-specific messaging derived from it. |
| "The competitive alternatives are just the named competitors" | What the customer would do if the product didn't exist often isn't the obvious competitor. |
| "Positioning is marketing's job" | Positioning is a company-wide decision. Sales, product, and marketing must all live in it. |
Verification
