positioning-sprint

name	positioning-sprint
description	Run a structured positioning and messaging exercise (April Dunford method) to produce a positioning statement and messaging hierarchy. Use for "position our product", "fix our messaging", "what's our positioning", or competitive repositioning.
compatibility	Designed for Vellum personal assistants — part of the marketing-expert plugin
metadata	{"emoji":"🎯","vellum":{"category":"marketing","display-name":"Positioning Sprint"}}

Run a rigorous positioning exercise and produce a positioning statement plus a messaging hierarchy. Anchor on April Dunford's method: positioning is built from competitive alternatives up, never from a tagline down.

Step graph

Step 1: Gather inputs

Ask only for what's missing (don't interrogate — infer from context where you can):

• Product/company and what it does.
• Competitive alternatives — what would the customer use if you didn't exist? Include the status quo / "do nothing".
• Unique attributes (capabilities the alternatives lack), the value those enable, the best-fit segment, and any proof points.

Step 2: Build the canvas

Call the positioning_brief tool with the gathered facts. It returns a Dunford canvas and a gap checklist.

Step 3: Close the gaps

For each item in gaps_to_close, ask the user or reason it out. Re-run positioning_brief if inputs changed materially. Do not proceed while alternatives, attributes, or target segment are empty.

Step 4: Synthesize

Produce:

1. Positioning statement — one sentence: "For [segment] who [need], [product] is a [category] that [key value], unlike [alternatives], because [unique attributes]."
2. Messaging hierarchy — umbrella message → 3 pillars → proof point per pillar.
3. Category frame — the market category and why it makes your strengths obvious.

Step 5: Pressure-test

Challenge it: would a skeptical buyer in your target segment believe it? Is the differentiation real or table-stakes? Flag weak claims. Recommend 1–2 next actions (e.g. update homepage hero, sales deck slide 2).

Keep the output board-ready: tight, specific, evidence-backed.