# Brand Positioning Statement > Crafts brand positioning statements with target audience, category, point of difference, reason to believe, and competitive context. Use when defining how your brand stands apart. - Skill: `reaperinvest/brand-positioning-statement` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add reaperinvest/brand-positioning-statement` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/reaperinvest/brand-positioning-statement/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Marketing & Growth - Author: reaperinvest (https://skillmd.com/u/reaperinvest) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/reaperinvest/brand-positioning-statement --- # Brand Positioning Statement ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when you need to: - Define or refine your brand's positioning in the market - Create a positioning statement for internal alignment - Differentiate your brand from competitors - Establish a foundation for marketing messaging and brand strategy **DO NOT** use this skill for taglines, ad copy, or full brand strategy documents. This is for the core positioning statement that guides all downstream messaging. --- ## Core Principle POSITIONING IS NOT WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT — IT IS THE SPACE YOU OWN IN YOUR CUSTOMER'S MIND. A POSITIONING STATEMENT DEFINES THAT SPACE WITH PRECISION. --- ## Phase 1: Brief ### Required Inputs | Input | What to Ask | Default | |-------|------------|---------| | **Product/brand** | "What are you positioning?" | Must be provided | | **Target audience** | "Who is your ideal customer? Be specific." | Must be provided | | **Category** | "What market category do you compete in?" | Must be provided | | **Competitors** | "Name your top 3 competitors and what they are known for." | Must be provided | | **Key benefit** | "What is the #1 benefit you deliver that competitors do not?" | Must be provided | | **Proof points** | "What evidence supports your claim? (data, features, experience, testimonials)" | Must be provided | **GATE: Confirm brief before drafting.** --- ## Phase 2: Draft ### Positioning Statement Framework Use this classic structure: **For [target audience] who [need/want], [brand] is the [category] that [key benefit] because [reason to believe].** ### Drafting Process 1. Write 3 versions using different angles on the key benefit 2. Test each version against the competition — does it clearly differentiate? 3. Check for specificity — replace any word that could apply to a competitor 4. Verify the claim is believable and defensible ### Supporting Elements Beyond the core statement, also draft: - **Brand promise** — the one-sentence commitment to customers - **Point of difference** — the single most important differentiator - **Reason to believe** — proof that the difference is real - **Brand personality** — 3-5 adjectives that define the brand character **GATE: Present 3 positioning statement options and wait for selection.** --- ## Phase 3: Refine ### Deliverables **1. Final Positioning Statement** - Core statement polished and finalized - Each component labeled (target, category, benefit, proof) - 25-word and 50-word versions for different contexts **2. Competitive Positioning Map** - 2x2 matrix plotting your brand vs. competitors on the two most relevant dimensions - Clear visual showing the space you own **3. Messaging Hierarchy** - How the positioning flows into headline-level messages - 3 supporting messages that ladder up to the core positioning - Proof points mapped to each supporting message **4. Usage Guide** - Where to use the positioning statement (internal only — not customer-facing verbatim) - How it translates to customer-facing copy (website, ads, sales conversations) - What it means for product decisions and partnerships --- ## Phase 4: Polish ### Validation Questions Before finalizing, test the statement against: - Does this describe ONLY your brand, or could a competitor say the same thing? - Would your ideal customer care about this positioning? - Can you deliver on this promise consistently? - Does it still work if your product line expands? ### Review Cadence Revisit positioning annually or when: entering a new market, launching a major new product, or when a competitor shifts the landscape. --- ## Example 1: SaaS Project Management Tool **For** freelance creative professionals **who** juggle multiple client projects simultaneously, **ProjectFlow** is the **project management tool** that **keeps every deliverable, deadline, and client conversation in one visual workspace** because **it was built by freelancers who understand the chaos of client work, not corporate project management.** ## Example 2: Premium Meal Kit Service **For** busy professionals **who** want to eat well without meal planning, **FreshPlate** is the **meal kit service** that **delivers chef-designed meals ready in 15 minutes with zero prep** because **every recipe is tested by professional chefs for speed without sacrificing restaurant-quality flavor.** --- ## Anti-Patterns - **Positioning as everything** — "The best, fastest, cheapest, most innovative" is positioning as nothing. Choose one dimension to own. - **Generic benefit claims** — "High quality" and "great customer service" are not differentiators. Everyone claims them. - **Ignoring the competition** — positioning exists relative to alternatives. If you do not know your competitors, you cannot differentiate. - **Customer-facing verbatim** — the positioning statement is an internal strategy tool. It should inform copy, not BE the copy. - **Positioning to impress, not to clarify** — jargon-filled statements impress nobody. If your team cannot repeat it from memory, simplify. --- ## Recovery - **Cannot identify a differentiator:** Ask "Why did your last 5 customers choose you over alternatives?" The answer is usually your positioning. - **Differentiator is easily copied:** Look for compound differentiators — the combination of two things that individually are not unique but together create a defensible position. - **Positioning feels too narrow:** Narrow is good. You can always expand later. Trying to appeal to everyone results in appealing to no one. - **Team disagrees on positioning:** Run the exercise independently with each stakeholder, then compare. Overlap areas are your strongest positioning candidates.