# Brand messaging architecture Human Guide ## What This Is For Quick reference for developing brand messaging, value propositions, and brand pillars using established methodologies from leading strategists. It gives the agent a clearer input/output frame for brand and messaging: what context to ask for, what decisions to make, and what usable artifact to return. Use this as a human-readable version of the Brand messaging architecture agent skill. It is meant for marketers, operators, founders, and other non-coders who want the workflow without reading agent-specific implementation instructions. ## When To Use This - Use this when you need a repeatable process for brand messaging architecture. - Use this when the task needs judgment, examples, constraints, or a clear output format rather than a one-off prompt. - Use this when you want to hand an AI assistant enough context to produce a usable marketing artifact. ## When Not To Use This - Do not use this when you only need a quick factual answer. - Do not use this when the work depends on private data you cannot share with the assistant. - Do not use this as a replacement for legal, compliance, financial, or medical review. ## What You Need Before Starting - The goal or business outcome you want. - The audience, customer segment, or market context. - Any source material the assistant should respect, such as notes, briefs, examples, URLs, or brand guidance. - Constraints such as tone, length, channel, deadline, region, or approval requirements. - A clear definition of what a good final answer should look like. ## Step-By-Step Workflow 1. State the job clearly: "Use the Brand messaging architecture guide to help me with..." 2. Add context: audience, goal, offer, channel, source material, and constraints. 3. Ask the assistant to identify missing inputs before producing the final output. 4. Have the assistant follow the skill-specific guidance below. 5. Review the result against the final checklist and ask for revisions where needed. ## Skill-Specific Guidance - Positioning determines WHAT makes you different - Messaging translates that into WHAT you say - Value Proposition explains WHAT customers gain - Start with Customer Profile — deeply understand jobs, pains, gains - Map your offering to show how you address each - Identify where pain relievers and gain creators align most strongly - This intersection IS your value proposition - People don't buy a drill because they want a drill - They hire a drill to make a hole - They want the hole to hang a picture - They want the picture to feel at home - The "job" cascades from functional → emotional ## Decision Points And Nuance The original skill emphasizes: Key Distinction: Positioning vs. Messaging vs. Value Proposition, The Messaging House Framework, Peep Laja's Message Layers Framework, Value Proposition Canvas (Osterwalder), Jobs-to-be-Done (Clayton Christensen), Geoffrey Moore Positioning Statement, April Dunford's Five Components of Positioning, Andy Raskin's Strategic Narrative, Donald Miller's StoryBrand Framework (SB7), David Aaker's Three Types of Benefits. Use these questions to steer the work: - What is the intended audience or buyer? - What source material must be preserved? - What should the assistant optimize for: clarity, persuasion, accuracy, speed, creativity, or conversion? - What examples represent the desired quality bar? - What should the assistant avoid? ## Common Mistakes - │ The single most important thing you │ - Based on thousands of B2B message tests. Each layer must be addressed in order: - > **Critical Insight**: You must clear each layer before the next one matters. Brilliant differentiation means nothing if prospects don't first understand what you are. - > "Customers don't buy products. They 'hire' products to do a job for them." - People don't buy a drill because they want a drill - **That Helps Them Avoid Failure**... - **Skipping the Clarity layer** — Differentiation means nothing if they don't understand what you are - **Static messaging** — Never updating as market and customers evolve ## Copy-And-Paste Prompt ```text Use the Brand messaging architecture human guide. My goal: [Describe the business outcome] Audience: [Describe who this is for] Context and source material: [Paste notes, examples, links, or existing copy] Constraints: [Tone, length, channel, timeline, must-include items, must-avoid items] Before producing the final output, ask me for any missing information that would materially improve the result. ``` ## Final Checklist - [ ] The output matches the original goal. - [ ] The audience and context are reflected in the answer. - [ ] Important constraints and source material were preserved. - [ ] The assistant made the relevant decisions explicit. - [ ] The final artifact is ready to use, review, or hand to the next person. ## Source This guide was generated from the mike-coulbourn/claude-vibes skill entry for `brand-messaging-architecture`. ## Source Skill Notes These notes preserve the nuance from the original skill. Use them as supporting reference when the workflow above feels too generic. # Brand Messaging Architecture Framework Quick reference for developing brand messaging, value propositions, and brand pillars using established methodologies from leading strategists. > "A brand is not what you say it is. It's what THEY say it is." — Marty Neumeier --- ## Key Distinction: Positioning vs. Messaging vs. Value Proposition | Element | Definition | Answers | Audience | |---------|------------|---------|----------| | **Positioning** | Strategic foundation for perception | "Why choose us?" | Internal | | **Messaging** | Content and narratives communicating positioning | "What do we say?" | External | | **Value Proposition** | Promise of value delivered to customers | "What do I get?" | External | **How They Work Together**: - Positioning determines WHAT makes you different - Messaging translates that into WHAT you say - Value Proposition explains WHAT customers gain --- ## The Messaging House Framework The most popular visual framework for organizing messages hierarchically: ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ THE ROOF │ │ [Core Message / Value Proposition] │ │ The single most important thing you │ │ want audiences to remember │ └─────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ ┌────────────────────┼────────────────────┐ │ │ │ ▼ ▼ ▼ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ │ PILLAR 1│ │ PILLAR 2│ │ PILLAR 3│ │ [Theme] │ │ [Theme] │ │ [Theme] │ │ WHY to │ │ WHY to │ │ WHY to │ │ believe │ │ believe │ │ believe │ └────┬────┘ └────┬────┘ └────┬────┘ │ │ │ ▼ ▼ ▼ [Proof Points] [Proof Points] [Proof Points] Evidence Evidence Evidence │ ┌────────────────┴────────────────────┐ │ THE FOUNDATION │ │ [Purpose, Vision, Values] │ │ The deeper WHY behind │ │ everything │ └─────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` --- ## Peep Laja's Message Layers Framework Based on thousands of B2B message tests. Each layer must be addressed in order: | Layer | Question | What to Do | Example | |-------|----------|------------|---------| | **1. Clarity** | "What is it?" | Lead with category; simple language | "Marketing automation software" NOT "Next-gen growth enablement platform" | | **2. Relevance** | "Is it for me?" | Address specific pain points | "For marketing teams drowning in manual campaign work" | | **3. Value** | "What do I get?" | Core benefits and outcomes | "Automate 80% of repetitive tasks and launch campaigns 3x faster" | | **4. Differentiation** | "Why you over alternatives?" | What makes you uniquely better | "The only platform built specifically for Shopify merchants" | > **Critical Insight**: You must clear each layer before the next one matters. Brilliant differentiation means nothing if prospects don't first understand what you are. --- ## Value Proposition Canvas (Osterwalder) The most widely used framework for developing value propositions: ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────────────────┐