Case Studies with a Plot — Playbook #2
Case Studies with a Plot — Playbook #2. If your brand feels fuzzy to you, it’s fog to your audience. Let’s make it obvious and repeatable.
Positioning is the place you occupy in the buyer’s mind relative to alternatives.
Steps
- Define the audience and their stakes — Name who loses what if nothing changes; real stakes sharpen choices.
- State the promise in plain words — Avoid poetry; say the outcome a buyer can point to later.
- Document decisions in one page — People use what they can read in two minutes.
- Design constraints before concepts — Constraints produce coherence; they are not creative jail.
Why this matters: Name who loses what if nothing changes; real stakes sharpen choices. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Why this matters: Avoid poetry; say the outcome a buyer can point to later. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Why this matters: People use what they can read in two minutes. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Why this matters: Constraints produce coherence; they are not creative jail. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Toolkit
- Palette tokens — CSS variables / design tokens for color and spacing across apps.
- Positioning line — For [audience] who struggle with [problem], we deliver [outcome], proven by [proof].
- Voice ladder — From formal to playful with examples for each channel.
How to use it: CSS variables / design tokens for color and spacing across apps. Save the final in a shared doc; link from tickets so execution matches intent.
How to use it: For [audience] who struggle with [problem], we deliver [outcome], proven by [proof]. Save the final in a shared doc; link from tickets so execution matches intent.
How to use it: From formal to playful with examples for each channel. Save the final in a shared doc; link from tickets so execution matches intent.
Example
A dev‑tools startup replaced clever taglines with a plain promise and saw demo requests up 34% in six weeks.
Common Pitfalls & Fixes
- Guides nobody reads — One page first. Depth later. Adoption beats length.
- Collecting adjectives — Translate adjectives into constraints (type size, palette count, tone limits).
- Feature soup — Group features by outcomes buyers feel; features support, outcomes sell.
- Logo first — Write positioning before pixels; a logo is a receipt for choices.
Fix: One page first. Depth later. Adoption beats length. Add it to your operating checklist so teams don’t drift next sprint.
Related Articles
- Taglines: Short, Sharp, True — Case Files #2
- Brand Audits in 60 Minutes — Field Notes #2
- LinkedIn Content That Doesn’t Cringe — Case Files #2
- Naming: Memorable Without Being Cute — Playbook #2
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