Personas That Don’t Lie — Guide #2
Personas That Don’t Lie — Guide #2. If your brand feels fuzzy to you, it’s fog to your audience. Let’s make it obvious and repeatable.
Words move markets when they mirror customer reality. Start where their risk lives.
Steps
- Design constraints before concepts — Constraints produce coherence; they are not creative jail.
- Document decisions in one page — People use what they can read in two minutes.
- State the promise in plain words — Avoid poetry; say the outcome a buyer can point to later.
- Define the audience and their stakes — Name who loses what if nothing changes; real stakes sharpen choices.
Why this matters: Constraints produce coherence; they are not creative jail. 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: 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: Name who loses what if nothing changes; real stakes sharpen choices. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Toolkit
- Voice ladder — From formal to playful with examples for each channel.
- Positioning line — For [audience] who struggle with [problem], we deliver [outcome], proven by [proof].
- Palette tokens — CSS variables / design tokens for color and spacing across apps.
- Messaging blocks — Headline • subhead • bullets • CTA mapped to page sections.
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.
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: 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: Headline • subhead • bullets • CTA mapped to page sections. Save the final in a shared doc; link from tickets so execution matches intent.
Related Articles
- Positioning Traps (and Fixes) — Pro Tips #2
- Messaging Hierarchy for Landing Pages
- Messaging Hierarchy for Landing Pages — Guide #2
- Value Proposition That Converts — Deep Dive #2
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