Positioning Traps (and Fixes) — Deep Dive #2
Positioning Traps (and Fixes) — Deep Dive #2. We’ll turn instincts into a system you can run every week.
Templates reduce decisions so teams ship on time with the same quality.
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.
- List three proof points — Social, data, demos. Proof turns belief into trust.
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.
Why this matters: Social, data, demos. Proof turns belief into trust. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Toolkit
- Voice ladder — From formal to playful with examples for each channel.
- Messaging blocks — Headline • subhead • bullets • CTA mapped to page sections.
- 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.
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: Headline • subhead • bullets • CTA mapped to page sections. 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.
Example
A dev‑tools startup replaced clever taglines with a plain promise and saw demo requests up 34% in six weeks.
Related Articles
- Palette Systems: Color With a Job — Field Notes #2
- A Visual Identity You Can Scale — Pro Tips #2
- Personas That Don’t Lie — Case Files #2
- ICP vs Buyer Persona: What’s the Difference? — Field Notes #2
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