# Positioning worksheet

- Source: https://simeoncreatives.com/resources/positioning-worksheet
- Hub: Branding & Creative Strategy

Fill this before a designer picks a typeface. Positioning is four lines a buyer can repeat. Adjectives are not positioning.

Write bad first drafts. Then cut until a stranger could say the unique value proposition (UVP) after one read.
If two services fight for the hero line, pick one for 90 days. The other can live in the nav.

```mermaid
flowchart TD
    Who["Who"] --> Job["Job"]
    Job --> Alt["Instead of"]
    Alt --> Why["Why us"]
    Why --> UVP["One sentence"]
```
*If you need a paragraph, you have a brochure. Keep cutting.*

## The four lines

| Line | Write it here | Fail if |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Who |  | Everyone, or “SMEs” with no size or trigger |
| Job |  | A list of deliverables instead of an outcome |
| Instead of |  | A rival you made up, or “bad designers” |
| Why us |  | Passionate, innovative, full-service |

- [ ] Who: role + situation
  Example: Export brand marketing lead whose site cannot close the identity they already paid for.
- [ ] Job: what changes for them
  Example: Brand system and conversion site as one engagement, so campaigns and the URL match.
- [ ] Instead of: the default they will pick if you vanish
  Example: A logo vendor plus a separate web shop, or waiting another year.
- [ ] Why us: a constraint you actually keep
  Example: Indexable HTML, named process, work they can click.

## The sentence

Pattern: We help [who] [job] so they can [outcome], unlike [alternative]. Then delete words until it fits on a homepage without shrinking the type to 14px.

- [ ] UVP drafted in one sentence
- [ ] Read it to someone outside the company. They can repeat the job
- [ ] Homepage hero can use this sentence without a second paragraph of apology
- [ ] One URL that proves it (work piece, article, live site)

## Refuse list

- [ ] Who we will politely decline this quarter
- [ ] Claims we will not print (awards we do not have, results we did not measure)
- [ ] Visual cousins we will not resemble (name three live sites)

## Related guides

- [Brand positioning in a crowded market](https://simeoncreatives.com/blog/brand-positioning-framework)
- [Architecting brand voice and messaging](https://simeoncreatives.com/blog/architecting-brand-voice-messaging)
- [90-day growth sprint for one offer](https://simeoncreatives.com/blog/ninety-day-growth-sprint-one-offer)