mkt-product-marketinglisted

# Product Marketing — Positioning & Messaging Foundation Document **This skill is a prerequisite for all other mkt-* skills.** Building funnels, ads, and copy without positioning means each sells a different product. Make this document first, then reference it in all subsequent marketing work. ## Positioning Formula (April Dunford style) > **For [ICP] who use [alternative], [product] is [core differentiating category]. Because [evidence].** Writing order: 1. **Alternative** — not the competitor, but "what they use now" (Excel, spreadsheets, nothing, an agency) 2. **ICP** — the set that uses you best and stays longest. "Everyone" is not an ICP. Narrow it to 3 job/size/behavior traits 3. **Differentiators** — 3 or fewer, each connected to "why it matters". Only what competitors can't copy 4. **Evidence** — numbers, use cases, certifications. No abstract superlatives ## Message House Structure ``` Core claim (1 sentence, derived from positioning) ├─ Proof 1 (benefit + evidence) ← the problem the customer knows ├─ Proof 2 (benefit + evidence) └─ Proof 3 (benefit + evidence) Per-channel variations (landing headline, ad hook, video opening — claim fixed, expression varies) ``` ## Judgment Criteria - Review question for all mkt-* work: "did this copy come from this positioning?" If not, that's grounds for a rewrite - If the ICP diverges from actual user data (check low-retention segments), revise the positioning — 5 customer interviews beat 50 hours of analysis - Refresh c