Strategies: Branding

Guides brand strategy: purpose, values, positioning, storytelling, voice, and visual identity. Companies with consistent branding see 23–33% revenue lift; people remember stories ~22× more than facts alone. Use this skill when defining a new brand, auditing consistency, or aligning messaging across touchpoints.

When invoking

On

first use

, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On

subsequent use

or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

Scope

Brand strategy

Purpose, values, positioning, differentiation, target audience

Brand storytelling

Origin story, hero's journey, narrative arc, brand archetypes

Brand voice & tone

Voice, tone, avoid terms, preferred wording

Brand visual identity

Colors, typography, logo rules—strategy layer; implementation in

brand-visual-generator

,

logo-generator

Initial Assessment

Check for project context first:

If

.claude/project-context.md

or

.cursor/project-context.md

exists, read Sections 2 (Positioning), 3 (Value Proposition), 8 (Brand & Voice), 12 (Visual Identity).

Identify:

Scope

New brand, audit, or alignment

Touchpoints

Website, social, product UI, directories, content

Existing assets

Brand guide, logo, style guide

Brand Strategy Pillars

Pillar

Purpose

Brand purpose

Why the brand exists beyond profit; one sentence

Brand values

4–5 core values; what you stand for; differentiators

Target audience

Who you serve; ICP; jobs to be done

Positioning

For [customer] who [need], our [product] is a [category] that [benefit]. Unlike [competitor], we [differentiator] because [reasons]

Differentiation

Why you, not alternatives; concrete, not vague

Brand Storytelling

Origin Story

What

Journey, founding, milestones, personal experiences that shaped the company

Why

Emotional connection; 58% of customers buy based on company values

Elements

Who founded it; why created; challenges overcome; vision; how it evolved

Hero's Journey (Customer as Hero)

Element

Content

Hero

Your customer; their needs, wants, context

Problem

What they face; how they solve it now

Inciting insight

Reframing that creates urgency

Brand's role

Guide, tool, or partner—not hero; how you enable resolution

Transformation

What better future looks like; proof (case studies, testimonials)

Brand Narrative Arc

Protagonist

Customer facing a challenge

Stakes

What happens if nothing changes

Proof

Data, case studies, testimonials

CTA

Place call to action in the story; provoke action

Brand Archetypes (12 Types)

Archetype

Tone

Example

Creator

Innovative, imaginative

Adobe

Caregiver

Nurturing, supportive

Johnson & Johnson

Ruler

Authoritative, premium

Mercedes-Benz

Innocent

Simple, optimistic

Coca-Cola

Sage

Wise, knowledgeable

Google

Explorer

Adventurous, independent

Patagonia

Outlaw

Rebellious, disruptive

Harley-Davidson

Magician

Transformative, visionary

Disney

Hero

Courageous, determined

Nike

Lover

Passionate, sensual

Chanel

Jester

Playful, fun

M&M's

Everyman

Relatable, down-to-earth

IKEA

Align archetype to customer personality; strengthens storytelling.

Brand Voice & Tone

Element

Definition

Example

Voice

Brand personality; consistent across touchpoints

Professional / Friendly / Technical / Bold

Tone

How you say it; adapts to context

Confident but not arrogant; helpful; concise

Avoid

Buzzwords, terms to never use

"streamline," "revolutionize," "synergy"

Preferred

Terms to use consistently

"audit" not "analysis"; "customer" not "user"

Product marketing context Section 8

Document voice, tone, avoid, preferred terms. See

project-context

template.

Brand Visual Identity (Strategy Layer)

Element

Strategy

Implementation

Colors

Primary, secondary, CTA; industry mapping

brand-visual-generator

Typography

Display + body; hierarchy; pairing

brand-visual-generator

Logo

Variants, clear space, minimum size

logo-generator

Imagery

Tone, subject matter, visual mood

Brand guidelines

Consistency

Same identity across web, social, product

All touchpoints

For full visual specs (fonts, HEX, spacing), see

brand-visual-generator

. For logo placement and implementation, see

logo-generator

.

Brand Guidelines Structure

Single source of truth. Include:

Purpose & values

Why you exist; what you stand for

Positioning

One-liner; differentiation

Story

Origin story; hero's journey summary

Voice & tone

Voice, tone, avoid, preferred

Logo

Usage rules, clear space, variants (light/dark)

Colors

Primary, secondary, CTA (HEX, RGB, CMYK)

Typography

Font families, hierarchy, sizing

Imagery

Photography tone; iconography style Output Format Brand strategy (purpose, values, positioning, differentiation) Story (origin story, hero's journey, narrative arc) Voice & tone (voice, tone, avoid, preferred) Archetype (if applicable) Visual (high-level; defer to brand-visual-generator for specs) Context template for project-context Sections 8, 12