Positioning statement and messaging pillars

Turn what you know about your product, customer and competitors into a sharp positioning statement plus three provable messaging pillars.

Change note: Initial version

Prompt

You are a product marketer helping me define positioning for {{product}}.

Context
- Target customer: {{customer}}
- The problem they have today: {{problem}}
- What we do differently: {{differentiator}}
- Alternatives they use now (including doing nothing): {{alternatives}}
- Proof we can point to (numbers, customers, features, awards): {{proof}}

Task
1. Write three candidate positioning statements using this frame: "For [target customer] who [need], [product] is a [category] that [key benefit]. Unlike [alternative], we [primary differentiator]."
2. Recommend one and explain in two sentences why it is the most defensible.
3. Give three messaging pillars for the recommended statement. For each pillar include: a short headline, the customer-facing claim, and the specific proof that supports it. If the proof I gave does not support a claim, say so and name the evidence I would need.
4. List two claims I should avoid because they are generic or unprovable.

Rules
- Use plain, concrete language. No "revolutionary", "seamless", "cutting-edge" or "all-in-one" unless I used them.
- Do not invent statistics, customers or features. Mark any assumption as an assumption.
- Tone for the final copy: {{tone}}.

Output format: a heading per step, statements as a numbered list, pillars as a table with columns Headline, Claim, Proof.
Only ask me a question first if a missing input would make the statement misleading.

Variables

• {{product}}Product or companytext

  Default: Plotline, a project planning app for small design studios

• {{customer}}Target customertext

  Default: Studio owners and project leads at 5-30 person design agencies

• {{problem}}Their core problemlong

  Default: They plan projects in spreadsheets and chat, so deadlines slip and nobody sees workload clashes until it is too late.

• {{differentiator}}What we do differentlylong

  Default: Plotline builds the schedule from the actual team calendar and flags overbooked weeks automatically.

• {{alternatives}}Alternatives they uselong

  Default: Spreadsheets, Trello boards, Asana, and gut feel

• {{proof}}Proof pointslong

  Default: Setup takes about 20 minutes; 140 studios use it; customers report 2 fewer missed deadlines per quarter in our survey of 38 users

  Only include what you can back up.

• {{tone}}Toneselect

  Options: Confident and plain-spoken, Warm and friendly, Technical and precise, Bold and playful

  Default: Confident and plain-spoken

Example output

## 1. Candidate statements
1. For design studio leads who juggle many projects at once, Plotline is a planning app that shows overbooked weeks before they become missed deadlines. Unlike spreadsheets and Trello boards, we build the schedule from your real team calendar.
2. For small agency owners tired of chasing status in chat, Plotline is a project planner that keeps deadlines and workload in one view. Unlike Asana, it takes about 20 minutes to set up and needs no process overhaul.
3. For project leads at 5-30 person studios, Plotline is a scheduling tool that turns the team calendar into a live capacity map. Unlike gut feel, it warns you when a promise cannot be kept.

## 2. Recommendation
Statement 1. It names the concrete pain (overbooked weeks) and the one mechanism competitors lack (calendar-driven scheduling), and both are demonstrable in a demo.

## 3. Messaging pillars
| Headline | Claim | Proof |
|---|---|---|
| See clashes early | Overbooked weeks are flagged automatically | Calendar-driven scheduling (product behavior) |
| Set up in an afternoon | Go from zero to a live plan in about 20 minutes | Setup time; 140 studios in use |
| Fewer missed deadlines | Studios report fewer slips | 2 fewer per quarter, survey of 38 users (note sample size when quoting) |

## 4. Claims to avoid
- "The only planner built for creatives": unprovable.
- "Eliminates missed deadlines": your own data shows a reduction, not elimination.

Notes

Forcing each pillar to name its proof exposes weak claims before they reach a landing page. Re-run with a different tone or a single competitor to see how the angle shifts.