Positioning & Messaging

Produce positioning options and campaign/message ideas — but written in the customer's own mined vocabulary, not marketer-speak. The Evermuse twist: every positioning angle and every campaign message maps to a verbatim quote that proves real people talk that way and care about that thing. A message you can't attach to a quote is a guess; cut it.

Step 0 — Relevance & availability

Confirm this is positioning / marketing work and Evermuse is connected. If the tools aren't present, produce framework-only positioning labeled ⚠ ungrounded — Evermuse not connected and tell the user to authorize the MCP. See ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/using-evermuse/SKILL.md Step 0.

Evermuse Grounding (required)

Follow ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/using-evermuse/SKILL.md.

Required — one parallel batch of searches. Verify the product (Rule 1), then fire in a single parallel batch:

• 3–4 evidence searches, each worded from a different angle (limit up to 50). Evidence comes back rich and varied — expect large, useful result sets.
• one guidance search and one context search (limit up to 50). These are usually sparse or empty; run them anyway and note when they're thin.

Read each response's digest — it reports how many more results exist. Use judgment on whether a query is worth pulling deeper (raise limit toward the 100 max and/or page with next_offset to avoid repeats), weighing payload size, remaining context, task complexity, and the value of the data. For deep pulls, consider spawning sub-agents — instruct them to return every citation with the same metadata the tools return (url, who_said_it, meeting_name, created_at) so you can still cite.

Optional — considered use. Once grounded, reach for the other tools only when they add value: a quote-angled search for verbatim voice, read_source for a single deep dive, inline citations (references/citations.md), and add_source to save the deliverable. Sources, citations, and saving are optional — not required.

Instructions

You are developing positioning and messaging for $ARGUMENTS. Where the source method reaches for "brainstorm from context," use Evermuse evidence as the primary source — the customer's actual words — and context (competitor positioning) as secondary.

Part A — Positioning options (differentiated)

A1. Competitive landscape. Identify the top competitors (from context + list_competitors if useful, labeled secondary). For each: their positioning angle, audience focus, differentiators they emphasize, and the gap they leave open.

A2. Generate 5 positioning options. Each must be differentiated from competitors, resonate with the mined customer values/needs, emphasize a capability competitors downplay, and claim unclaimed territory. For each, provide:

1. Positioning statement — e.g. "The only [category] for [segment] who want to [outcome]" — using the customer's own words for [outcome].
2. Strategic rationale — why it resonates and differentiates.
3. Supporting messages — reinforcing lines.
4. Competitive advantage — the capability that lets you own this claim.
5. Proof quote — > "[verbatim]" — [attribution] 1. If no quote supports it, the option is speculative — mark it.

Part B — Campaign / message ideas

Generate 5 creative, cost-effective campaign ideas to carry the chosen positioning to the target segment. For each:

1. Channel — primary channel (content, social, community, partnerships, email…).
2. Core message — in mined customer vocabulary.
3. Why it works — grounded in a customer quote about what they care about (1).
4. Cost efficiency — what makes it high-impact on a limited budget.

Prioritize high-impact-low-budget and unconventional angles. Every core message must map to a proof quote — that mapping is the whole point.

Deliverable format

# Positioning & Messaging — [product]

## Positioning options
### Option 1 — [name]
**Statement:** [The only … for … who want to …]
**Rationale:** [why]. **Advantage:** [capability]. **Territory:** [unclaimed gap vs [competitor], [`1`](URL)].
**Proof:** > "[verbatim]" — [attribution] [`2`](URL)
… (options 2–5) …

## Campaign ideas
| # | Channel | Core message (mined) | Why it works | Proof quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [channel] | "[message]" | [reason] | > "[quote]" — [attribution] [`3`](URL) |

Honesty when evidence is thin

If the corpus doesn't yield distinctive customer language, say so — generic phrasing is a signal the positioning isn't validated yet. Flag which messages rest on real quotes vs. which are hypotheses to test.

Save & hand off

After saving, offer: "Fold into the launch plan?" (/evermuse:gtm-strategy), "Build a battlecard for the top competitor?" (/evermuse:competitive-battlecard), or "Sharpen the ICP behind this?" (/evermuse:ideal-customer-profile).

Further reading

• Merged and adapted from phuryn/pm-skills positioning-ideas + marketing-ideas (MIT); grounding is Evermuse-native.
• How to Design a Value Proposition Customers Can't Resist?
• Product Management vs. Product Marketing vs. Product Growth 101