Strategy

Define the brand strategy for "$ARGUMENTS". Synthesize discovery findings into a clear positioning, values, personality, and differentiation framework.

See also /marketing-product-marketing-context for the product positioning, messaging framework and go-to-market context built on this brand platform.

Arguments. $ARGUMENTS may contain the project name and optional flags. Take the first token as <project> and treat --skip-checks as a flag; never include flags in file paths. All paths below use <project>. If --skip-checks is present, skip the prerequisite check and, before writing any artifact, append one line to .singularskills/log.jsonl: {"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"branding-strategy","workflow":"branding","phase":2,"project":"<project>","event":"skipped","artifact":"02-strategy.md","note":"<reason or \"none given\">"}.

Prerequisites

Part of a workflow. This skill is phase 2 (Strategy) of the Brand Identity Process workflow (branding); cross-domain workflows run it too. First check .singularskills/log.jsonl for an open run for this project: a run-started line with "project":"<project>" and no later run-finished line for the same workflow and project. If one exists, the conductor is running you: continue here. Otherwise, if the user asked to start, run, continue or resume a process or workflow rather than this one step, do not continue here: invoke the workflow skill with the workflow the user asked for, or branding when they named none, followed by <project>; it runs this phase in order, asks before it writes and records the run. Otherwise continue here: a later phase runs on its own, behind its gate.

Run this skill's gate before writing: sh <this skill's folder>/scripts/gate.sh <project> <project root>, where <project root> is the folder that contains .singularskills/ (use . when you are already there). If it exits non-zero, stop and tell the user what it printed, unless --skip-checks was given (see Arguments). On a refusal, before you stop, append this line to .singularskills/log.jsonl (create the folder and file if missing): {"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"branding-strategy","workflow":"branding","phase":2,"project":"<project>","event":"refused","artifact":"02-strategy.md","note":"<what the gate printed>"}. Once the gate has passed, or under --skip-checks once you have appended the skipped line, append this line before you start work: {"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"branding-strategy","workflow":"branding","phase":2,"project":"<project>","event":"started","artifact":"02-strategy.md","note":""}.

Read .singularskills/branding/<project>/01-discover.md. If this file does not exist, tell the user:

Phase 1 (Discover) has not been completed for "<project>". Run /branding-discover <project> first, or use --skip-checks to bypass.

Process

1. Read context files:

   • Read .singularskills/branding/<project>/01-discover.md for research findings
   • Read references/brand-platform-template.md for output structure
   • Read references/brand-prism-guide.md for the six brand facets

2. Define brand purpose, vision, and mission:

   • Purpose: why does this brand exist?
   • Vision: where is the brand going?
   • Mission: what does it do, for whom, and how?

3. Define brand values:

   • 3-5 core values that guide all brand decisions
   • For each value: description and how it manifests in behavior

4. Craft positioning statement:

   • For [target audience] who [need], [brand] is the [category] that [benefit] because [reason]

5. Define brand personality:

   • 3-5 personality traits (e.g., bold, approachable, expert, playful)
   • For each trait: how it influences communication

6. Map competitive differentiation:

   • What sets this brand apart from each key competitor?
   • The unique value proposition

7. Write the artifact to .singularskills/branding/<project>/02-strategy.md following the brand platform template.

Output

The brand strategy written to .singularskills/branding/<project>/02-strategy.md. Present a summary to the user highlighting:

• The positioning statement
• Core values
• Key personality traits
• Primary differentiator

Record the run. After you have written the artifact, append this line to .singularskills/log.jsonl (the started line of Prerequisites, with "event":"finished"): {"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"branding-strategy","workflow":"branding","phase":2,"project":"<project>","event":"finished","artifact":"02-strategy.md","note":""}.

Open the artifact with this frontmatter (agent is the agent you run in, or unknown; gate is passed when the gate ran clean and skipped under --skip-checks):

---
skill: branding-strategy
workflow: branding
phase: 2
project: <project>
started: <ISO timestamp>
finished: <ISO timestamp>
agent: <the agent you run in, or "unknown">
gate: <passed|skipped>
---

End the artifact with ## Decisions and ## Open questions, in this shape:

## Decisions
- <what was chosen> — <why> — <what was rejected>

## Open questions
- <what the next phase or a reviewer must settle>