Building your messaging hierarchy

Pre-work:

Bring positioning statement (Sprint 2)
Bring brand personality traits (Sprint 3)
Collect customer quotes from discovery interviews (Sprint 1)

Hour 1: Core messaging (60 min)

Exercise 1: Value prop madlibs (20 min)

Using your positioning statement, craft your core value proposition in three formats:

Format 1: Problem → Solution

"[Target customer] struggle with [problem]. [Product] helps them [outcome] by [unique approach]."

Example: Asana (Project Management) "Marketing teams struggle with missed deadlines because work is scattered across email and chat. Asana helps them hit every launch date by centralizing all tasks, timelines, and approvals in one visual dashboard."

Format 2: The "XYZ" statement

"We help X do Y so they can Z."

Example: "We help marketing leaders (X) visualize complex workflows (Y) so they can ship campaigns faster without burnout (Z)."

Format 3: The headline + subhead

Headline: Clear, benefit-driven, punchy (5-7 words)
Subhead: Explanatory, specific, addresses "how" (10-15 words)

Example: Headline: The easiest way to manage team projects. Subhead: Asana organizes work so teams know what to do, why it matters, and how to get it done.

Your turn: Draft 5 variations of each. Vote on the strongest.

Exercise 2: Messaging pillars (40 min)

You need 3-4 core pillars that support your main value proposition. Each pillar corresponds to a specific customer benefit supported by product features.

Structure per pillar:

Headline: Benefit-driven (The "What")
Body: Explanation (The "How")
Proof: Evidence (The "Why believe us")

Example: Asana pillars

Pillar 1: Clarity & Accountability

Headline: Know who is doing what, by when.
Body: Eliminate "status update" meetings. Assign owners and due dates to every task so responsibilities are clear.
Proof: "Teams report 40% fewer meetings after adopting Asana."

Pillar 2: Streamlined Workflows

Headline: Automate the busywork.
Body: Use Rules to automatically move tasks, assign reviewers, and notify stakeholders when work is ready.
Proof: "Sony Music saves 50 hours per month using automated workflows."

Pillar 3: Big Picture Visibility

Headline: Track progress at a glance.
Body: View real-time status across multiple projects with Portfolios and Timeline view. Spot bottlenecks before they delay the launch.
Proof: "Used by 80% of the Fortune 100 to manage strategic initiatives."

Your turn: Define your 3 pillars. These become the sections on your landing page.

Hour 2: Tone & content strategy (45 min)

Exercise 3: Tone guidelines (15 min)

Refer to your Brand Sprint (Sprint 3) personality sliders. Translate those into writing rules.

If "Friend":

Use contractions (e.g., "You're")
Address the user directly ("You")
Use plain language, maybe even slang (if appropriate)

If "Authority":

Use precise industry terminology
Focus on data and outcomes
Avoid slang or overly casual phrasing

Exercise 4: Content pillars (30 min)

What topics will you own? Positioning isn't just about product—it's about thought leadership.

Identify 3 content themes relevant to your ICP but broader than your product.

Example: Asana content pillars

The Future of Work: Trends in remote collaboration, asynchronous communication, and team culture.
Productivity Psychology: Science-backed tips for focus, flow states, and avoiding burnout.
Leadership & Scale: How to manage growing teams, set OKRs, and align strategy with execution.

For each pillar, list 5 specific article/post ideas.

Hour 3: AI messaging assets (60 min)

Exercise 5: AI content templates (30 min)

Create reusable prompt structures for common content types.

Template 1: LinkedIn Thought Leadership Post

Topic: [Topic from Content Pillars]
Key Insight: [One contrarian or valuable point]
Tone: [Brand Tone]
Structure:
- Hook: Surprising stat or statement
- Context: Why this matters now
- Insight: The "aha" moment
- Action: One thing to do differently
- CTA: Engagement question

Write a LinkedIn post based on this. Keep sentences short. Use line breaks for readability. No hashtags in the body.

Template 2: Cold Email Sequence

Target: [ICP Persona]
Pain Point: [Specific pain from Sprint 1]
Value Prop: [Messaging Pillar 1]
Call to Action: [Low friction ask]

Write a 3-email sequence.
Email 1: Problem-focused, empathetic, short.
Email 2: Value-focused, proof point, case study.
Email 3: Break-up email, valuable resource.

Tone: [Brand Tone]. Keep emails under 120 words.

Exercise 6: Message enforcement prompt (30 min)

Create a "Editor" prompt to fix off-brand copy.

You are the Chief Editor for [Company]. Review the following text against our messaging guidelines:

1. Does it lead with user benefit?
2. Is the tone [Brand Tone]?
3. Does it use our specific terminology (e.g., use "partners" instead of "vendors")?
4. Is it concise?

Text to review: [Paste text]

Provide:
1. Critique
2. Rewritten version that aligns perfectly with our messaging.

Day 4: Messaging & Content Sprint Market fit