Part 1 of 10
How to write the positioning and messaging section of brand guidelines
Who the brand is for, what it does in a customer’s words, what it never claims, and how to write its name, so that people and agents describe it the same way.
Every other part of the guide comes from this part. It says who the brand is for and what the brand says about itself. With it, a new writer, an agency, or an AI agent describes the company in the same way as the founders. Keep the section short: one page, not a manifesto.
What the positioning section needs
- Who the brand is for, in one sentence.
- What the brand does, in words that a customer uses.
- What the brand never claims: the promises that the company cannot keep, and the comparisons that it avoids.
- What the brand stands for, as one or two principles that people can apply.
- How to write the company and product names, and the short forms to avoid.
How published guides write it
Mozilla
Our brand promise can be used in external materials, but it works most effectively as a sign off “Reclaim the internet with us”
Has: exact value, where it applies. Gives the exact sign-off line and says where it works best.
Dropbox
Clarity isn’t simply about reduction. It’s about surfacing what matters, cutting out what doesn’t, and reducing complexity.
Has: where it applies. Says what clarity is not before saying what it is.
Wording to copy
Copy this text into your guide. The example is for Larch Coffee, a made-up coffee roaster. Replace the highlighted parts with the facts for your brand.
Positioning and messaging
We are for [people who make coffee at home], who need [fresh beans
without a subscription].
In one line: [we roast to order and ship the same week].
We stand for [freshness]. In practice, that means [a roast date on
every bag].
We never claim [the best coffee in the world], because [nobody can
check it].
Our name is [Larch Coffee], two words. Never write [Larch] alone, and
never [LARCH COFFEE].
Common gaps
- The values are single words (“bold”, “human”) that a writer cannot use.
- There is no list of claims to avoid, but an AI agent that writes copy needs this list most.