Brand Positioning Roadmap

 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻?

Most marketers can't answer that. The plan got presented, it got approved, and then it went to the share drive to die. Printing it into a binder doesn't help either. Nobody opens the binder.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗜 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲.

A brand strategy roadmap covers three to five years. It sits above your annual plan. The roadmap says where you're going and why. The annual plan says what you'll do about it this year. Teams that skip the roadmap end up with twelve months of activity that doesn't add up to anything.

Here's what goes on the page, using Gray's Cookies as the worked example.

𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 → where you could be. Gray's: be the first healthy cookie to generate the craving, popularity, and sales of a mainstream cookie. $100 million by 2030.

𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 → why you exist beyond the P&L.

𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 → the things you won't trade away when the quarter gets tight.

𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗮 → the center of the page. Gray's are the best tasting yet guilt free pleasure so you can stay in control. From there it stretches across the promise, the story, innovation, the purchase moment, and the consumer experience.

𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 → the numbers you'll be held to.

𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 → written as questions, always. How do we tighten the bond with our most loyal brand lovers? How do we defend our leadership in the healthy cookie segment? A key issue you can't phrase as a question isn't an issue yet.

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 → one per key issue, using Program + Accelerator + Result. Reposition Gray's from indulgent treat to better-for-you snack, by leading with ingredient transparency across all communication, to drive trial among health-conscious shoppers.

𝗧𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 → the three or four moves under each strategy that prove you meant it.

The one-page discipline is the whole point. When you only get one page, you have to decide what matters. Eight pages let you avoid deciding.

My advice to teams: laminate the Brand Strategy Roadmap and the one-page Brand Plan back-to-back. Everyone keeps it at their desk. It gets referenced on a Tuesday afternoon when someone has a decision to make, which is the only test of a plan that counts.

Leadership Killers

 7 Behaviors That Instantly Lower Your Status at Work

In 28 years at Nokia and Microsoft, I saw brilliant women being passed over again and again. Their work was never the problem. It was these seven habits, and almost no one tells you about them.

1. Waiting for permission to lead
Director roles go to people who are already acting at that level.

2. Leading with how busy you are
Managers talk about workload. Directors talk about priorities.

3. Ending with “Does that make sense?”
Managers check for approval. Directors close with “Here’s what I recommend.”

4. Sharing data without a point of view
Numbers alone make you the analyst. A recommendation makes you the leader.

5. Waiting for the most senior person to speak first
The women who moved up had an opinion and shared it, even with executives.

6. Apologizing before you add something
“Sorry, just a quick thought…” tells the room to discount what comes next.

7. Making yourself small in the room
Sit at the table, not along the wall. Take up space physically and verbally.

Strategy Made Simple

 

This is my favourite strategy formula.

(and it's perfect for those new to strategy)

I created the Why-What-How formula by combining Simon Sinek's Golden Circle and Roger Martin's Playing to Win.

Let’s break it down:

(1) WHY do we need to change?

This is the reason your strategy exists in the first place. It defines the problem you’re solving or the opportunity you can’t afford to miss.

It matters because without a strong “why,” people won’t rally behind your vision.

How to find your “why”:

• Look for the *real* problem
• Ask: “What happens if we don’t act?”
• Make the case real with data or a simple story

(2) WHAT does winning look like?

This is your definition of success. A clear, measurable goal that everyone can understand. It matters because strategy is about achieving something.

How to define it:

• Choose a measurable outcome (sales, adoption, growth, etc.)
• Set a time frame
• Make sure it connects directly to your “why”

(3) HOW will we win?

This is your strategy in action, and the set of focused choices you’ll make to reach your goal. It matters because action has to be guided by your strategic intent.

How to find your “how”:

• Identify 3–5 big moves that give you an edge
• Focus on what’s different from business as usual
• Align your resources behind these priorities

The Why-What-How formula keeps strategy simple and focused.

And it's a great place to start on strategy if you need something easy to understand.

♻️ Repost and follow for more strategy lessons.

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Leadership - "I'm glad to be here"

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Prompt Strategy - Positioning

 You are a senior positioning strategist. Help me explore different positioning options for [product].

Use the customer research, win/loss notes, competitor information, and product facts I've attached.

Our commercial goal and constraints:

[details]

Develop 3 genuinely different positioning options.

For each, show:

1. The specific customer and buying situation

2. The problem we would lead with

3. What they currently use instead, including doing nothing

4. The advantage we could credibly own

5. The evidence supporting that advantage

6. What we would deliberately deprioritize by choosing this position

Separate what is supported by evidence from what is still a hypothesis.

Don't write the final positioning statement yet. I want to choose the strategic direction first.