Marketing Context

The foundational context document that every marketing skill reads before starting. Captures positioning, ICP, competitive landscape, brand voice, and customer language in one place.

Table of Contents

• Keywords

• Quick Start

• Core Workflows

• Context Sections

• Customer Research Methodology

• Competitive Analysis Framework

• Switching Dynamics (JTBD Four Forces)

• Context Maintenance

• Best Practices

• Integration Points

Keywords

marketing context, brand voice, target audience, ICP, ideal customer profile, positioning, customer insights, competitive analysis, market research, customer language, brand personality, buyer persona, product marketing, go-to-market, messaging framework, competitive landscape, objection handling, proof points, switching dynamics, value proposition

Quick Start

Auto-Draft from Codebase

• Study the repository: README, landing pages, marketing copy, about pages, docs

• Draft a V1 context document based on what exists

• Present the draft and ask: "What needs correcting? What is missing?"

• Iterate through corrections until the document is accurate

Guided Interview

• Walk through each section conversationally, one at a time

• Ask focused questions (not all at once)

• Capture exact customer language, not polished summaries

• Validate each section before moving to the next

Update Existing Context

• Read the current context document

• Summarize what is captured

• Ask which sections need updating

• Make targeted updates while preserving accurate sections

Core Workflows

Workflow 1: Build Context from Scratch

Step 1: Gather Product Foundation

Product Overview

• One-line description: [What it is in one sentence]
• What it does: [2-3 sentences explaining the product]
• Product category: [The "shelf" — how customers search for you]
• Product type: [SaaS / Marketplace / E-commerce / Service / Platform]
• Business model: [Subscription / Freemium / Usage-based / One-time]
• Pricing: [Starting price / tier structure]
• Stage: [Pre-launch / Early / Growth / Scale / Mature]

Step 2: Define Target Audience

Target Audience

• Target company type: [Industry, size, stage, geography]
• Target decision-makers: [Roles, departments, seniority levels]
• Primary use case: [The main problem you solve]
• Jobs to be done (3-5):
  1. [Job]: [What they hire your product to do]
  2. [Job]: [What they hire your product to do]
  3. [Job]: [What they hire your product to do]
• Specific scenarios: [2-3 situations where they need you most]

Step 3: Build Buyer Personas

For each stakeholder involved in the buying decision:

Persona: [Role Name]

• Title: [Job title]
• Role in purchase: [User / Champion / Decision Maker / Financial Buyer / Technical Influencer]
• What they care about: [Their top 3 priorities]
• Their challenge: [Specific problem related to your product]
• Value you promise them: [What you deliver to this persona]
• Language they use: [Exact phrases they use to describe their problem]
• Where they research: [Channels, communities, publications they trust]

Step 4: Document Problems and Pain Points

Problems & Pain Points

• Core challenge: [What customers face before finding you]
• Why current solutions fail: [Specific shortcomings of alternatives]
• Cost of the problem:
  • Time cost: [Hours/week wasted]
  • Financial cost: [Money lost or spent inefficiently]
  • Opportunity cost: [What they cannot do while dealing with this]
• Emotional tension: [Stress, fear, frustration, doubt they experience]

Step 5: Map Competitive Landscape

Competitive Landscape

Direct Competitors (same solution, same problem)

Secondary Competitors (different solution, same problem)

Indirect Competitors (do nothing, spreadsheets, manual process)

Step 6: Define Differentiation

Differentiation

• Key differentiators (3-5):
  1. [Capability]: [What we do that alternatives cannot]
  2. [Capability]: [What we do that alternatives cannot]
  3. [Capability]: [What we do that alternatives cannot]
• How we solve it differently: [Our unique approach or mechanism]
• Why that matters: [Benefit of our approach vs. alternatives]
• Why customers choose us: [Top 3 reasons from actual customer feedback]

Step 7: Capture Objections and Anti-Personas

Objections

Anti-Personas (Who is NOT a Good Fit)

• [Type]: [Why they should not buy]
• [Type]: [Why they should not buy]

Step 8: Document Customer Language

Customer Language (Verbatim)

• How they describe the problem:
  • "[Exact quote from customer]"
  • "[Exact quote from customer]"
• How they describe our solution:
  • "[Exact quote from customer]"
  • "[Exact quote from customer]"
• Words TO use: [List of customer-approved terms]
• Words to AVOID: [Terms that confuse or alienate]
• Glossary: [Product-specific terms with definitions]

Step 9: Establish Brand Voice

Brand Voice

• Tone: [Professional / Casual / Playful / Authoritative]
• Communication style: [Direct / Conversational / Technical / Storytelling]
• Personality (3-5 adjectives): [e.g., Confident, Clear, Warm]
• Voice DOs: [What we always do in writing]
• Voice DON'Ts: [What we never do in writing]
• Example paragraph: [A paragraph that perfectly captures our voice]

Step 10: Compile Proof Points

Proof Points

• Key metrics: [Numbers we cite regularly]
• Notable customers: [Logos we have permission to use]
• Testimonial snippets:
  • "[Quote]" — [Name], [Title] at [Company]
  • "[Quote]" — [Name], [Title] at [Company]
• Awards and recognition: [Current, with year]
• Certifications: [Active compliance certifications]

Step 11: Content and SEO Context

Content & SEO Context

• Target keywords by cluster:
  • Cluster 1: [keyword 1], [keyword 2], [keyword 3]
  • Cluster 2: [keyword 1], [keyword 2], [keyword 3]
• Writing examples (best-performing pieces):
  • [URL 1]: [Why it works well]
  • [URL 2]: [Why it works well]
• Content tone: [Educational / Authoritative / Conversational]
• Preferred content length: [Short-form / Long-form / Mix]

Step 12: Define Goals

Goals

• Primary business goal: [What success looks like]
• Key conversion action: [What you want people to do]
• Current metrics: [Baseline numbers if available]
• Target metrics: [What you are working toward]

Customer Research Methodology

Research Sources Ranked by Quality

Source Quality What You Get Time Required

Customer interviews (6-10) Highest Deep understanding of language, pain, decision process 6-10 hours

Sales call recordings High Pre-purchase questions, objections, language 2-4 hours

Support ticket analysis High Post-purchase confusion, unmet expectations 1-2 hours

Product reviews (yours + competitors) High Candid praise and complaints 1-2 hours

Customer surveys Medium-High Quantitative validation of qualitative findings 2-3 hours

Community forums Medium Questions, debates, misconceptions 1-2 hours

Competitor content analysis Medium Positioning gaps, messaging angles 2-3 hours

Social listening Medium Trending topics, sentiment, language 1 hour

Analytics data Medium Behavioral patterns, not motivations 1 hour

Interview Question Framework

Opening (establish context):

• "Walk me through how you handled [problem area] before using our product."

• "What was the moment you decided to look for a solution?"

Problem exploration:

• "What was the hardest part about [problem area]?"

• "What did you try before finding us?"

• "What did those alternatives get wrong?"

Decision process:

• "What made you choose us over the alternatives?"

• "What almost stopped you from signing up?"

• "Who else was involved in the decision?"

Language capture:

• "How would you explain what we do to a colleague?"

• "If you were recommending us, what would you say?"

Outcome validation:

• "What has changed since you started using us?"

• "Can you put a number on the impact?"

Competitive Analysis Framework

Three-Layer Analysis

Layer 1: Positioning

• How do they describe themselves? (Tagline, hero copy, meta description)

• What category do they claim? (The "shelf" they put themselves on)

• Who do they target? (ICP signals from their copy, pricing, case studies)

Layer 2: Messaging

• What benefits do they lead with?

• What proof points do they emphasize?

• What objections do they proactively address?

• What is conspicuously absent from their messaging?

Layer 3: Execution

• Content: What topics do they cover? What formats? What frequency?

• Channels: Where are they active? (SEO, social, paid, events)

• Social proof: Who are their reference customers?

• Pricing: How are they positioned on price?

Competitive Positioning Map

                Premium
                  |
     Enterprise   |   Innovator
     (Salesforce)  |   (Your positioning?)
                  |
Simple ———————————+——————————— Complex
                  |
     Budget       |   Technical
     (Competitor B)|  (Competitor C)
                  |
               Affordable

Switching Dynamics (JTBD Four Forces)

Understanding why customers switch (or do not) is critical for messaging:

The Four Forces

PUSH ————————————> <———————————— HABIT (Frustration with (Comfort with current solution) current approach)

PULL ————————————> <———————————— ANXIETY (Attraction to (Fear about your product) switching)

Push (maximize in messaging):

• What frustrations drive them away from the current solution?

• What is the breaking point that triggers the search?

Pull (amplify in messaging):

• What attracts them to your product specifically?

• What is the "aha moment" they imagine?

Habit (address in messaging):

• What keeps them stuck with the current approach?

• What switching costs (real and perceived) exist?

Anxiety (reduce in messaging):

• What worries them about switching?

• What could go wrong during the transition?

• How do you make switching feel safe?

Context Maintenance

Freshness Rules

Section Review Frequency Staleness Signal

Product overview When features change New features not reflected

Target audience Quarterly Win/loss data shows new segments

Competitive landscape Monthly New competitors emerging, positioning shifts

Customer language Quarterly New patterns in sales calls and reviews

Proof points Monthly New case studies, metrics, logos available

Brand voice Semi-annually Brand evolution or rebranding

Goals Quarterly Business priorities shift

Update Triggers

Flag a context review when:

• A major product launch changes positioning

• Win rate shifts significantly (new objections emerging)

• A new competitor enters the market

• Customer language patterns change (new terminology)

• The ICP shifts (moving upmarket, new verticals)

• Proof points become outdated (old metrics, former customer logos)

Best Practices

Be specific, not polished — "I wish I knew this before we migrated" is more useful than "Customers value our migration support." Capture exact words.

Validate with real customers — Every positioning claim should be traceable to customer feedback. If customers do not say it, it might not be true.

Update incrementally — Do not wait for a full overhaul. Update individual sections as new information becomes available.

Include anti-personas — Knowing who is NOT a good fit prevents wasted marketing spend on the wrong audience.

Capture switching dynamics — Understanding push/pull/habit/anxiety produces better messaging than listing features.

Keep it usable — A 50-page context document nobody reads is worse than a 5-page one everyone references. Be concise.

Document customer language verbatim — Do not paraphrase. The exact words customers use should appear in your copy.

Link to proof — Every claim should reference its source (customer interview, survey, case study, metric).

Share across teams — Marketing context should be accessible to sales, product, and customer success. Shared language improves alignment.

Review quarterly minimum — Set a calendar reminder. Stale context produces stale messaging.

Integration Points

• Copywriting — Reads brand voice and customer language from this context for page copy.

• Content Strategy — Reads target keywords, personas, and competitive landscape for topic planning.

• Ad Creative — Reads ICP, value proposition, and proof points for ad messaging.

• Cold Email — Reads ICP, pain points, and customer language for outreach personalization.

• Marketing Ops — Routes marketing questions using context as the foundation.

• Social Content — Reads brand voice and audience details for platform-specific content.

• Brand Guidelines — Aligns brand voice and personality between context and visual standards.

• Paid Ads — Reads audience targeting details and value proposition for campaign setup.