Storybrand MessagingCAUTION

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The instruction file, verbatim from the audited commit — this is the text the model reads, and the surface the audit's instruction layer examines. Quoted here so you can judge it without cloning anything.

---
name: storybrand-messaging
description: 'Clarify brand messaging using narrative structure that positions the customer as hero. Use when the user mentions "brand message", "website copy", "elevator pitch", "one-liner", "brand script", "StoryBrand framework", "customer as hero", or "my messaging isnt resonating". Also trigger when rewriting homepage copy, crafting email nurture sequences, or creating consistent messaging across sales and marketing collateral. Covers landing page copy, marketing collateral, and consistent communication. For memorable messaging, see made-to-stick. For product positioning, see obviously-awesome.'
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: wondelai
  version: "1.5.0"
---

# StoryBrand Messaging Framework

Clarify your message so customers will listen. Customers don't buy the best products — they buy the ones they can understand the fastest.

## Core Principle

**The customer is the hero, not your brand.** Your brand is the guide who helps the hero win. Position yourself as the hero and you compete with your customer; position yourself as the guide and you serve them.

## Scoring

**Goal: 10/10.** Score any marketing copy or brand messaging by the Quick Diagnostic: 1 point per satisfied row (7 rows) plus up to 3 points for a one-liner that passes the cocktail party test (clear + repeatable in one hearing). Bands: 9-10 = customer is the hero, all three problem levels named, empathy + authority both shown, a 3-step plan, one obvious Direct CTA, and both success and failure stakes painted; 5-6 = SB7 partly applied but the internal problem, stakes, or CTA is missing; <=3 = brand-as-hero, feature-led, or no clear ask. Always state the current score and the specific changes needed to reach 10/10.

## The SB7 Framework

Every compelling story follows the same pattern. Use this structure for all messaging:

### 1. A Character (The Hero)

**Core concept:** The customer is the hero, and your job is to define the ONE thing they want. Be specific about that single desire.

**Why it works:** Naming a desire opens a story gap — the distance between where the customer is and where they want to be. That tension pulls them in because they feel understood and want the gap closed.

**Key insights:**
- Focus on ONE desire per message — multiple desires dilute the story gap
- Tie the desire to survival (physical, financial, relational, or spiritual)
- Aspirational identity is powerful ("become the leader everyone respects")
- Different segments have different desires — write separate messaging per role, stage, and pain intensity

**Product applications:**

| Context | Application | Example |
|---------|-------------|---------|
| Homepage headline | Desire as outcome | "You want a beautiful smile" (not "our dentistry is excellent") |
| Landing page | One desire per page | "You want to retire early" |
| Segmentation | Tailor desire per segment | CEO: "Scale without chaos" vs. IC: "Do your best work without friction" |

**Copy patterns:**
- "You want [specific desire]..."
- "Imagine [aspirational identity]..."
- "What if you could [single clear outcome]?"

See: [references/brand-script.md](references/brand-script.md) — fill out the BrandScript worksheet here when you need to draft all seven elements for a client from scratch.

### 2. Has a Problem

**Core concept:** Define the problem at three levels — external (tangible), internal (emotional), philosophical (the injustice) — and personify it with a specific villain.

**Why it works:** Companies sell solutions to external problems, but customers buy solutions to internal ones. Naming how the problem makes them feel — confused, overwhelmed, embarrassed — taps the emotional driver behind purchases.

**Key insights:**
- External: "my investments are scattered"; internal: "I feel overwhelmed"; philosophical: "people shouldn't need to be experts to retire well"
- A good villain is specific and relatable, not abstract — "Wall Street jargon designed to confuse you", not "complexity"
- Most brands stop at external problems, missing the internal ones that drive purchases

**Product applications:**

| Context | Application | Example |
|---------|-------------|---------|
| Website problem section | Name all three levels | External: "Scattered tools." Internal: "You feel overwhelmed." Philosophical: "Teams deserve clarity." |
| Email nurture | Lead with internal problem | "Tired of feeling like you're guessing?" |
| Ad copy | Personify the villain | "Stop letting confusing software steal your evenings." |

**Copy patterns:**
- "You're tired of [internal problem]..."
- "[Villain] has been keeping you from [desire]..."
- "It's not right that [philosophical problem]..."

### 3. And Meets a Guide

**Core concept:** Your brand is the guide, expressing empathy AND authority. Empathy shows you understand the pain; authority proves you can solve it.

**Why it works:** Customers are looking for a guide, not another hero — think Yoda, not Luke. Empathy makes them feel seen, authority (testimonials, logos, statistics) makes them feel safe, and together they create trust.

**Key insights:**
- Show empathy with "we understand" language; show authority with testimonials, client logos, statistics, awards
- Never make your origin story the centerpiece — that is hero behavior; brief, relevant credentials suffice

**Product applications:**

| Context | Application | Example |
|---------|-------------|---------|
| About page | Empathy first, then credentials | "We know what it's like to feel lost in financial jargon. That's why 10,000 families trust us." |
| Homepage social proof | Empathy headline + authority logos | "You're not alone. Join 5,000+ teams who found clarity." + client logos |
| Sales call | Open with empathy, close with authority | "I hear you — that sounds frustrating. Here's what we've seen work for teams like yours." |

**Copy patterns:**
- "We understand what it's like to [empathy statement]..."
- "We've helped [number] [customers] achieve [result]...

CAUTIONgrade B · trust 89/100 Install with care. The audit found things worth knowing before you trust its output.

What the source does

Filesystem

none-observed

Network

none-observed

Shell

none-observed

Dependencies

pinned

Secrets in source

none-found

Findings (5)

.agents/skills/37signals-way

.agents/skills/architecture-optimization

.agents/skills/blue-ocean-strategy

.agents/skills/clean-architecture

.agents/skills/clean-code

Gates applied: no_behavioural_pass.