STP Framework

Apply the classic Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning framework to identify your most valuable market segments and craft differentiated positioning.

When to Use This Skill

• New product launches
• Market entry strategy
• Repositioning initiatives
• Competitive strategy
• Marketing planning

Methodology Foundation

Based on Kotler’s STP Model and Michael Porter’s competitive strategy, providing:

• Market segmentation techniques
• Segment attractiveness criteria
• Targeting strategy options
• Positioning development

What Claude Does vs What You Decide

Instructions

Step 1: Segmentation

Segmentation Variables:

Effective Segment Criteria:

Step 2: Targeting

Targeting Strategies:

Segment Evaluation Matrix:

Step 3: Positioning

Positioning Statement Template:

For [target segment]
Who [need/problem]
[Product/Brand] is the [category]
That [key benefit]
Unlike [competitors]
We [key differentiator]

Positioning Dimensions:

• Attributes (features, specs)
• Benefits (functional, emotional)
• Values (what brand stands for)
• Use occasions (when to use)
• Users (who uses it)
• Against competitors (explicit comparison)

Examples

Example 1: Complete STP Analysis

Input:

Develop STP strategy for:
- Product: AI writing assistant
- Current customers: Mix of freelancers and enterprises
- Competitors: Jasper, Copy.ai, ChatGPT

Output:

## STP Analysis: AI Writing Assistant

### PART 1: SEGMENTATION

#### Market Segmentation Map

                 PROFESSIONAL USE
                       │
       Enterprise      │      Agency
       Marketing   ────┼────  Teams
          │            │         │
Low ──────┼────────────┼─────────┼────── High
Tech      │            │         │       Tech
Savvy     │            │         │       Savvy
          │            │         │
       Content      ───┼───   Individual
       Creators        │      Professionals
                       │
                 PERSONAL USE

#### Segment Profiles

##### Segment A: Enterprise Marketing Teams

| Attribute | Profile |
|-----------|---------|
| Company size | 500+ employees |
| Department | Marketing, Content |
| Budget | $50K+/year for tools |
| Users | 5-50 per company |
| Need | Scale content, brand consistency |
| Behavior | Long sales cycle, procurement |

**Jobs to Be Done:**
- Produce more content without more headcount
- Maintain brand voice across team
- Speed up content approval workflows

**Pains:**
- Content bottleneck at scale
- Inconsistent brand voice
- Slow review/approval cycles

---

##### Segment B: Agency Teams

| Attribute | Profile |
|-----------|---------|
| Company size | 10-200 employees |
| Type | Creative, marketing, content agencies |
| Budget | $10-50K/year |
| Users | 5-20 |
| Need | Efficiency, client variety |
| Behavior | Multiple clients, fast turnaround |

**Jobs to Be Done:**
- Serve more clients without proportional hiring
- Switch between client voices easily
- Draft faster, edit better

**Pains:**
- Client variety requires context switching
- Margin pressure from fixed-fee projects
- Quality vs. speed tradeoff

---

##### Segment C: Individual Professionals

| Attribute | Profile |
|-----------|---------|
| Company size | 1-10 (solopreneurs, SMB) |
| Role | Founders, marketers, content creators |
| Budget | $20-500/month |
| Users | 1-5 |
| Need | Punch above weight |
| Behavior | Fast decision, self-serve |

**Jobs to Be Done:**
- Write professional content without writing skills
- Produce content volume of larger team
- Save time on first drafts

**Pains:**
- Limited time for content creation
- Can't afford dedicated writer
- Writer's block, blank page fear

---

##### Segment D: Content Creators

| Attribute | Profile |
|-----------|---------|
| Type | Bloggers, YouTubers, course creators |
| Budget | $10-100/month |
| Users | 1 |
| Need | Overcome creative blocks |
| Behavior | Price sensitive, try before buy |

**Jobs to Be Done:**
- Generate ideas quickly
- Repurpose content across formats
- Maintain publishing cadence

**Pains:**
- Creative burnout
- Platform algorithm pressure
- Time vs. quality tradeoff

---

### PART 2: TARGETING

#### Segment Evaluation

| Segment | Size | Growth | Profit | Competition | Fit | Score |
|---------|------|--------|--------|-------------|-----|-------|
| Enterprise | 8 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 7 | **7.4** |
| Agency | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | **7.4** |
| Individual Pro | 9 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 8 | **7.0** |
| Content Creator | 8 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 5 | **5.2** |

**Evaluation Notes:**

| Segment | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---------|-----------|------------|
| Enterprise | High LTV, lower churn | Long sales cycle, complex |
| Agency | Multi-seat, expansion | Price sensitive, churn |
| Individual Pro | Large volume, fast sales | Low ARPU, high support |
| Content Creator | Viral potential | Very low ARPU, high churn |

---

#### Recommended Targeting Strategy

**Primary Target:** Agency Teams
- Best combination of ARPU and accessibility
- Multi-seat expansion opportunity
- Word-of-mouth potential (agencies talk)
- Faster sales cycle than enterprise

**Secondary Target:** Enterprise Marketing
- Upmarket opportunity
- Higher ARPU offsets longer cycle
- Build case studies for credibility

**Serve but don't focus:** Individual Professionals
- Self-serve tier drives volume
- Potential upgrade to agency/enterprise
- Lower priority for resources

**Deprioritize:** Content Creators
- Lowest ARPU, highest churn
- Heavy competition
- Not worth dedicated focus

---

### PART 3: POSITIONING

#### Competitive Positioning Map

        EASE OF USE
             │
Simple  ─────┼───── Complex
             │
     ┌───────┼────────┐
     │       │  Us    │
     │ ChatGPT (target)│
     │       │        │
     │       │ Jasper │

GENERIC ─┼───────┼────────┼─ SPECIALIZED │ │ │ │Copy.ai│ │ │ │ │ └───────┴────────┘ │ Basic ─────┴───── Advanced MARKETING FEATURES

#### Positioning Options

**Option 1: Agency Productivity**

For marketing agencies Who struggle to scale content without scaling headcount [Product] is the AI writing platform That multiplies your team’s output with consistent quality Unlike ChatGPT (generic) or Jasper (solo-focused) We’re built for teams serving multiple clients

**Option 2: Brand Voice at Scale**

For marketing teams managing multiple brands Who need consistent voice across all content [Product] is the AI writing assistant That learns and maintains your brand voice Unlike generic AI tools We sound like you, not like a robot

**Option 3: Draft-to-Done Speed**

For content professionals under deadline pressure Who spend too much time on first drafts [Product] is the AI writing accelerator That gets you from blank page to publishable 5x faster Unlike basic AI generators We understand marketing, not just language

---

#### Recommended Positioning

**For Agency Primary Target:**

> **[Product] is the AI content platform for agencies that
> need to scale without sacrificing quality.**
>
> We help agency teams:
> - Produce more content with the same team
> - Maintain distinct brand voices across clients
> - Go from brief to draft in minutes, not hours
>
> Unlike generic AI tools, we're built for teams serving
> multiple clients—with workspaces, collaboration, and
> brand voice memory that makes switching contexts seamless.

---

#### Positioning Proof Points

| Claim | Proof |
|-------|-------|
| Scale without hiring | "3x content output with same team" |
| Brand voice consistency | "99% brand voice match" |
| Brief to draft speed | "First draft in 10 minutes" |
| Built for agencies | Multi-client workspace, brand profiles |

---

### Implementation Summary

| Element | Decision |
|---------|----------|
| **Primary segment** | Agency Teams |
| **Secondary segment** | Enterprise Marketing |
| **Positioning** | AI content platform for agencies |
| **Key differentiator** | Multi-client, brand voice memory |
| **Main proof point** | "3x output, same team" |

Example 2: Quick Positioning Assessment

Input:

Assess this positioning:
"For busy professionals who want to eat healthy,
MealPrep is the meal kit that takes 15 minutes,
unlike HelloFresh which takes 30+ minutes."

Output:

## Positioning Assessment

### Current Statement Analysis

| Element | Current | Assessment |
|---------|---------|------------|
| Target | Busy professionals | ✅ Clear |
| Need | Want to eat healthy | ✅ Clear |
| Category | Meal kit | ✅ Clear |
| Benefit | 15 minutes | ✅ Specific |
| Competitor | HelloFresh | ✅ Named |
| Differentiator | Time (15 vs 30) | ⚠️ Single dimension |

### Strengths
- Clear target segment
- Specific, measurable benefit
- Direct competitive comparison

### Weaknesses
1. **Single differentiator** - Time alone is copyable
2. **"Healthy" undefined** - What does healthy mean?
3. **No emotional benefit** - Only functional
4. **Price not addressed** - Key for meal kits

### Improved Positioning

For time-strapped professionals who won’t compromise on nutrition, MealPrep is the 15-minute meal kit That delivers chef-quality healthy meals Without the prep, cleanup, or guilt Unlike traditional meal kits that feel like a second job We’ve done the hard work so dinner feels effortless

### Key Changes
1. Added emotional benefit ("won't compromise")
2. Expanded "healthy" to "chef-quality healthy"
3. Added cleanup benefit (compounds time savings)
4. Emotional framing ("second job" → "effortless")

Skill Boundaries

What This Skill Does Well

• Structuring segmentation analysis
• Evaluating segment attractiveness
• Developing positioning options
• Creating positioning statements

What This Skill Cannot Do

• Research your actual market
• Know your competitive landscape
• Validate positioning with customers
• Guarantee market success

Iteration Guide

Follow-up Prompts:

• “Segment [market] using [variable]”
• “Evaluate these segments for targeting”
• “Develop positioning against [competitor]”
• “Create messaging for [segment]”

References

• Philip Kotler – Marketing Management
• Michael Porter – Competitive Strategy
• Al Ries & Jack Trout – Positioning
• Byron Sharp – How Brands Grow

Related Skills

• positioning – April Dunford method
• competitive-analysis – Deep competitive dive
• icp-matching – Customer fit scoring

Skill Metadata

• Domain: Strategy
• Complexity: Intermediate
• Mode: centaur
• Time to Value: 2-4 hours for full analysis
• Prerequisites: Market knowledge, customer data