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

Claude Does	You Decide
Structures segmentation analysis	Segmentation variables
Evaluates segment attractiveness	Target selection
Develops positioning options	Final positioning
Creates positioning statements	Resource allocation
Maps competitive positions	Go-to-market approach

Instructions

Step 1: Segmentation

Segmentation Variables:

Type	B2C Variables	B2B Variables
Demographic	Age, income, education	Company size, industry, revenue
Geographic	Region, urban/rural, climate	HQ location, market presence
Psychographic	Values, lifestyle, personality	Culture, decision style
Behavioral	Usage rate, loyalty, benefits sought	Buying process, use case

Effective Segment Criteria:

Criterion	Question
Measurable	Can we size and quantify it?
Accessible	Can we reach and serve it?
Substantial	Is it large enough to be profitable?
Differentiable	Does it respond differently to marketing?
Actionable	Can we develop effective programs?

Step 2: Targeting

Targeting Strategies:

Strategy	Description	When to Use
Mass	Target entire market	Commodity products
Differentiated	Target multiple segments differently	Resources for variety
Concentrated	Focus on one segment	Limited resources
Micromarketing	Individual customization	High-value customers

Segment Evaluation Matrix:

Factor	Weight	How to Assess
Size	20%	TAM/SAM/SOM
Growth	20%	CAGR, trends
Profitability	20%	Margins, price sensitivity
Competition	15%	Intensity, barriers
Fit	15%	Capabilities, mission
Accessibility	10%	Channel, reach

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