branding▌
kostja94/marketing-skills · updated Apr 8, 2026
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Guides brand strategy: purpose, values, positioning, storytelling, voice, and visual identity. Companies with consistent branding see 23–33% revenue lift; people remember stories ~22× more than facts alone. Use this skill when defining a new brand, auditing consistency, or aligning messaging across touchpoints.
Strategies: Branding
Guides brand strategy: purpose, values, positioning, storytelling, voice, and visual identity. Companies with consistent branding see 23–33% revenue lift; people remember stories ~22× more than facts alone. Use this skill when defining a new brand, auditing consistency, or aligning messaging across touchpoints.
Keywords: brand strategy, brand guidelines, visual identity, storytelling, brand voice, design tokens, slide deck, corporate identity, style guide, positioning
When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.
Scope
- Brand strategy: Purpose, values, positioning, differentiation, target audience
- Brand storytelling: Origin story, hero's journey, narrative arc, brand archetypes
- Brand voice & tone: Voice, tone, avoid terms, preferred wording
- Brand visual identity: Colors, typography, logo rules—strategy layer; implementation in brand-visual-generator, logo-generator
Initial Assessment
Check for project context first: If .claude/project-context.md or .cursor/project-context.md exists, read Sections 2 (Positioning), 3 (Value Proposition), 8 (Brand & Voice), 12 (Visual Identity).
Identify:
- Scope: New brand, audit, or alignment
- Touchpoints: Website, social, product UI, directories, content
- Existing assets: Brand guide, logo, style guide
Brand Strategy Pillars
| Pillar | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Brand purpose | Why the brand exists beyond profit; one sentence |
| Brand values | 4–5 core values; what you stand for; differentiators |
| Target audience | Who you serve; ICP; jobs to be done |
| Positioning | For [customer] who [need], our [product] is a [category] that [benefit]. Unlike [competitor], we [differentiator] because [reasons] |
| Differentiation | Why you, not alternatives; concrete, not vague |
Brand Storytelling
Origin Story
- What: Journey, founding, milestones, personal experiences that shaped the company
- Why: Emotional connection; 58% of customers buy based on company values
- Elements: Who founded it; why created; challenges overcome; vision; how it evolved
Hero's Journey (Customer as Hero)
| Element | Content |
|---|---|
| Hero | Your customer; their needs, wants, context |
| Problem | What they face; how they solve it now |
| Inciting insight | Reframing that creates urgency |
| Brand's role | Guide, tool, or partner—not hero; how you enable resolution |
| Transformation | What better future looks like; proof (case studies, testimonials) |
Brand Narrative Arc
- Protagonist: Customer facing a challenge
- Stakes: What happens if nothing changes
- Proof: Data, case studies, testimonials
- CTA: Place call to action in the story; provoke action
Brand Archetypes (12 Types)
| Archetype | Tone | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Creator | Innovative, imaginative | Adobe |
| Caregiver | Nurturing, supportive | Johnson & Johnson |
| Ruler | Authoritative, premium | Mercedes-Benz |
| Innocent | Simple, optimistic | Coca-Cola |
| Sage | Wise, knowledgeable | |
| Explorer | Adventurous, independent | Patagonia |
| Outlaw | Rebellious, disruptive | Harley-Davidson |
| Magician | Transformative, visionary | Disney |
| Hero | Courageous, determined | Nike |
| Lover | Passionate, sensual | Chanel |
| Jester | Playful, fun | M&M's |
| Everyman | Relatable, down-to-earth | IKEA |
Align archetype to customer personality; strengthens storytelling.
Brand Voice & Tone
| Element | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Voice | Brand personality; consistent across touchpoints | Professional / Friendly / Technical / Bold |
| Tone | How you say it; adapts to context | Confident but not arrogant; helpful; concise |
| Avoid | Buzzwords, terms to never use | "streamline," "revolutionize," "synergy" |
| Preferred | Terms to use consistently | "audit" not "analysis"; "customer" not "user" |
Product marketing context Section 8: Document voice, tone, avoid, preferred terms. See project-context template.
Brand Visual Identity (Strategy Layer)
| Element | Strategy | Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Primary, secondary, CTA; industry mapping | brand-visual-generator |
| Typography | Display + body; hierarchy; pairing | brand-visual-generator |
| Logo | Variants, clear space, minimum size | logo-generator |
| Imagery | Tone, subject matter, visual mood | Brand guidelines |
| Consistency | Same identity across web, social, product | All touchpoints |
For full visual specs (fonts, HEX, spacing), see brand-visual-generator. For logo placement and implementation, see logo-generator.
Brand Guidelines Structure
Single source of truth. Include:
- Purpose & values: Why you exist; what you stand for
- Positioning: One-liner; differentiation
- Story: Origin story; hero's journey summary
- Voice & tone: Voice, tone, avoid, preferred
- Logo: Usage rules, clear space, variants (light/dark)
- Colors: Primary, secondary, CTA (HEX, RGB, CMYK)
- Typography: Font families, hierarchy, sizing
- Imagery: Photography tone; iconography style
Visual Specification Delivery (Design Tokens)
When the user needs actionable specs (not only strategy)—for web, slides, or print—produce a token table the team can paste into a design system, media kit, or slide master. Align with brand-visual-generator for full web/CSS detail.
| Token category | What to document | Example fields |
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Named roles + values for light/dark if applicable | Primary #______, text primary #______, background #______, accent 1–3, CTA, border, error/success |
| Typography | Family, weight, size scale, line-height | Display / H1–H3 / body / caption; web-safe or system fallbacks |
| Spacing | Base unit and scale | e.g. 8px base; section gaps; logo clear space in em or px |
| Non-text accents | Charts, shapes, dividers | Rotate accent colors; avoid arbitrary one-off hues outside palette |
Applying tokens across surfaces
- Web / product: CSS variables or design tokens; see brand-visual-generator.
- Slides (PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote): Set slide master background + default title/body fonts from token table; map theme colors to primary/secondary/background/text; reuse one accent per deck section where possible.
- Documents (Word, Google Docs, PDF): Define paragraph styles (Title, Heading 1–3, Normal, Caption) with fonts and colors from tokens; set default page background if brand uses off-white.
If the user pastes an existing brand PDF or bullet list, extract and normalize into this token table before suggesting implementation.
Output Format
- Brand strategy (purpose, values, positioning, differentiation)
- Story (origin story, hero's journey, narrative arc)
- Voice & tone (voice, tone, avoid, preferred)
- Archetype (if applicable)
- Visual (high-level; defer to brand-visual-generator for web specs)
- Design token table (colors, type scale, spacing) when deliverable must be implementation-ready
- Slide/document notes (master fonts, theme colors) when touchpoints include decks or docs
- Context template for project-context Sections 8, 12
Related Skills
- about-page-generator: About page implements brand story, mission, values
- homepage-generator: Homepage implements value prop, differentiation, brand voice
- logo-generator: Logo placement, implementation; branding defines logo rules
- brand-visual-generator: Typography, colors, spacing; branding defines visual strategy
- media-kit-page-generator: Media kit hosts brand guidelines
- directory-submission: Directory copy uses brand voice; Section 8 Brand & Voice
- title-tag, meta-description: Metadata uses brand voice
- integrated-marketing: Brand awareness across PESO
- domain-selection: Domain choice (Brand/PMD/EMD, TLD); do before or with branding when choosing domain
- domain-architecture: Domain structure implements brand architecture (Branded House vs House of Brands)
- rebranding-strategy: Rebrand execution; domain change, 301, announcement
How to use branding on Cursor
AI-first code editor with Composer
Prerequisites
Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:
- ›Cursor installed and configured on your development machine
- ›Node.js version 16.0+ with npm package manager (verify with
node --version) - ›Active project directory or workspace where you want to add branding
Execute installation command
Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:
The skills CLI fetches branding from GitHub repository kostja94/marketing-skills and configures it for Cursor.
Select Cursor when prompted
The CLI will show a list of available agents. Use arrow keys to navigate and space to select Cursor:
Verify installation
Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:
Reload or restart Cursor to activate branding. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /branding) or your agent's skill management interface.
Security & Verification Notice
We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.
Skills execute code in your development environment. Always verify the publisher's identity, review recent commits, and test in isolated environments before production deployment.
List & Monetize Your Skill
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Use Cases▌
User Story & Requirements Generation
Create detailed user stories, acceptance criteria, and feature specs
Example
Generate user stories for 'password reset feature' with acceptance criteria, edge cases, and test scenarios
Reduce spec writing time by 50%, ensure comprehensive coverage
Competitive Analysis
Research competitors, compare features, identify gaps
Example
Analyze 5 competitor products, create feature comparison matrix, suggest differentiation opportunities
Complete competitive research in 2 hours instead of 2 days
Roadmap Prioritization
Evaluate features using frameworks (RICE, ICE, Kano) and create prioritized backlogs
Example
Score 20 feature ideas using RICE framework, generate prioritized roadmap with rationale
Make data-driven prioritization decisions faster
Stakeholder Communication
Draft PRDs, status updates, and stakeholder presentations
Example
Create executive summary of Q3 roadmap, monthly progress report, feature launch announcement
Save 3-5 hours/week on communication overhead
Implementation Guide▌
Prerequisites
- ›Claude Desktop or compatible AI client
- ›Access to product documentation and roadmap tools (Jira, Notion, etc.)
- ›Understanding of product management frameworks (RICE, Jobs-to-be-Done, etc.)
- ›Stakeholder contact information and communication channels
Time Estimate
30-60 minutes to see productivity improvements
Installation Steps
- 1.Install product management skill
- 2.Start with user story generation for known feature
- 3.Progress to competitive analysis: research 2-3 competitors
- 4.Use for roadmap prioritization: apply RICE/ICE scoring
- 5.Draft stakeholder communications and refine based on feedback
- 6.Build template library for recurring PM tasks
- 7.Share effective prompts with product team
Common Pitfalls
- ⚠Not validating competitive research—verify facts before sharing
- ⚠Accepting user stories without involving engineering team
- ⚠Over-relying on frameworks without qualitative judgment
- ⚠Not customizing outputs to company culture and communication style
- ⚠Skipping stakeholder validation of generated requirements
Best Practices▌
✓ Do
- +Validate research and competitive analysis with real data
- +Collaborate with engineering when generating technical requirements
- +Customize frameworks and templates to your company context
- +Use skill for first drafts, refine with stakeholder input
- +Document successful prompt patterns for PM tasks
- +Combine AI efficiency with human judgment and intuition
✗ Don't
- −Don't publish competitive analysis without fact-checking
- −Don't finalize user stories without engineering review
- −Don't make prioritization decisions solely on AI scoring
- −Don't skip customer validation of generated requirements
- −Don't ignore company-specific context and culture
💡 Pro Tips
- ★Provide context: company goals, constraints, customer feedback
- ★Ask for alternatives: 'Show 3 ways to prioritize this roadmap'
- ★Request stakeholder-specific formatting: 'Executive summary vs. engineering spec'
- ★Use skill for 70% generation + 30% customization to company needs
When to Use This▌
✓ Use When
Use for user story writing, competitive research, roadmap prioritization, stakeholder communication, and PRD drafting. Best for reducing repetitive documentation and research work.
✗ Avoid When
Avoid for strategic product vision (requires deep customer empathy), pricing decisions (needs market and financial expertise), or when face-to-face customer discovery is more valuable than speed.
Learning Path▌
- 1Basic: user stories, feature specs, status updates
- 2Intermediate: competitive analysis, prioritization frameworks, PRDs
- 3Advanced: product strategy, go-to-market planning, OKR setting
- 4Expert: product vision, market positioning, business model innovation
Discussion
Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)- No comments yet — start the thread.
Ratings
4.6★★★★★51 reviews- ★★★★★Ganesh Mohane· Dec 28, 2024
We added branding from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.
- ★★★★★Chinedu Desai· Dec 4, 2024
branding is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.
- ★★★★★Noah Robinson· Nov 23, 2024
Keeps context tight: branding is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.
- ★★★★★Sakshi Patil· Nov 19, 2024
branding fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.
- ★★★★★Zaid Haddad· Nov 11, 2024
I recommend branding for anyone iterating fast on agent tooling; clear intent and a small, reviewable surface area.
- ★★★★★Daniel Smith· Oct 14, 2024
branding has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.
- ★★★★★Chaitanya Patil· Oct 10, 2024
Registry listing for branding matched our evaluation — installs cleanly and behaves as described in the markdown.
- ★★★★★Zaid Chawla· Oct 2, 2024
branding reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.
- ★★★★★Daniel Johnson· Sep 25, 2024
branding is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.
- ★★★★★Piyush G· Sep 17, 2024
branding reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.
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