Imported from cdeistopened/skill-stack (.claude/skills/brand-identity-wizard/SKILL.md). Install upstream with npx skills add cdeistopened/skill-stack --skill brand-identity-wizard. Copyright stays with the author.

Brand Identity Wizard

Create a comprehensive brand identity document that content skills can reference for consistent voice, messaging, and audience targeting.

Purpose

Many content skills (newsletters, podcasts, social posts, SEO articles) need brand context to produce on-brand content. This wizard creates a single brand-identity.md file that all skills can reference.

Core Philosophy: Define once, use everywhere. A well-defined brand identity enables consistent content creation across all channels.

When to Use This Wizard

Use this wizard when:

• Setting up a new skills vault for a brand/company
• Starting content production for a new client
• Your brand identity has evolved and needs updating
• Content feels inconsistent across different skills

You'll need:

• 30-60 minutes for the initial interview
• Access to existing brand materials (website, past content, style guides)
• Decision-making authority on brand voice

The 5-Section Framework

Section 1: Brand Persona

Goal: Define who the brand is as if it were a person

Questions to Answer:

1. If your brand were a person, who would they be?

   • Name, background, expertise
   • What makes them uniquely qualified?
   • What's their origin story?

2. What's their personality?

   • Warm vs. reserved
   • Expert vs. peer
   • Serious vs. playful
   • Formal vs. casual

3. What do they believe deeply?

   • Core convictions (not just values)
   • What hills will they die on?
   • What conventional wisdom do they reject?

4. What's their superpower?

   • What do they do better than anyone else?
   • What unique perspective do they bring?

Output Format:

## Brand Persona

**Name:** [Name or brand name]
**Role:** [Their role/title in relation to audience]
**Background:** [2-3 sentences on origin story and qualifications]

**Personality Traits:**
- [Trait 1 with brief explanation]
- [Trait 2 with brief explanation]
- [Trait 3 with brief explanation]

**Core Beliefs:**
- [Belief 1]
- [Belief 2]
- [Belief 3]

**Superpower:** [One sentence on unique value proposition]

Section 2: Target Audience

Goal: Define who this brand serves and what they need

Questions to Answer:

1. Primary Audience Profile:

   • Demographics (age, location, profession)
   • Psychographics (values, goals, fears)
   • Current situation and pain points

2. What transformation do they want?

   • Where are they now? (Before state)
   • Where do they want to be? (After state)
   • What's blocking them?

3. How do they describe their problem?

   • Use their words, not industry jargon
   • What do they Google?
   • What do they complain about?

4. Secondary Audiences:

   • Who else might consume this content?
   • How do their needs differ?

Output Format:

## Target Audience

### Primary Audience
**Demographics:** [Age, location, profession, life stage]
**Psychographics:** [Values, lifestyle, interests]

**Current State:**
- [Pain point 1]
- [Pain point 2]
- [Pain point 3]

**Desired State:**
- [Goal 1]
- [Goal 2]
- [Goal 3]

**How They Describe It:**
- "[Quote-style description they'd use]"
- "[Another way they'd say it]"

### Secondary Audiences
**[Audience 2]:** [Brief description and how needs differ]
**[Audience 3]:** [Brief description and how needs differ]

Section 3: Voice & Tone

Goal: Define how the brand speaks and writes

Questions to Answer:

1. Voice Spectrum Ratings (1-5 scale):

   • Formal ← → Casual
   • Expert ← → Peer
   • Serious ← → Playful
   • Reserved ← → Opinionated
   • Abstract ← → Concrete

2. Sentence Patterns:

   • Average length (short, medium, long)
   • Variation style (punchy fragments? flowing paragraphs?)
   • Signature structures (recurring patterns)

3. Word Choice:

   • Vocabulary level (simple, moderate, sophisticated)
   • Contractions (always, sometimes, never)
   • Industry jargon (embrace, explain, avoid)
   • Profanity/informality (none, mild, frequent)

4. What to NEVER do:

   • Phrases to avoid
   • Tones that are off-brand
   • Common mistakes

Output Format:

## Voice & Tone

### Voice Spectrum
- Formal/Casual: [X]/5 - [Brief explanation]
- Expert/Peer: [X]/5 - [Brief explanation]
- Serious/Playful: [X]/5 - [Brief explanation]
- Reserved/Opinionated: [X]/5 - [Brief explanation]
- Abstract/Concrete: [X]/5 - [Brief explanation]

### Sentence Patterns
- **Average length:** [Short/Medium/Long]
- **Variation:** [Description of rhythm]
- **Signature structures:**
  - "[Example pattern 1]"
  - "[Example pattern 2]"

### Word Choice
- **Vocabulary:** [Simple/Moderate/Sophisticated]
- **Contractions:** [Always/Sometimes/Never]
- **Jargon:** [Policy]
- **Informality:** [Level]

### Anti-Patterns (NEVER do)
- ❌ [Thing to avoid 1]
- ❌ [Thing to avoid 2]
- ❌ [Thing to avoid 3]

### Signature Phrases
- "[Phrase this brand uses often]"
- "[Another recurring expression]"

Section 4: Values & Mission

Goal: Define the brand's purpose and principles

Questions to Answer:

1. Mission Statement:

   • What problem does this brand exist to solve?
   • In one sentence, what's the mission?

2. Core Values (3-5):

   • Not aspirational, but actually practiced
   • How does each value show up in content?

3. What This Brand Stands For:

   • Positions it takes publicly
   • Causes or movements it supports
   • Industry practices it challenges

4. What This Brand Opposes:

   • What does it stand against?
   • What conventional wisdom does it reject?
   • What practices does it criticize?

Output Format:

## Values & Mission

### Mission
[One clear sentence on why this brand exists]

### Core Values
1. **[Value 1]:** [How it shows up in content]
2. **[Value 2]:** [How it shows up in content]
3. **[Value 3]:** [How it shows up in content]

### What We Stand For
- [Position 1]
- [Position 2]
- [Position 3]

### What We Oppose
- [Opposition 1]
- [Opposition 2]

Section 5: Messaging Framework

Goal: Create reusable messaging elements

Questions to Answer:

1. Tagline/Positioning Statement:

   • How do you describe the brand in 10 words or less?

2. Elevator Pitch (30 seconds):

   • Full explanation of what, for whom, and why

3. Key Messages (3-5):

   • Core themes that appear across all content
   • What should every piece of content reinforce?

4. Proof Points:

   • Credentials, stats, testimonials
   • Stories that demonstrate credibility
   • Results that build trust

5. Content Themes:

   • Categories of content this brand creates
   • Topics that are always relevant
   • Topics that are off-limits

Output Format:

## Messaging Framework

### Positioning
**Tagline:** [10 words or less]
**Elevator Pitch:** [30-second version]

### Key Messages
1. [Message 1]
2. [Message 2]
3. [Message 3]

### Proof Points
- **Credentials:** [Expertise, qualifications]
- **Stats:** [Numbers that demonstrate value]
- **Testimonials:** [Quotes from satisfied customers/readers]
- **Stories:** [Signature stories to reference]

### Content Themes
**Always Relevant:**
- [Theme 1]
- [Theme 2]
- [Theme 3]

**Off-Limits:**
- [Topic 1 - why]
- [Topic 2 - why]

Wizard Workflow

Step 1: Discovery Interview

Walk through each section's questions. Document answers as you go.

Step 2: Synthesize Answers

Convert raw answers into the output format for each section.

Step 3: Review & Refine

Present draft to user. Iterate until it feels right.

Step 4: Save Document

Create file: brand-identity.md in the vault root or designated location.

Step 5: Reference in Other Skills

Point content skills to this file:

• In CLAUDE.md: "For brand voice, see brand-identity.md"
• In individual skills: "Load voice/messaging from brand-identity.md"

Output File Template

# Brand Identity: [Brand Name]

*Last updated: [Date]*

---

## Brand Persona
[Section 1 content]

---

## Target Audience
[Section 2 content]

---

## Voice & Tone
[Section 3 content]

---

## Values & Mission
[Section 4 content]

---

## Messaging Framework
[Section 5 content]

---

## Quick Reference

**For Newsletter Writers:**
- Voice: [Summary]
- Audience: [Summary]
- Key themes: [Summary]

**For Podcast Production:**
- Interview style: [Summary]
- Guest selection: [Summary]
- Episode framing: [Summary]

**For Social Media:**
- Platform personalities: [Any variations]
- Hashtag strategy: [Overview]
- Content pillars: [Summary]

Success Criteria

A complete brand identity document:

✅ Persona feels like a real person - You can imagine them speaking ✅ Audience is specific - Not "everyone interested in X" ✅ Voice is distinctive - Couldn't be swapped with a competitor ✅ Values are actionable - Show up in actual content decisions ✅ Messaging is reusable - Other skills can reference it

Related Skills

• voice-analyzer - Create custom voice style from writing samples
• voice-[style] - Individual voice implementations
• anti-ai-writing - Ensure content matches brand voice authentically

A well-defined brand identity is the foundation for all consistent content. Define once, reference everywhere.