# Brand Research Guide — CE Pitch Page

Run this before filling any template placeholders. Outputs a research doc used to populate all sections.

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## Inputs Required
- `BRAND_NAME` — company name
- `BRAND_URL` — homepage URL
- `TARGET_NAME` — person receiving the pitch
- `TARGET_ROLE` — their job title
- `INTRO_CONTEXT` — how Lukas knows them / warm intro notes

---

## Phase 1: Brand Positioning (15 min)

**Fetch the homepage, about page, and pricing page.**

Extract:
1. **Tagline / headline** — the main message on their homepage
2. **Mission statement** — what they claim to be building toward
3. **Tone of voice** — formal/casual, technical/accessible, cold/warm
4. **Positioning pillar** — what's their #1 claim? (trusted, innovative, cheapest, fastest?)
5. **Recent news** — funding rounds, acquisitions, product launches, leadership changes

Search queries to run:
- `[brand] funding round 2024 2025`
- `[brand] acquisition growth strategy`
- `[brand] brand refresh redesign`
- `[brand] [target_name] marketing strategy`

---

## Phase 2: Product Suite (10 min)

**Map their product(s) to the audience(s) they serve.**

For each product, identify:
- Product name
- Target user (job title/type)
- Core value proposition
- Key differentiator

This maps directly to the **Audience section** (4 cards) and the **Audiences Card** in the CE Model section.

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## Phase 3: Visual Identity (10 min)

**Fetch their website, any brand guidelines, design portfolio pages.**

Record:
- **Primary color** — hex value if possible
- **Secondary/accent colors** — hex values
- **Typography** — what fonts are they using (inspect via browser devtools)
- **Photography style** — product shots, lifestyle, editorial, illustrations
- **Brand marks** — icons, mascots, graphic motifs
- **Gaps** — what's missing or inconsistent?

The Brand DNA section uses this directly.

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## Phase 4: Competitive Landscape (10 min)

**Research 3 direct competitors + 3 aspirational marketing benchmarks.**

For **Tier A (direct competitors)**:
- Who are they competing with for the same customers?
- What does each do well that Cropster lacks?
- What's the moat / why does this brand win?

For **Tier B (marketing to steal from)**:
- Which brands (in any industry) have exceptional marketing that fits this brand's situation?
- Good defaults if brand is B2B SaaS: Linear, Notion, Stripe, Intercom, Loom
- Good defaults if brand is consumer: Apple, Headspace, Duolingo, Calm

Research each with `web_fetch` on their homepage. Note:
- Their headline / hero copy
- What they do distinctively well
- The one thing this brand should steal

---

## Phase 5: Pitch Angle (5 min)

**Decide the CE hook.** Reference `pitch-strategy.md` for the full framework.

Answer:
1. **The trigger** — why is this brand ready for CE *now*? (PE funding, recent rebrand, new product, growth target, leadership change)
2. **The gap** — what specifically is broken or under-built in their marketing?
3. **The angle** — which pitch frame applies? (Activate the brand / Build for growth / Fix the funnel / Own the category)
4. **The headline** — draft the hero headline (see pitch-strategy.md)

---

## Output Format

Save as: `work/pitches/[brand-slug]/brand-brief/phase1-research.md`

Structure:
```
# [Brand] — Phase 1 Brand Research
## 1. Positioning & Messaging
## 2. Product Suite
## 3. Visual Identity
## 4. Competitive Landscape
## 5. Pitch Angle & Hook
## 6. Target Contact Notes
```