# AMERICAN FLAT BRAND STRATEGY — MASTER PROJECT PLAN
**Phase 1 Execution | CE Methodology**
**Site:** https://americanflat.com/

## BRAND SNAPSHOT
- DTC home decor brand — picture frames, prints, wall art, textiles
- "Affordable, timeless, and personal" positioning
- 50,000+ 5-star reviews | Designed in USA | Ships from US warehouses
- Tagline territory: "Thoughtfully curated for real people, real homes, and real life"
- Started as a frames brand, expanded into broader home decor

## PROJECT OVERVIEW
**Objective**: Execute American Flat through CE Methodology Phases 1-4 — research, competitive mapping, audience analysis, positioning, and visual territory. Same standard as FlowRx and Grid.

**Success Criteria**: Publication-quality research and strategic insights that reveal non-obvious positioning opportunities for the brand.

## PHASE 1 STRUCTURE & OWNERSHIP

| Section | Owner | Status | Due |
|---------|-------|--------|-----|
| 1. Context Setting (market, category, culture) | Julia | ⚪ QUEUED | — |
| 2. Competitive Landscape (who else lives here) | Julia | ⚪ QUEUED | After Sec 1 |
| 3. Audience Map (who actually buys this) | Julia | ⚪ QUEUED | After Sec 2 |
| 4. Positioning & Narrative | Ogilvy | ⚪ WAITING | After Sec 1-3 |
| 5. Brand Values | Ogilvy | ⚪ WAITING | After Sec 4 |
| 6. Messaging Architecture | Ogilvy | ⚪ WAITING | After Sec 5 |
| 7. Visual Territories | Jessica | 🟡 PARALLEL | — |
| 8. Strategic Recommendation | Kitt | ⚪ WAITING | After 1-7 |

## SEQUENCING

**Julia track (Sections 1-3)** → feeds → **Ogilvy track (Sections 4-6)**
**Jessica (Section 7)** runs parallel to Julia
**Anton QA gates every section** before handoff

## QUALITY STANDARDS
- "Could this run in Harvard Business Review?"
- Minimum 10-15 credible sources per section
- Strategic insights beyond surface-level analysis
- Every claim sourced, no hallucinated data