Clarify What Your Brand Is Solving with the 4 Points Strategy
Your brand is currently a shiny answer to a question nobody actually asked. You’ve got a product, a logo, and a marketing budget, but you’re shouting into a void because you haven't figured out what human mess you're actually cleaning up. The 4 Points Strategy is your reality check. It's for the strategist who's tired of seeing 'to be the best' in a deck. It strips away the corporate we-speak and forces you to identify the one specific, painful friction point you exist to fix. If you can't define the problem you're solving, you're just a glorified vending machine with a high burn rate. This framework stops the guessing game and gives you a reason to exist that people actually care about.
The TL;DR
Stop pretending your product is the hero. Identify the human friction (Problem), the secret behavior (Insight), your one real weapon (Advantage), and the singular battle plan (Strategy) that justifies your brand's existence.
Why This Stops Your Brand From Being a Generic Commodity
Most positioning fails because it's too safe. This framework forces you to be specific enough to actually annoy the people who aren't your customers, which is the only way to get the ones who are to pay attention.
PROBLEM
Forget your 'low awareness' metrics. What is the friction, the annoyance, or the quiet desperation in the customer's life? If your brand disappeared tomorrow, what specific frustration would come back? That’s your Problem.
INSIGHT
This is the Insight. It’s the 'why' behind the 'what.' It’s the thing they do when nobody is looking. If the insight doesn't make you say 'I do that too, and I hate it,' it’s probably just a boring data point.
ADVANTAGE
Be honest. Is it your tech, your speed, or your weirdly obsessive community? This is the Advantage. If your advantage is 'high quality,' you’re lying to yourself. It has to be the specific tool that kills the Problem.
STRATEGY
This is the Strategy. It’s the bridge. It’s the 'how' that connects the Problem to the Advantage. It’s a singular, aggressive direction that tells everyone on the team exactly what to do and, more importantly, what to stop doing.
PROBLEM
Forget your 'low awareness' metrics. What is the friction, the annoyance, or the quiet desperation in the customer's life? If your brand disappeared tomorrow, what specific frustration would come back? That’s your Problem.
INSIGHT
This is the Insight. It’s the 'why' behind the 'what.' It’s the thing they do when nobody is looking. If the insight doesn't make you say 'I do that too, and I hate it,' it’s probably just a boring data point.
ADVANTAGE
Be honest. Is it your tech, your speed, or your weirdly obsessive community? This is the Advantage. If your advantage is 'high quality,' you’re lying to yourself. It has to be the specific tool that kills the Problem.
STRATEGY
This is the Strategy. It’s the bridge. It’s the 'how' that connects the Problem to the Advantage. It’s a singular, aggressive direction that tells everyone on the team exactly what to do and, more importantly, what to stop doing.
How to Look Like a Strategist Who Just Rolled Out of Bed
(Avoid these if you want to keep your job)
- ×Defining the Problem as 'they don't know we exist' (that's an ego problem, not a customer problem)
- ×Mistaking a 'Fact' for an 'Insight' (People like discounts is a fact; people use discounts to feel smarter than the brand is an insight)
- ×Using 'Innovation' or 'Quality' as an Advantage (those are table stakes, not advantages)
- ×Writing a Strategy that is just a list of tactics like 'run more Instagram ads'
- ×Trying to solve a problem that doesn't actually hurt the customer enough to pay for a fix
- ×Making the Strategy so broad that it could literally apply to a toothpaste brand and a SaaS startup
- ×Ignoring the Insight because it feels 'too negative' for the brand guidelines
- ×Refusing to pick a single direction because you're afraid of missing out on 'other opportunities'
If your strategy doesn't hurt a little bit to commit to, it's not a strategy; it's a wishlist.
Real Examples
Premium Pet Food
A brand struggling to justify a $90 bag of kibble in a crowded market.
PROBLEM
Pet owners feel a nagging guilt that they are 'bad parents' for feeding their dogs processed brown pellets every day.
INSIGHT
They don't actually care about 'balanced nutrients'; they care about the dog living one day longer so they don't have to say goodbye.
ADVANTAGE
A proprietary low-heat cooking process that preserves visible, recognizable chunks of real vegetables and meat.
STRATEGY
Position the brand as the 'Longevity Insurance Policy' for your best friend, rather than just another bag of food.
PROBLEM
Pet owners feel a nagging guilt that they are 'bad parents' for feeding their dogs processed brown pellets every day.
INSIGHT
They don't actually care about 'balanced nutrients'; they care about the dog living one day longer so they don't have to say goodbye.
ADVANTAGE
A proprietary low-heat cooking process that preserves visible, recognizable chunks of real vegetables and meat.
STRATEGY
Position the brand as the 'Longevity Insurance Policy' for your best friend, rather than just another bag of food.
B2B Financial Audit Software
Selling to mid-sized firms who still use messy spreadsheets.
PROBLEM
Finance leads live in constant terror of a minor clerical error blowing up into a career-ending audit failure.
INSIGHT
They don't want 'efficiency'; they want to be able to go on vacation without checking their email for 'emergency' red cells.
ADVANTAGE
An 'Undo' button that tracks every change back to the original source with 100% forensic accuracy.
STRATEGY
Own the 'Invisible Safety Net' category by focusing on the 'peace of mind' of being un-fireable during an audit.
PROBLEM
Finance leads live in constant terror of a minor clerical error blowing up into a career-ending audit failure.
INSIGHT
They don't want 'efficiency'; they want to be able to go on vacation without checking their email for 'emergency' red cells.
ADVANTAGE
An 'Undo' button that tracks every change back to the original source with 100% forensic accuracy.
STRATEGY
Own the 'Invisible Safety Net' category by focusing on the 'peace of mind' of being un-fireable during an audit.
Sustainable Fashion Brand
Trying to compete with fast-fashion giants without sounding preachy.
PROBLEM
Conscious consumers feel hypocritical for buying 'green' clothes that fall apart after three washes.
INSIGHT
They aren't buying for the planet; they're buying to feel like they are 'better' than the mindless consumers of disposable trends.
ADVANTAGE
A 'Repair for Life' program where the brand fixes any garment for free, regardless of how old it is.
STRATEGY
Weaponize the 'Last Shirt You'll Ever Buy' narrative to turn durability into the ultimate status symbol.
PROBLEM
Conscious consumers feel hypocritical for buying 'green' clothes that fall apart after three washes.
INSIGHT
They aren't buying for the planet; they're buying to feel like they are 'better' than the mindless consumers of disposable trends.
ADVANTAGE
A 'Repair for Life' program where the brand fixes any garment for free, regardless of how old it is.
STRATEGY
Weaponize the 'Last Shirt You'll Ever Buy' narrative to turn durability into the ultimate status symbol.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my brand solves three different problems?
Then your brand is unfocused and your marketing budget is being set on fire. Pick the most painful one and own it. You can't be the best at everything, so stop trying.
My boss says our Advantage is 'our people.' Now what?
Your boss is giving you corporate fluff. Unless your 'people' are literal wizards, it's not a strategic advantage. Find a process, a feature, or a price point that a competitor can't just copy by hiring a new HR manager.
How do I know if my Problem is 'human' enough?
If you can describe it without using the name of your product or any industry jargon, it's human. If it sounds like something someone would complain about at a bar, you're on the right track.
Is the Strategy just my new tagline?
No. The Strategy is the internal logic that dictates what you do. The tagline is the pretty bow you put on it for the public. If you confuse the two, you'll end up with a slogan that has no teeth.
What if the Insight feels a bit... mean?
Good. Truth is usually a little uncomfortable. If your insight is 'people want to be happy,' you've failed. If your insight is 'people want to look richer than their brother-in-law,' you've found a goldmine.
Generate a Framework for your Product Launch Strategy
Use our framework generator to generate various Get Who To By, 4C, 4 Points Strategy, and other frameworks — all in one place and directly to editable Google SLIDES!
Go to Framework Generator