four-core-documents

What this skill does

# /digital-marketing-pro:four-core-documents — The Strategic Spine (61 Steps)

This skill produces Part 3 of the engagement methodology: the four documents that together define the brand at strategic depth. Every channel strategy, every creative brief, every piece of copy reads back to these.

## Context efficiency

Heavy skill. **Grep before Read** any referenced file, then `Read` only matched ranges with `offset` + `limit`. List `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA}/<brand>/` before opening files. On re-invocation mid-session, skip files already in context.

**Specification:** [four-core-documents-spec.md](../context-engine/four-core-documents-spec.md) — the exact 61 steps across the four documents.

**Engagement context:** [engagement-flow-methodology.md](../context-engine/engagement-flow-methodology.md) — where Part 3 fits in the 12-Part flow.

## Pre-conditions

Before running this skill, verify:

1. **Brand profile exists** at `~/.claude-marketing/brands/{brand-slug}/profile.json`. If not, run `/digital-marketing-pro:brand-setup` first.
2. **Engagement is initialised** with state file `_engagement.json` present. If not, run `/digital-marketing-pro:engagement start` first.
3. **Part 1 (Client Inputs) is completed**. Stone facts and Opinion hypotheses must be captured before Part 3 can begin.
4. **Part 2 (External Research) is at least started**. Some Part 2 research may continue in parallel with Part 3, but the kickoff must have happened.

If any pre-condition fails, do NOT produce output. Instead, instruct the user on what to run first.

## Subcommands

### Produce all four documents

```
/digital-marketing-pro:four-core-documents <brand-slug> <engagement-id>
```

Produces 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 in sequence. Total time: 30–90 minutes depending on engagement complexity.

### Produce a single document

```
/digital-marketing-pro:four-core-documents <brand-slug> <engagement-id> --doc 3.1
```

Produces just the specified document. Useful for re-runs (Part 6) or when one doc needs to be redone independently.

### Produce v2 re-runs

```
/digital-marketing-pro:four-core-documents <brand-slug> <engagement-id> --view v2 --docs "3.1,3.3"
```

Produces v2 versions of the specified documents. Used during Part 6 after the Decision Matrix has triggered re-runs.

### Produce the Combined Core Document (3.C)

```
/digital-marketing-pro:four-core-documents <brand-slug> <engagement-id> --combined
```

Stitches all four canonical core documents (latest version of each) into a single executive-reference file with master TOC, master assumptions table, and master source index. Produced only when an executive audience needs a single-file read.

## Production Order

The four documents are produced in sequence because each builds on the prior:

1. **3.1 Business & SBU Analysis** (18 steps) — foundational. Establishes the business reality.
2. **3.2 Segmentation Framework** (15 steps) — depends on 3.1's SBU and customer data.
3. **3.3 Brand Positioning & Communications** (19 steps) — depends on 3.2's personas.
4. **3.4 DMFlow** (9 steps) — depends on 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 to make channel decisions.

When running re-runs, only the affected documents are regenerated. Other documents remain at their current version.

## Per-Document Production

### 3.1 — Business & SBU Analysis (18 steps)

Read the spec section for 3.1 in [four-core-documents-spec.md](../context-engine/four-core-documents-spec.md). The 18 steps are:

1. SBU identification
2. SBU separation rationale
3. Revenue streams per SBU
4. Unit economics per SBU
5. Value chain mapping
6. Offering portfolio at task-level granularity
7. Pricing architecture
8. Organisational and go-to-market model
9. Sales and distribution architecture
10. Full SWOT with evidence
11. Growth levers
12. Constraints
13. Customer acquisition economics
14. Customer retention economics
15. Partnership and channel dependencies
16. Risk profile
17. Strategic implications for the engagement
18. Open questions

**Inputs:**

- `part-01-client-inputs/stone-facts.json` — ground-truth facts
- `part-02-external-research/` — unbiased external research (industry data, market context)
- Brand profile at `~/.claude-marketing/brands/{slug}/profile.json`
- (Do NOT use Opinion hypotheses as ground truth — those are research questions, not facts)

**Output:**

`engagements/{id}/part-03-four-core-documents/v1/3.1-business-and-sbu-analysis.md`

(For v2 re-runs: same path but in `v2/` instead of `v1/`)

**Output structure:**

```markdown
---
document: 3.1-business-and-sbu-analysis
version: v1.0
engagement: {engagement-id}
brand: {brand-slug}
produced: {iso-timestamp}
view: v1   # or v2 for re-runs
---

# 3.1 Business & SBU Analysis

## Step 1: SBU Identification

[Content for step 1]

## Step 2: SBU Separation Rationale

[Content for step 2]

... (all 18 steps, in order)

## Sources

[Numbered list of every cited source: client docs, public sources, industry reports, Stone facts referenced]

## Open Questions

[Anything that could not be answered with available info]

## Change Log

### v1.0 — {date}
- Initial unbiased research version produced from Part 2 + Stone facts.
```

### 3.2 — Segmentation Framework (15 steps)

The 15 steps:

1. Target Group identification
2. TG scoring across criteria
3. TG prioritisation
4. Sub-TG breakdown
5. Persona development per primary TG (using [actionable-persona-format.md](../context-engine/actionable-persona-format.md))
6. Behavioural attributes per persona
7. Psychographic attributes per persona
8. Need-state mapping
9. Geographic distribution
10. (B2B only) Multi-stakeholder Decision Unit per persona (using [b2b-decision-making-unit.md](../context-engine/b2b-decision-making-unit.md))
11. (B2B only) MQL definition
12. (B2B only) SQL definition
13. (B2B only) Pipeline logic
14. Anti-personas
15. Activation guidance

Steps 10–13 are skipped for B2C engagements. The skill detects B2B vs B2C from the brand profile's `business_model.type` field.

**Inputs:**

- 3.1 (just produced) for SBU + customer baseline
- `part-04-competitive-customer-market/v1/4.3-customer-analysis.md` if available (for unbiased customer research)
- Brand profile

**Output:**

`engagements/{id}/part-03-four-core-documents/v1/3.2-segmentation-framework.md`

### 3.3 — Brand Positioning & Communications (19 steps)

The 19 steps:

1. Positioning options considered
2. Per-option rationale
3. Per-option trade-offs
4. Chosen positioning with defence argument
5. Positioning statement (formal one-sentence)
6. Trade-offs explicit
7. Brand promise
8. Proof points for the brand promise
9. Primary message architecture
10. Messaging pillars (3–5)
11. Proof points per pillar
12. Segment-level messaging variations
13. Full-funnel communication framework (TOFU/MOFU/BOFU/retention/advocacy)
14. Tone-of-voice principles
15. Explicit don't-say rules
16. Sensitive-topic handling
17. Crisis-communication posture
18. Application guidance across channels
19. Open positioning questions

**Inputs:**

- 3.1 + 3.2 (just produced)
- `part-04-competitive-customer-market/v1/4.2-competitor-positioning.md` if available
- Brand profile (for current brand voice signals)

**Output:**

`engagements/{id}/part-03-four-core-documents/v1/3.3-brand-positioning-and-communications.md`

### 3.4 — DMFlow (9 steps)

The 9 steps:

1. Channel universe considered (using [five-digital-markets.md](../context-engine/five-digital-markets.md))
2. Channel selection with rationale per channel
3. Funnel architecture per channel
4. Media mix logic across paid/organic/earned/owned
5. Budget allocation logic at business level (with In-Market vs Out-Market split per [in-market-out-market.md](../context-engine/in-market-out-market.md))
6. Channel interdependencies and sequencing
7. Conversion framework
8. Measurement approach
9. Strategic implications and track weightages

**Inputs:**

- 3.1 + 3.2 + 3.3 (just produced)
- Brand profile (for current channels, budget envelope)
- [channel-families.md](../context-engine/channel-families.md)