# PRODUCT MARKETING CONTEXT — EU VARIANT

> **Region:** European Union + UK (UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Nordics, Poland, etc.)
> **Currency:** EUR (Euro) — use comma decimal: `€9,99`. UK uses GBP `£9.99`.
> **Primary platforms:** Meta (Facebook + Instagram), Google (Search + YouTube), LinkedIn (B2B), country-specific (Xing in DE, Viadeo in FR)
> **Key regulations:** GDPR, EU AI Act, ePrivacy Directive, country-specific (CNIL in France, BfDI in Germany, AEPD in Spain, ICO in UK)
> **Persona research framework:** GDPR-compliant ICP (consent-first, no behavioral tracking without explicit consent)

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## HOW TO USE

- Answer one section at a time — the AI will ask one section at a time, NEVER all at once
- Each section has guidance and EU-specific examples — use as a reference, do NOT copy verbatim
- Section unknown -> write "TBD" — return later to update
- Total time: **30-45 minutes** if you have the info ready

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## SECTION 1 — PRODUCT OVERVIEW

> Basic product info — so AI knows what you sell before doing anything.

| Field | Info |
|-------|------|
| **Product/service name:** | |
| **One-sentence description:** | |
| **2-3 sentence description:** | |
| **Industry / category:** | |
| **Business model:** | [ ] SaaS [ ] DTC e-commerce [ ] Marketplace [ ] Service [ ] Course [ ] Other: ___ |
| **Pricing & how you charge:** | (e.g. `€29/month`, `€99 one-time`, `€9,99/unit`) — VAT inclusive or exclusive? |
| **Website:** | |
| **Stage:** | [ ] Pre-launch [ ] Launch [ ] Growth [ ] Mature |
| **Languages supported:** | (e.g. EN, DE, FR, ES, IT, NL, PL) |

> **EU pricing convention:** Use comma decimal (`€9,99` not `€9.99`). State VAT clearly — B2C usually shows VAT-inclusive prices; B2B shows ex-VAT. UK uses period decimal `£9.99` and includes VAT in B2C.

---

## SECTION 2 — TARGET CUSTOMERS

> Who buys it. The more specific, the better — but stay GDPR-compliant: persona research must rely on consented data.

| Field | Info |
|-------|------|
| **Segment:** | [ ] B2C [ ] B2B [ ] B2B2C |
| **Company size (B2B):** | [ ] Solopreneur [ ] SMB (<50) [ ] Mid-market (50-500) [ ] Large (500-5000) [ ] Enterprise (>5000) |
| **Customer's industry (B2B):** | |
| **Decision maker:** | (e.g. CMO, Geschaftsfuhrer, Directeur Marketing, Founder) |
| **Job-to-be-Done (JTBD):** | What job does the customer "hire" your product to do? |
| **Specific use case:** | |
| **Geography within EU:** | [ ] DACH (DE/AT/CH) [ ] France [ ] Iberia (ES/PT) [ ] Italy [ ] Benelux [ ] Nordics [ ] UK [ ] CEE (PL/CZ/HU) |
| **Multi-language need:** | (e.g. "Localize to DE + FR + EN at minimum") |

> **EU B2B note:** Sales cycles run LONGER than US — 6-12 months for mid-market, 12-24 months for enterprise — driven by procurement formalities, GDPR review, and works-council approval (Germany).
> **EU B2C note:** Privacy-conscious buyers; cookie banners and consent flows are mandatory — design for opt-IN, not opt-out.

---

## SECTION 3 — CUSTOMER PERSONA

> Use a GDPR-compliant ICP framework: behavioral data must be consented. Anchor personas on first-party survey + interview data, not third-party tracking.

### Primary persona: [Short name, e.g. "Mid-market Marie"]

| Field | Info |
|-------|------|
| **Demographics:** | Age range, country, urban/rural, household income (in EUR) |
| **Job title / role:** | |
| **Online behavior:** | (which platforms, frequency — based on consented surveys, not tracking) |
| **Personal goals:** | |
| **Biggest pain:** | |
| **Inner monologue:** | (what they think but rarely say out loud) |
| **JTBD statement:** | "When ___, I want to ___, so I can ___." |
| **Privacy attitude:** | (e.g. "Privacy-first, will not give email without value", "Pragmatic, accepts cookies for convenience") |

### Secondary persona: [If applicable]

[Same structure as primary]

> **EU-specific persona cues:**
> - **Germany:** rigorous, evidence-driven, prefers detail and technical depth — long-form content wins
> - **France:** brand-conscious, design-sensitive — visual and editorial polish wins
> - **UK:** pragmatic, ROI-focused, slightly skeptical of marketing-speak
> - **Nordics:** minimalist, trust-driven, sustainability-conscious
> - **Italy / Spain:** relationship-driven, value warmth and human connection
> - **CEE (Poland, Czechia):** value-driven, growing middle class, mobile-first

---

## SECTION 4 — PAIN POINTS & PROBLEMS

> The deeper the pain, the higher the willingness to pay.

- **Core problem before they find you:**
- **Why current solutions fail:**
- **Cost of the problem:** (time, money, opportunity — quantify in EUR where possible)
- **Negative emotions:** (stress, fear, regulatory anxiety, FOMO)
- **Consequences if unsolved (12 months out):**
- **Regulatory exposure:** (e.g. "GDPR fine risk if data leaks", "EU AI Act compliance gap")

> **EU framing tip:** Quantify in EUR; reference regulatory consequences specifically. Example: "Without proper consent management, a single GDPR fine can exceed 4% of annual revenue."

---

## SECTION 5 — COMPETITORS

### Direct (same solution, same problem)
- [Competitor 1]: [strength] / [weakness for this persona]
- [Competitor 2]: ...
- [Competitor 3]: ...

### Indirect (different solution, same problem)
- [Competitor 1]: ...
- [Competitor 2]: ...

### Secondary (same solution, different segment)
- [Competitor 1]: ...

> **EU competitive landscape examples:**
> - SaaS: SAP, Personio, Pipedrive, TeamViewer, Celonis, UiPath
> - DTC: ASOS (UK), Zalando (DE), Veepee (FR), Spotify (SE)
> - Marketplace: Allegro (PL), Otto (DE), Bol.com (NL)
> - B2B: SAP ecosystem dominance in DACH; many country-specific incumbents (Cegid in FR, Wolters Kluwer in NL)

---

## SECTION 6 — DIFFERENTIATION

- **3 main differentiators vs. competitors:**
  1.
  2.
  3.
- **Why customers choose you over competitors:**
- **What competitors DON'T have that you DO:**
- **One-sentence positioning ("For ___, who ___, our product is ___, that ___, unlike ___, we ___."):**

> **EU positioning style:** Understated, evidence-led, often functional. Avoid US-style hyperbole ("game-changing", "revolutionary"). Lead with substance — certifications, sustainability, data residency in EU.

---

## SECTION 7 — BARRIERS & ANTI-PERSONA

### Top 3 objections customers voice
1. "GDPR risk — where is data stored?" -> Handling: ...
2. "Need German / French language support" -> Handling: ...
3. "Already locked into [SAP / national incumbent]" -> Handling: ...

### Anti-persona (NOT a customer)
- Who should NOT buy this product:
- Why:

> **EU-specific barriers:**
> - **GDPR** -> Customers ask for DPA (Data Processing Agreement), data residency in EU, and right-to-erasure mechanisms
> - **EU AI Act (applicable from 2025-2026)** -> If you market AI features, classify your system (minimal / limited / high-risk / prohibited)
> - **Country-specific privacy laws** -> CNIL in France enforces strictly on cookies; Germany requires DPO disclosure
> - **Language gap** -> Customers in DE/FR will ASK for native-language support; English-only often kills B2B deals

---

## SECTION 8 — JTBD 4 FORCES (Push / Pull / Anxiety / Habit)

- **Push** (what's pushing them away from current solution):
- **Pull** (what's attracting them to you):
- **Anxiety** (what they fear about switching to you):
- **Habit** (what keeps them on the old solution):

> **EU note:** Anxiety in EU is heavily privacy- and procurement-driven. Habits are reinforced by national vendors (e.g. SAP in DE, Cegid in FR). To win, name the migration path explicitly and offer a DPA on day 1.

---

## SECTION 9 — VOICE OF CUSTOMER (VERBATIM)

> Real customer quotes — DO NOT paraphrase. Verbatim quotes reveal how customers actually think — including in their NATIVE language where possible.

- "..." (EN)
- "..." (DE — translate to EN with original preserved)
- "..." (FR — translate to EN with original preserved)

**Sources:**
- G2, Capterra, Trustpilot reviews (filter by EU country)
- Trusted Shops reviews (DE)
- Trustpilot (UK / Nordics)
- Sales call recordings — with consent banner in place
- Survey responses (Typeform, SurveyMonkey)
- Industry forums (XING groups in DE, niche subreddits)

> **EU tip:** Quotes in native languages (DE, FR, ES, IT) are gold. They reveal idioms ("zu kompliziert" = "too complicated, but with weight"; "trop bordelique" = "too messy") that English paraphrases lose.

---

## SECTION 10 — BRAND VOICE

### 10a. Core brand voice
- **3 adjectives describing the brand:**
- **Tone:** (Professional / Friendly / Witty / Authoritative / Educational / Understated)
- **Tone you DO NOT use:** (e.g. "Never aggressive sales-speak", "Never US-style hyperbole")
- **Example sentence in voice:**
- **Example sentence NOT in voice:**

### 10b. Voice analysis from sample content (if available)

If user provides 3-5 diverse content samples (posts, emails, video scripts), analyze:

**Voice signals:**
- Average sentence length
- Paragraph rhythm
- Hook style (data points, evidence, contrarian thinking, soft narrative?)
- Point of view (first / second / observational?)
- Tone (formal, warm, technical, witty?)
- Signature phrases per language (DE / FR / EN)

**Absence signals:**
- Words / phrasing that NEVER appear
- Hook styles the brand NEVER uses
- Tones the brand NEVER touches

> **Rule:** Only analyze from REAL samples. If samples are <3, mark "needs more samples to confirm pattern".

> **EU brand-voice references:**
> - SAP: enterprise, evidence-driven, formal
> - Spotify (SE): friendly, modern, slightly playful
> - ASOS (UK): casual, on-trend, conversational
> - IKEA: practical, warm, democratic
> - Personio (DE): professional, helpful, employee-centric

---

## SECTION 11 — SOCIAL PROOF

- **Standout numbers:** (customers, revenue, results — quantified in EUR)
- **Reviews / testimonials (short):**
- **Notable customer logos / press mentions:** (Handelsblatt DE, Les Echos FR, FT UK, Sifted, Tech.eu)
- **Awards / certifications:** (ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR-compliant audit, B Corp, Climate Neutral)
- **Standout case studies:**

> **EU-specific proof points:** ISO 27001, GDPR DPA on file, EU data residency, B Corp, Made in Germany / Made in France quality marks, EU-funded grants (Horizon Europe).

---

## SECTION 12 — GOALS

- **90-day goal:** (e.g. "Reach EUR 50K MRR by end of Q3")
- **12-month goal:** (e.g. "Hit EUR 1M ARR with 80% retention across DACH")
- **North Star Metric:** (single most important metric — e.g. "Weekly active teams", "Monthly recurring revenue in EUR")
- **Secondary metrics:** (e.g. CAC in EUR, LTV in EUR, payback period, NPS by country)
- **Geography expansion plan:** (DACH first? Then Nordics? Then UK? Or pan-EU?)

> **EU benchmarks (2025-2026):**
> | Metric | Poor | Average | Good | Excellent |
> |--------|------|---------|------|-----------|
> | Meta CPM (EUR) | >EUR 18 | EUR 10-18 | EUR 5-10 | <EUR 5 |
> | Google CPC (B2B SaaS, EUR) | >EUR 12 | EUR 4-12 | EUR 1.50-4 | <EUR 1.50 |
> | LinkedIn CPM (EUR) | >EUR 60 | EUR 30-60 | EUR 18-30 | <EUR 18 |
> | Email open rate | <20% | 20-28% | 28-38% | >38% |
> | DTC ROAS | <2x | 2-3.5x | 3.5-5x | >5x |
> | B2B SaaS LTV/CAC | <2 | 2-3 | 3-5 | >5 |

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## CHECKLIST BEFORE FINISHING

- [ ] All 12 sections completed (or at least 8 core: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12)
- [ ] Currency in EUR with comma decimal (`€9,99`) — or GBP for UK (`£9.99`)
- [ ] VAT-inclusive vs. exclusive pricing made explicit
- [ ] Primary platforms identified (Meta + Google + LinkedIn for B2B)
- [ ] GDPR + EU AI Act + country-specific laws noted in section 7
- [ ] Languages identified (multi-language support, where applicable)
- [ ] Verbatim VoC quotes pulled from real sources, in native language where possible
- [ ] Anti-persona is explicit
- [ ] North Star Metric defined in EUR where applicable
- [ ] Date stamp at top of file

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*EU Variant | Global Foundation | Over Powers Agency | v1.0.0*
