STOP / KEEP / FIX / PROVE

Verdict Protocol Specification

1. Definition

STOP / KEEP / FIX / PROVE is the structured verdict protocol produced by every RAMMP Pre-Spend Diagnostic.

The protocol governs marketing capital allocation decisions prior to budget deployment.

No additional verdict categories are permitted.

2. Purpose

The STOP / KEEP / FIX / PROVE protocol exists to:

  • Convert quantitative diagnostic outputs into governance decisions

  • Prevent amplification of structural instability

  • Prioritise high-leverage trust repairs

  • Enforce re-validation before capital expansion

The protocol operates as a decision gate.

3. Verdict Categories

Every Pre-Spend Diagnostic must resolve into four categories.

3.1 STOP

Definition
Capital allocation or initiative that amplifies instability within one or more Trust Checkpoints.

Trigger Conditions

  • Material deviation from checkpoint stability threshold

  • Low Buyer Trust Score

  • Low Revenue Feasibility Index

  • High capital exposure relative to structural integrity

Governance Rule

Capital expansion must not proceed where STOP is issued.

3.2 KEEP

Definition
Checkpoint performance meeting or exceeding defined stability threshold.

Governance Rule

No structural intervention required.

KEEP does not imply optimisation; it confirms stability.

3.3 FIX

Definition
Highest-leverage structural trust repairs required to restore checkpoint stability.

Rules

  • Maximum two FIX items permitted per diagnostic

  • Each FIX must map to a specific Trust Checkpoint

  • Each FIX must reference measurable behavioural variables

  • FIX defines structural repair requirement, not tactical prescription

Execution guidance, where required, operates downstream and does not alter verdict determination.

3.4 PROVE

Definition
Mandatory re-validation protocol prior to capital expansion.

Rules

  • A minimum seven-day operational period must elapse following implementation of each FIX.

  • Structural correction must be validated through re-execution of the Pre-Spend Diagnostic, or relevant checkpoint diagnostic.

  • Capital expansion must not occur until re-run results demonstrate improved checkpoint stability.

  • Partial, selective, or self-reported metrics do not constitute validation.

PROVE enforces re-testing prior to capital amplification.

4. Protocol Constraints

The STOP / KEEP / FIX / PROVE protocol operates under the following constraints:

  • Maximum two FIX items per diagnostic

  • No discretionary expansion of verdict categories

  • No substitution of qualitative opinion for quantitative threshold evaluation

  • No bypass of PROVE prior to budget increase

The protocol is mandatory within the RAMMP governance framework.

5. Relationship to Diagnostic Outputs

The verdict protocol is informed by:

  • Buyer Trust Score

  • Revenue Feasibility Index

  • Checkpoint stability scores

  • Declared decision trigger

Verdicts convert measurement into governance control.

6. Decision Authority

The STOP / KEEP / FIX / PROVE protocol governs:

  • Budget approval

  • Budget increases

  • Agency engagement

  • Campaign expansion

  • Rebrand initiation

  • Capital allocation dependent on marketing performance

The protocol does not prescribe implementation tactics.

7. Structural Intent

The protocol prioritises prevention over optimisation.

It exists to:

  • Reduce avoidable capital loss

  • Increase decision defensibility

  • Enforce structured marketing due diligence

Relief from uncertainty precedes growth ambition.

8. Intellectual Property

The STOP / KEEP / FIX / PROVE protocol forms part of the patented RAMMP Pre-Spend Diagnostic methodology.

RAMMP is protected by granted patents in Australia and New Zealand, with patent pending in the United States.

9. Version Control

STOP / KEEP / FIX / PROVE Protocol Specification
Version 1.0
Last Updated: 2026-02-19

Future revisions will be versioned and archived.