How do you tackle creating a hierarchy of product marketing messaging? Do you do the work to discover top priorities by persona focusing on the end-user or buyer or another approach entirely?

I don't think of it as a hierarchy, but more of a messaging map that focuses on the end audience (whether that is an exec or an end user) and their specific pain points. 

One way to do that ladder is to break it down by differentiation/value and audience. So what are the core pillars of your product and then what is the needed translation of that to a specific audience. Example: "Ease" means something different to a CMO/CEO versus a marketing manager/individual contributor.