A brand is a complex organism. This is part eight in a series of articles in which we examine a successful brand's component parts.
Elements of a Successful Brand 8:
Messaging
Every brand needs a voice. Messaging provides the words that help customers and prospects understand a firm's value (why its useful) and values (what it believes in). It articulates the brand's promise and stimulates desire for a firm's services. A brand's messaging sums up all of the experiential characteristics of a brand and rallies them behind a single flag. In the war for customers' hearts, messaging leads the charge.
Messaging can take various forms—a tagline, ad slogans, headlines—but they all share a few common traits. Persuasive brand messages are always brief and convey critical aspects of a firm's brand. Effective brand messages usually oversimplify something that in reality is complex and nuanced. This oversimplication is a good thing, however, because the goal of a brand is to be noticed, remembered and desired. In an over-communicated world, the only way to get inside the minds of prospects is to whittle away at your message until it comes to a sharp point. You may leave some details on the floor, but the thrust will really drive home.
The Core Brand Message
Behind every great brand is a fundamental core brand message: a compact statement that declares why the brand matters and what it stands for. A core brand message communicates the values and key differentiators that define the brand. And above all else, it makes people in a firm's target audience sit up and care.
The core brand message will shape all of a firm's subsequent brand marketing messages. A firm's tagline or ad slogan may closely match the words in its core brand message, or they can take a different form. What's important is that all of a firm's brand messages describe aspects of the brand that are relevant to the needs of customers.
Creating a Message
We create messages to address different needs. A firm that struggles to differentiate itself in the marketplace, for instance, may formulate a tagline or marketing campaign theme that contrasts itself with the rest of the industry. Messages often convey specific services or benefits ("Visa. It's everywhere you want to be."). A message can even be a call to action ("Got milk?"). Whatever form it takes, a brand message has to be authentic to the brand and customers' actual experiences.
Crafting a message that's short, memorable and relevant to your audience can be a lot tougher than you think. After you've gone through the process (an outside facilitator or consultant can be a huge help), you'll be a lot better prepared to explain your brand. And once you've found your voice, you'll discover that people suddenly do a lot more listening.
Your Messaging Checklist
Not sure if you've got your messaging right? Check your brand messages (those that speak for the entire the firm, not just a single practice or product) against the following criteria:
- Does your core brand message offer anything different from your competitors?
- Is your messaging short, simple and clear?
- Do your messages reflect reality? (Or are they aspirational?) Brand messages must be authentic to be believed.
- Do your messages resonate with your target audience? Do they say anything interesting?
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