Create messaging that resonates with your audiences Is it hard to explain who you are and what you do? Or tough to describe why someone should choose you instead of a competitor? If a potential client asks, “what’s in it for me?” could you answer easily? Brand messaging hierarchy explains who you are, what your brand stands for and what your audiences can expect.
Fuzzy and vague.
Focused and clear.
Your message now?
Your new message!
Messaging is your verbal brand Do people “get” what you’re about? Brand identity design is important. We all recognize the Starbucks or Apple logo, the UPS symbol and FedEx. But what comes after recognition? Brand messaging. Today we all want to know, “what’s in it for me?” WHY the brand offers those goods and services. WHAT the brand stands for. WHO is behind it. And WHAT we can expect and count on. In fact, Simon Sinek tells us how to make our marketing more effective—“Start with Why.” (Look for his Ted Talk.)
Design first, then story. And a call to action. Even when the visual brand (logo and identity system) is clearly recognized, your message could be confused, inconsistent or missing. Or when someone asks what your organization is about, do you answer with a list of products and services instead of what makes you unique and a better choice? With strong brand messaging, the verbal brand will inspire questions such as, “Really? Tell me more?” or “Wow, I understand what you do now!” or “That’s just what I’m looking for, let’s talk further!”
How you communicate your brand’s purpose and value impacts your results. When building an effective brand marketing program, the foundation is vital. Dig into your purpose, your “reason for being” and the successes you’ve had. A review of current communication tools is essential, as well as exploring plans for the future. Then outline desired perceptions; define key ideas that matter to your audiences; review positioning and core messages to each audience group; and clearly profile each target audience first.
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With those building blocks in place, you will have the foundation for long-term effectiveness in brand design, message development and ongoing marketing. In today’s splintered, information-saturated and communication-thick world, it’s even more important to narrow down your brand’s story with brand messaging. Specific ideas crafted into key statements will set the stage for all communications.
Challenge your leadership with these questions. >> What are current perceptions? >> What is your market reach?
What do your audiences want and expect? Understand the pain points of your target audiences—it’s critical to your message. What drives them to seek what you offer? Why do they want what you can provide? >> What are the choices those people have to solve their problem, accomplish their goal, be successful? >> Where does your product or service fit? >> In what areas do you excel? >> What do those target audiences expect from you … and what outcomes do you help them achieve?
>> What are you known for?
(Remember, they’re not buying a drill, they’re buying the hole it makes.) They don’t want the “thing” … they want the result.
>> How do people find you?
Where’s the “wow!”?
>> What is your current sales process? How many layers are involved (buyer, specifier, referral source, influencer, etc.)
This is where you begin to see the hierarchy, from your audiences’ point of view. What stands out to them (not you!)?
>> Who are your target audiences?
Be frank and honest. Discuss current perceptions of your organization and of any competitors in your space. Where do you fit? What do people say about what you do and offer? What are misperceptions?
The “wow!” concepts are the ideas, the actions, the services or features that go beyond what your audience expects from you or your competition. You’ll hear comments like … “wow! I had no idea you could do x!” or “wow, that’s just what I was looking for!”
Then … where do you want to be in 2 years, 5 years, longer? What do you want to be known for? What do you want people to think of first when they hear your name?
What they are delighted with might be obvious to you. But these features, ideas or actions are the specifics that help the right people realize “I want that/you!”
Use their words when you can. Compile and review testimonials and online reviews. What are people saying about you? Often those comments are more authentic and personal than what you can come up with. Their words can be repurposed to your message. If someone starts to talk about “quality” or “service” or “solutions” or “innovative” when you’re drafting your message ideas, shriek loudly. It’s easy to default to these overused and meaningless words. They’re too generic. Look for more specific words that are descriptive and interesting. That’s why it’s useful to use actual testimonials.
Brand messaging architecture includes: >> Brand promise (promise to your
target audience) >> Positioning statement (who you are) >> Value proposition (what you do/have/
offer) >> Value description (who you work for) >> Three key ideas/messages (which
make you unique) >> Each of the three key ideas supported
by three proof points
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The messaging hierarchy layers key ideas Messaging isn’t just copywriting.
The positioning statement
The value proposition
The messaging framework is designed to present unique ideas in memorable ways, to enroll the potential customer and engage them in looking further.
Positioning expands on the brand promise to express who you are. The
The value proposition articulates what you do/have/offer to your audiences.
positioning statement adds details that support the brief promise. It will also contain new ideas to separate you from others in your category.
A great value proposition describes the experience your customers can expect and the benefit they can expect as a result. It’s how you live, deliver and steer your brand.
Wordsmithing helps to bring these ideas to life from the audiences’ point of view, not just describe products or services. There is an emotional component, as the goal is to build understanding and trust in the reader/viewer. Think of brand messaging as a series of key ideas that lead the right people into more levels of information, each level expanding on the previous, adding more detail to each point presented, to build understanding and trust.
Brand promise The brand promise (some people call it a tagline) is at the top of the hierarchy. Think of this short, pithy phrase as a promise to the customer. It’s not a shorthand description of what you do (that’s why we call it a brand promise). Although the brand promise is what’s heard the most and is the statement that accompanies the company name and logo, often in a design lockup, good messaging extends beyond the promise.
The positioning statement is the single concept or impression that should come to mind when someone thinks of your organization—the thing that distinguishes you from competitors. It articulates who you are to your target audiences, how are known or want to be known. Positioning will influence all aspects of your messaging and guide the look and feel of the brand design. Positioning is not details. Don’t describe how you do things or what you offer. Focus instead on the reason your audiences want to work with you, buy from you or join your organization.
“Rule No. 1: It’s better to be clear than clever.” – Jeff Haden with John Parham, Inc., 2 Simple Keys to Define Your Brand
Frame what you do, what you have or what you offer not as a description of services and products, but as the result your target audiences receive. Describe the experience in language that paints a picture and invites a response. As you develop your brand messaging, keep questioning the words you choose with “what does that really mean to my audience?” Specifics are more meaningful than generalities.
The value description The value description is about who you work for. It expands on the value proposition by narrowing the focus onto the target audiences and what they can expect. Use the value description to add more detail about who your customer is—which could be job title, demographics or the reason they need what you offer. Remember, each statement builds on previous statements. You’re not saying the same thing
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Messaging is more important than the logo.
three different ways. You’re leading a reader through from introduction to a final “we offer what you’re looking for.”
Why? The logo may attract attention, but it’s your message that will connect with your audiences and drive response. Click through, enroll, refer, ask for information, call, recommend, join or buy—which response are you looking for?
Three key messages with three proof points for each The last section of your brand messaging is the three key messages, each supported by three proof points. These three ideas are the three nuggets you want people to remember, the three things they need to know to choose you. They are likely ideas presented in the positioning statement or value description. But here you reinforce those three ideas with more specific details that prove your statements. Key messages are not necessarily intended to serve as final creative expressions, nor must they always be used together.
Why create a messaging hierarchy? Messaging hierarchy adds context to the brand promise. It defines what you’re known for, what audiences recognize as your “wow!” It’s the foundation for effective marketing. It guides and articulates how you want to be perceived and remembered. Messaging isn’t listing the products or services or describing how the products work. A messaging hierarchy uses benefits to respond to the question all audiences ask, “what’s in it for me?”
The messaging hierarchy chart makes the relationship between your layers of messages easy to see and understand for everyone.
The content and copy you craft into your messaging is the foundation for all your communications. Each idea can become a headline on a website, or a section in a brochure. Wording is carefully chosen to be specific, not vague. To articulate benefits, not features. And to connect to the audiences you are targeting, in their words, from their perspective.
Instead of just speaking to what you do and what you have to offer, shift your brand message to converse with your audiences, to invite them to learn more, to give them the outcomes and results they can expect. Whether building a brand from the beginning, or refreshing an existing brand, choose the words that will resonate with your audiences, from their point of view. Design your brand messaging to lead your audiences to respond. Give them the why, the result, the outcome, the reason to choose you and not your competitor. Your logo can’t do that. But strong brand messaging will.
We will lead you and your team through the messaging hierarchy process. Developing strong messaging requires an objective point of view, the ability to dig deep into the “why?” and the skill to recognize the “wow!” when it shows up. The messaging we have created for clients has unified their direction and led them to success.
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