Brand Messaging: Why You Need It, and How To Develop It. - Issue: 2003 Qtr 1
Suppose one of your customers called six different people in your company and asked, “Tell me about your product and why I should consider buying it.” What do you think your folks would say? Would their explanation be consistent?
Brands need to speak with a single, unified voice in every communication with customers and prospects. That’s where brand messaging comes into play. Brand messaging is a formalized document that captures the most important points about your brand and then uses that information to develop various brand communications…such as sales presentations, ads, press releases, industry speaking events, web sites, literature and so forth. That way, every one is speaking with the same voice.
The best place to begin the brand messaging process is with the “elevator pitch.” Think about getting on an elevator with a senior executive from a great prospect company. As the doors close and you head to the top floor, he asks you to tell him why your product or service is better than others. You’ve got 30 seconds. Kind of a scary thought, isn’t it? Unless you’re prepared. And if you’re prepared, it can be a great ride to the top.
By distilling your brand message into a short, memorable description (or value proposition) you set the stage for the rest of the brand messaging to flow from it in a logical, informative fashion.
There is an added benefit to working on a formalized brand messaging document: It may take a little hard work now, but it pays big dividends in the future. Not only is your message consistent, but you should realize major time savings in developing communication pieces because a lot of the heavy lifting, from a messaging perspective, has already been done.
So get your brand ready to speak in a unified voice. You’ll love what you hear.
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