Welcome back to Summer School, part two. This week, we’ll cover the key elements of brand messaging, which translates brand strategy into clear, compelling language that drives understanding, engagement and action.
Often, brand messaging is crystallized in a messaging toolkit, which includes ready-to-use messages for turn-key applications, like a social media one-liner or boilerplate, as well as audience or program-specific messages to achieve a more targeted communications goal. Keep reading to learn more about the messaging types and structure every brand should create to build a strong framework for brand-aligned communications.
Messaging Types
Everyone who communicates on behalf of your brand — whether or not they’re in a communications-focused role — should be equipped to express the universal strengths and value of your brand in ways that audiences understand. To ensure all members of your team can champion the brand, you can start by solidifying some of the following types of messages:
- Universal Messaging: Translates the brand strategy into clear, credible and compelling verbal communications. Universal messages or themes appeal to all audiences and transcend any single offering. It’s helpful to turn these messages into ready-to-use content — such as an elevator speech, boilerplate and social media one-liner — that tells the story consistently wherever you show up
- Audience-Specific Messages: Tailor a brand’s strengths or points of difference in ways that are relevant and resonant to specific audiences
- Program-Specific Messages: Defines the distinct value, approach or impact of a product, program or service
Messaging Structure
The basic structure below prepares brand champions to create engaging communications for any audience. While it’s impossible to anticipate messaging needs for every situation, creating samples of each of the following messaging components provides an actionable storytelling framework.
- Key Messages: High-level, high-priority messages targeted to key audiences. These messages reinforce the primary points a brand wants to convey
- Supporting Messages: Messages that add depth to or support key messages
- Proof Points: Reasons to believe or evidence that what a brand says is true
- Calls to Action: Motivating messages that inspire engagement or action
With these components, you’ll be prepared to develop brand messaging that tells your organization’s story in ways that are responsive, relevant and resonant.
