The Importance of a Clear Brand Message

Think quickly—what does your brand stand for? If you struggled to answer or had a couple ‘things’, we’re sorry to tell you that you’re doing it wrong.

Your brand needs to stand for something, and by something, we mean ONE thing. That’s not to say that your brand can’t have many great qualities. No. Instead, we are saying that your attributes should culminate into one apparent mandate.

What is a Brand Message?

A brand message is the single thought or promise that you want your audience to feel and be cognisant of whenever they interact with your brand. It’s not the words in your ads. That’s marketing messaging—don’t worry, we’ll release a dedicated blog about that soon! It’s not your slogan, your by-line, your tagline or your jingle. Those brand elements will—and should—reinforce the message.

Your message isn’t necessarily spoken, but it is inferred in everything you do. It is a part of your brand DNA (and should thus be developed with your corporate identity).

It’s not what you do; it’s the value that is delivered to your customers.

How would you describe yourself in one word? Let’s say it’s dependable. You don’t necessarily introduce yourself as dependable when you meet someone. Though your demeanor and conduct probably make people feel like they can depend on you. As they get to know you better, they see this trait more and more.

When Danny needs a ride to the most important interview of his life. Who would he call because he knows he won’t be let down? YOU.

The same holds true for your brand.

Brand Messaging Works

That single trait or promise of your brand message is important because it tells people who to think of first when they need [your brand message here].

Ultimate automobile safety, Volvo. Classy, classic, can’t-go-wrong pair of jeans—Levis. Superior computing genius. Apple.

Nowhere in their branding or advertising do any of these brands use those exact words. Volvo doesn’t even have a tagline (and their logo is male gender symbol). You just know what you are getting with each brand because of how they have engineered their look and feel, marketing communication and customer experience.

These brands are successful in all their messaging (branding, website, content, adverts) because they are crystal clear about their core message.

Why Clarity Wins

Desirability

Without a clear, distinguishable brand message, you risk alienating customers. Worse still, deterring prospects without even becoming customers! Who wants to deal with someone (a brand) that’s indecisive, or flaky, unresolved?

Unity

It’s easier to remain consistent when your brand revolves around a central thought. You’re only asking your staff to live one truth. You’re briefing web designers and copywriters to illustrate one ideology. Your subsequent advertising messaging becomes unequivocally clear. And the importance of clear marketing messages is a whole topic on its own.

Efficacy

From an operational perspective, a coherent message significantly improves your SEO. Meta-tags and descriptions and keywords are clear and consistent. The search engines know what you’re about, so your content will appear precisely where it should.

Security

Your brand message builds trust. It tells your audience what they can expect. Being consistent with this message in all your subsequent marketing and campaigns strengthens your message. Stronger message; stronger loyalty. You catch the drift.

Advocacy

When your audience has no question about what they stand to gain by choosing you, you make it easier for them to tell other people. A clear brand message is an investment that will always yield exponential results.

Want to clean-up your brand message? Speak to us.