The Right Words Cut Through. Go read the first few phrases on your website. Do these top-line messages move you in a meaningful way? If not, you’re not alone. We call this your “Brand Pitch,” and we help leaders get it right.
Brand Pitch
How Brand Messages Get Stuck.
No matter your business, product or service, these are three of the most common traps organizations fall into when selling or describing what they do, and why they do it. See if they feel familiar to you.
Three Message Traps.
(1) Complex Messages. Your product or service requires a lot of explanation and messages get bogged down in too much detail resulting in dense paragraphs that try to tell someone everything quickly. It’s not possible. Pacing your message is vital.
(2) Commonplace Messages. Your message sounds like everyone else in your category. It’s an easy trap. If a competitor has led your category for a decade, it makes sense to look at what they are saying. Too often that turns into imitation or outright copying.
(3) Mixed Messages: This happens when one customer thinks of you as one thing and another customer thinks of you in a completely different way. If you’ve ever heard a customer say “Hey, I didn’t know you did that” you are sending mixed messages — or incomplete fragmented messages.
Brand Pitch + Brand Voice.
If you don’t get a distinct vibe or feeling from your brand’s messages, it could be time to dig in and refine your brand’s core messaging. We call this the “Brand Pitch.” Meaningful brand messages don’t sound like the normal blah, blah of business. Businesses who want the most from their brand are expressive about who they and what they do. In short, they have “Passion & Purpose.” That’s what people want to hear. It’s how people connect with people, products… and brands.
Think of your brand’s personality in words. Read your website, proposals and advertising. Do they have a tone of voice? How about a distinct point-of-view? Did you ever sit down and truly think about the experience of meeting your brand for the first time? Was it an advertisement, referral, a website or possibly a packaged product or a vehicle parked across the street. Every one of those examples needs to have a consistency in perception.
You Can't Buy Belief.
Stories build belief in a way that’s genuine and recognizable if you see it again. We often say “You can’t buy belief, but a well-managed brand can help build it across staff, customers and the public.”
Think about the things you admire, cherish, desire, support and buy. Chances are they have an original idea, special feature, beauty, or emotional appeal. Brand messages go to the heart of creating this admiration and desire. Even in the B2B market, the leading companies have built brands with real appeal and respect — often around “stories” from the organization’s history, founding or invention. Brands don’t have to be flashy, but they must be believable. Only then can real sales begin.