At its core, branding is about one thing: value proposition. Defining what that is isn’t as easy as it may seem. You have to ask a lot of questions: what does your company represent? What does your company do that no one else does? How are you distinctive in the marketplace?
Yes, these are all important, must-be-asked-and-answered questions. But, there’s one that I think is even more important: What problem does your brand SOLVE? What PAIN POINTS or ASPIRATIONS does your brand address?
These questions are answered in your messaging and in how that messaging is consistently integrated throughout all of your marketing and communications.
When we onboard a client here at Avocet, one of the first things we do is conduct a messaging and positioning workshop. This usually takes a few hours – sometimes a whole morning or afternoon. We bring big pads of paper to stick on the wall and lots of pens. It’s fun and enlightening and is really a free flowing brainstorming.
We start by walking the client team through a positioning exercise. We outline all the possible target markets, all the points of differentiation, and the reasons why their company, their services, their products are the best.
Then we ask what I think is the MOST important question of all: What is your brand’s BENEFIT?
A benefit could be a great many things: Does this company help its customer
- Make money?
- Improve something?
- Save time?
- Save money?
- Reduce something (e.g. time or effort spent doing something, etc.)
- Protect something (e.g. investments, health,)
- Increase something (happiness, efficiency, uptime, customer satisfaction, etc.)
We then create a Messaging Matrix. The positioning and branded messaging in this document is what will be integrated throughout ALL of our marketing communications: PR, media relations, social, website content, design, direct mail.
Consumers want a seamless experience no matter HOW they are engaging with you and your content. Seamlessness is the essence of integration. To deliver a truly unified brand message, one that will drive sales and build awareness, messaging needs to be consistent and content integrated across all channels.
Call the Avocet team today to get started on defining your brand’s integrated messaging and positioning.
