If you think you’re distracted, imagine how your audiences feel? They’re being hit by the same wall of news, noise, pings and rings as you are. Not to mention the stuff you’re conspiring to add to their already loaded inboxes right after the holiday. So what can you do to make your message connect through[…]
A while back I was engaged to create a messaging strategy for a SaaS in the education space. Sales were flat and the brand, which had been one of the first to market, had been overtaken by newer competitors. Ownership wanted to update their messaging strategy to win in the current, more mature environment. Internal[…]
Marketing is complicated. Because people are complicated. And delivering value to them is complicated. But your message can’t be. Because people have so much complexity going on that their heads will blow up if you add to it. It’s a cause and effect whirlpool you don’t want to get caught in. That’s why you need[…]
I can’t tell you how many brands I’ve encountered that spring to life when I’m sitting across from an able sales or marketing person telling me about them. But on their websites and in their other marketing materials they are DOA. Why is that? Why don’t brands more often capture that same spirit of relevance[…]
It’s not easy to arrive at authentic strategic differentiation, which is what a good messaging strategy should provide. Many viable businesses, including startups, professional services companies and mid and large sized organizations struggle to correctly and strategically identify their uniqueness to their audiences. How is one engineering firm different from another operating in the same[…]
Your messaging strategy is what determines and drives your choices when it comes to what you say and why you say it. If you don’t have a clear, consistent and effective rationale for answering these questions, then you don’t really have a messaging strategy. This is a major piece of the marketing puzzle that could[…]
It’s nice that your digital marketing is getting clicks. But what’s really good is when they’re clicking for something that actually aligns with your strategic message. And what’s even more awesome is when that message is truly ownable and defensible – meaning it’s so authentic to who you are as an organization, so relevant to[…]
I’ve been reading the memoir of Ulysses S. Grant, who led the Union Army in the Civil War, and became the 18th President. It’s a wonderfully written book, with numerous insights into how the war was ultimately won. What is especially striking is how Grant shows that the outcomes of battles were often determined before[…]
There’s something beautiful that happens when brands and campaigns take the time and effort to strategically define, align and craft their message. You can feel it in the workplace. You can see it in the creative. You can measure in on your bottom line. It’s called clarity. Suddenly, you go from being busy with too[…]
The term branding is so overused it’s almost useless. People say branding when they mean logos, or a tagline, or a color scheme, or an elevator pitch, or reputation, or a cool product name, or just about anything else that has to do with public perception. So what is your brand, really? When all is[…]