Brand Messaging
Brand messaging is the set of core pre-approved language a brand uses to keep its communication consistent.
What is brand messaging?
Brand messaging refers to the most important points a brand needs to land, so people understand what it is and why it matters. This often takes the form of a messaging framework (also known as a messaging house), which arranges these points by priority and need.
Clear brand messaging allows anyone writing for a brand to land the right point at the right time, keeping its verbal identity and strategic positioning consistent. This in turn builds trust with a target audience, reinforces a brand's point of difference, and translates strategic thinking into real-world copywriting.
Both messaging and tone are essential in forming a brand's voice. If the former is what you say, then the latter is how you say it. A brand with messaging but no tone makes the same point over with no new angles, while a brand with tone but no messaging ends up saying something different to everyone.
What does a brand messaging framework include?
The shape and size of a messaging framework differs according to how many points a brand needs to make and when. A single-product brand may require a smaller framework than a multi-platform tech company, for example.
Think of it as a literal 'house': every part should have its place, or else it starts to look cluttered. For that reason, most messaging frameworks include the following:
Tagline
Starting from the top, a tagline (or strapline, or slogan) is a brand's most repeated message, capturing a brand's unique perspective in as few words as possible.
One-line descriptor
A single line that neatly sums up your brand's value proposition: what it is and why it matters.
Elevator pitch
A longer-form introduction to the brand that expands on the messages above, usually kept to one or two paragraphs.
Points of difference
A series of brief explainers that show why your brand stands out from its competitors. Three key points is usually the sweet spot.
Proof points
Clear evidence for each point of difference, used to reinforce those messages.
How brand messaging works in practice: Everbloom
Everbloom is a pioneer in material innovation, using bio-manufacturing to regenerate organic waste like pillow down into high-performance noble fibres.
The need for these kind of fibres couldn't be more urgent, but in order to get them into the hands of fashion houses who could elicit global change, they had to communicate in a way that those audiences are used to.
Everbloom
Threading multiple white papers' worth of information into material excellence for the masses, Everbloom's messaging framework gives a new meaning to 'fashion house'.
Every message inside the house is rendered in the language of luxury rather than the lab, explaining their technology in the most tactile context to help position them as a peer, not a partner. Even their data-heavy proof points are rendered in language that feels smooth as cashmere.
Outcome: $8M seed raised post rebrand.
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We zero in on the one thing only your brand can claim, then dial it up until it’s impossible to ignore.
