Building a brand language that sticks
Build Mode™ Issue 11.2024
Most brands make a critical mistake when communicating with prospects and their audience: they reinvent themselves with every conversation.
When their prospect wants innovation,
The brand pitches itself as visionary.
The next prospect values trust,
so they become the safe, reliable option.
The next wants a tried-and-true expert,
so they become an authority in the field.
The next wants an outsider’s perspective,
so they downplay experience and highlight their out-of-the-box thinking.
While adaptability and responsiveness are essential, it’s risky taking it too far and shape-shifting to appease the recipient of your message. Molding your message to what you think each prospect wants to hear is confusing, inconsistent, and ultimately, weakens your brand.
The solution?
Establishing your core messaging.
What is a brand’s core messaging?
Core messages are the foundational statements of your brand that articulate who you are, what you stand for, and the unique value you bring to the table. These messages are meant to be evergreen, meaning, they should exist as long as your mission, vision, values, and positioning remain intact. When your entire team needs to communicate on behalf of the brand (and with every interaction, phone call, email, meeting… they do), these messages help convey a unified brand voice. Whether you’re an architecture firm with junior and senior staff, or a real estate investment firm working across development and management, or a contractor working in the field or in the office, core messaging helps your diverse stakeholders become aligned brand ambassadors.
Among the many types of brand messages that exist, there are just a handful of core messages:
One-liner
A punchy phrase that captures your brand essence in just a few words. It should describe who you are or what you do and your key benefit in a creative and memorable way. Note: this is different from a tagline, which doesn’t say much of anything related to the brand or product. The one-liner needs to allude to more.
Put it on your Instagram bio.
And it to your LinkedIn headline.
Or use it as the first thing you say to the question, ‘so what do you do?’
For example, an architectural firm focused on social and environmental impact might say, ‘Designing with purpose for people and the planet’
Or a multifamily community in a forested setting away from the city might say, ‘A breath of fresh air in your life.’
Or an investment firm that acts on data and intuition might say, ‘Fueling growth with insight, steering with confidence.’
Each is creatively written, and is also suggestive of the business and service.
Elevator pitch
A concise and compelling 100-word summary of who you are, who you’re for, and the value you offer. When you have more room than just one line, but not a ton of attention span from the reader, this is your go-to option to make a great first impression.
Pro tip: don’t take the term ‘elevator pitch’ literally. In fact, you should rarely ‘pitch’ someone in a real-life conversation. No one likes to be pitched. Instead, when you’re face-to-face with someone, consider how your paragraph of written text in your elevator pitch can actually turn into a dialogue if broken up into segments.
About us
A more detailed narrative that says who you are, who you’re for, and delves deeper into your brand’s differentiated factors and your value propositions. This statement gives readers a reason to trust in what you do, with reference to some social proof. At about 250-300 words, it should take someone about a minute to read through, so consider places where people will have the time to engage with it.
Put it on the ‘about’ section of your website.
Or as an overview in a qualifications submission.
If using an ‘about us’ narrative to describe the brand as a flagship product (like a real estate asset, or a place brand), consider how it could be broken down into smaller chunks to describe key benefits while still maintaining cohesiveness as a whole statement.
Firm profile
At 500-ish words, this is probably the longest description you’ll need to describe your brand. It should be a detailed and descriptive overview of all of the contents from the about us description (who you are, who you’re value, your differentiation, and your benefits), plus more. Other evergreen brand messages might include the founding story, specific experience and accolades, or other proof points. This is your place to name drop a few reputable clients or recognizable partners that you’ve worked with.
When someone gets to the end, there should be absolute clarity on your brand, your values, your beliefs, and whether the reader wants to work with you.
With these core messages in place – the one-liner, elevator pitch, about us, and firm profile – your team can confidently communicate with clarity and consistency. Each message serves a distinct purpose, yet they work together to reinforce your brand identity in a variety of contexts.
There are still loads of other brand messaging too…
Brand manifesto
Taglines
Headlines
Origin story
Features
Benefits
Audience messaging
Project descriptions
Product descriptions
And literally anything and everything in your digital, analog, and physical (and virtual?) experiences
Oh, and let's not forget…
A tone of voice that makes it all sound like it’s coming from a single persona
(Might be topics for another article)
Why brand messaging matters
We’ve previously talked about leveraging the effectiveness of your brand for your business — which is the need to be contrasting, consistent, clear, and compelling. The words you use, where you use them, how you use them, have a direct correlation on your ability to come across effectively to your intended audience.
Consistency builds trust
When your team uses consistent core messages, it’s a sign of dependability. It’s unwavering (unlike the brand that shape-shifts, leading to confusion and a lack of trust). When a brand is firm in their messaging, it signals trust, laying the foundation for solid relationships.
Compel through story
The more creative and compelling the narrative, the more memorable the message becomes. Whether someone visits your ‘about’ page or is in conversation through your elevator pitch, they should get the same, unmistakable impression of your brand.
Contrast to build brand equity
Over time, the more people hear your message, the more they will come to understand what you’re about. Your core messages need to communicate your value and positioning so you become so well known for that one thing you want to build a strong reputation around.
Clarity boosts confidence from all sides
Not sure who said it first, but, clear writing is clear thinking. With complex messaging, you may struggle to resonate with your audience. They’re confused, and likely, your internal team is confused too. With clear messages, everyone has a reliable reference point, and they can communicate naturally and confidently.
Especially in relationship-driven fields, a cohesive brand message that everyone can adopt will give your organization confidence, build trust, and set you up for business success.
What you can do nextHow to get started with brand messaging
Your core messages are the external expressions of your brand, the things people read about you. In order to externally express yourself, you’ve got to know yourself internally.
So, first things first… look at your brand strategy. Your positioning, personality, people, and purpose, along with business statements like mission, vision, and values, should all be reflected in your external communications.
Next, define your one-liner. Despite being just a handful of words, it might be the most difficult of the set. Each word is critically important so start with one or two key words that are absolute musts and build out a creatively written statement from there.
Then, continue to build upon each core message with additional context.
For the elevator pitch, expand your one-liner into 100 words that covers your firm’s core purpose, target audience, and unique value.
For the about us narrative, provide greater depth into your value propositions and social proof that demonstrates how you deliver on your promise.
For the firm profile, build on the about us narrative and provide specific examples, projects, partners, and proof points that showcase your capabilities and communicate your brand with compelling clarity.
And finally, once you’ve developed your core messages, put them where the entire company can access them, much like your brand guidelines. Better yet, as part of your brand guidelines. And hold a training session that communicates the importance of using these core messages and respond to questions that your team might have to ensure they understand their usage.
If your brand and business maintain their identity, these evergreen core messages should also remain true. As your brand evolves though, so too should your messaging. Once or twice a year, check in with the leaders in your business and ensure they accurately reflect your brand.
In the end, core messages are meant to provide the clarity and consistency you need to reach your people. They help everyone in your organization embody the brand, become ambassadors, and lead every interaction with confidence to ensure your brand’s value resonates across all touchpoints.
That’s all for the November issue of Build Mode! Thanks again for being here.
Hopefully you’ve gotten something useful from this breakdown of brand messaging. Does it resonate with you? If your organization needs help to write (or rewrite) your brand's core messaging with better clarity and greater creativity, this is an area where I can support you. As always, feel free to get in touch.
Best,
Kenny Isidoro
See my latest on Instagram, LinkedIn, or feel free to book a call.
Words are the only things that last forever.
-Winston ChurchillSubscribe to Build Mode™
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