Every organization needs a competitive advantage. One way to gain an advantage is by creating brand messages that stick, aka “sticky brand messages.” We define “sticky messages” by what they are, and what they are not.
Here’s how we define “sticky messages.” They are:
1. Strategically Selected Messages that Fully Articulate Your Brand
Your brand may be nicely communicated through a logo or your culture. But “sticky brand messages” are the right words and messages that best articulate your brand in a succinct, powerful and memorable way. What they are not: They are not a mission or a vision statement.
2. Developed with Input
Sticky brand messages are born through a rigorous, wide-ranging process of collecting and analyzing input from customers, the marketplace and stakeholders. What they are not: They are not the product of a brainstorm or the marketing department.
“Sticky brand messages are not a catchy tagline that sounds cool but has little meaning.”
3. Relevant & Meaningful
Sticky brand messages are relevant and meaningful to all your audiences, including customers, employees, partners and other stakeholders. They have substance and are backed by facts or “real” information. What they are not: They are not a catchy tagline that sounds cool but has little meaning.
4. Succinct & Memorable
Sticky brand messages are succinct and memorable. They can be easily leveraged by multiple audiences, including your sales force, executive team, customers and others. What they are not: They are not “manifestos” or multipage documents.
5. Expandable Across the Enterprise
Sticky brand messages can – and should be – used across multiple marketing and communication efforts. This can range from executive presentations and media interviews to social media posts and sales collateral. Your entire enterprise will have a more unified essence and greater clarity. What they are not: They are not relegated to just marketing collateral or ad copy.
6. Enduring & Durable
Since they articulate your brand, they are enduring and durable. When used over time and with consistency, your brand becomes leveraged to its maximum potential, gaining greater affinity with its audiences. What they are not: They are not “flash-in-the-pan” phrases that sound good at the moment.
Creating Sticky Brand Messages
Depending on the organization, your sticky brand messages can come in many different formats. The messages could be put to a word document. Or they could be housed on a spreadsheet. Or, they could be part of a nicely created collateral style PDF. How you or your organization keeps the messages is up to you.
We’ve created a worksheet that can provide an example for you to follow. It contains the messaging architecture we use with clients, along with examples to spark the input you need for your organization.
To download the free worksheet, click here.
If you would like assistance in creating a set of sticky messages for your organization, please contact Matt Spaulding at matts@spauldingcommunications.com.
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