At the core of every strong brand lies an equally strong messaging framework. To help your clients and customers understand what your business stands for (and what makes it stand out), it’s important to develop unified, consistent and clear key points and cultural descriptors that can be incorporated throughout all company communications. Consider these figures touting the benefits:

  • 50% of people believe taglines and other messaging elements are the most important aspect of a brand, compared to only 7% who believe the logo is most important (The Manifest).
  • 70% of people feel closer to a company as a result of their messaging (Demand Metric).
  • 89% of consumers stay loyal to brands that effectively communicate their values (Wunderman).
  • Cohesive messaging across all channels can increase revenue by 33% (Marc).
  • Businesses with consistent brand messaging are 5 times more likely to be recognized by the average consumer than inconsistent brands (Demand Metric).

Let’s break down five key messaging elements and learn what makes each of them effective.

 

Mission Statement

What is it?
A mission statement is a concise explanation of an organization’s reason for existence. It briefly includes the organization’s purpose and overall intention. Many of the best mission statements are just one, simple sentence with a single objective and compelling action verb.

Why do you need it?
Both consumers and prospective employees gravitate toward companies that are relatable, inspirational and create a strong sense of loyalty among those they aim to serve. Your mission helps attract new leads and ensures your internal team members are there for the right reasons. In short, mission statements align your people and offerings with the demographic you’re trying to reach.

What questions should it answer?

  • Why do we exist?
  • What is our purpose?
  • Who are we and what do we want to be known for?

What makes one great?

  • Keep it concise; no more than two sentences, but one strong sentence usually does the trick.
  • Focus on creating a timeless core statement, but one that can evolve with the company.
  • Embrace an inspirational tone that highlights what your company does for its customers and what this will mean for them.
  • Choose every word carefully and intentionally.

 

Vision Statement

What is it?
Vision statements provide a glimpse into the future that shares a “big picture” of the ideal state the brand hopes to reach. In other words, it’s an aspirational declaration that paints an image of the greater impact you wish to achieve.

Why do you need it?
Think of your vision statement as a long-term roadmap to your end goal. It should spur an emotional connection, motivate your team members to overcome challenges and work toward shared objectives while communicating your genuine intentions to your target audience.

What questions should it answer?

  • Where is the business headed?
  • What long-term problems do we want to solve?
  • Who do we want to become?

What makes it great?

  • Speak to your specific industry or audience in a way that creates an emotional connection.
  • Write in the present tense; not past or future.
  • Focus on Specific, Measurable, Attainable and Relevant (S.M.A.R.) goals. Yes, we took out the T for Time-Based — you don’t necessarily need a specific end date here, because it’s assumed your vision statement is broadly speaking about the future.

 

Brand Positioning Statement

What is it?
Brand positioning statements clarify how your company’s unique value proposition, products and services fulfill your particular market’s needs better than the competition. In addition to providing insight into what you do, they highlight the payoff your target audience will achieve after interacting with or purchasing from your brand.

Why do you need it?
Essential for advertising, marketing and PR endeavors, brand positioning statements allow you to identify the core of who you are and the competitive value you provide while emphasizing what makes your company stand out above the rest.

What questions should it answer?

  • Who, specifically, do you aim to serve?
  • What problems do they need solved?
  • How do you help solve them?
  • Why do you solve them better than your competitors?

What makes it great?

  • Frame the statement around your audience and competitive differentiators.
  • Identify and describe the experience you want customers to have with your brand.
  • Explain the value you bring and what makes your products and services unique.
  • Ensure it can be used as an internal guideline to help your company stay true-to-brand when making future advertising and marketing decisions.

 

Elevator Pitch

What is it?
Now, it’s time to bring it all together. Elevator pitches sell a company’s value as a whole, combining condensed elements of your mission (why you’re here), your vision (where you’re going) and your brand position (who you help and how you help them). You should be able to easily memorize and read an elevator pitch aloud in 20 seconds or so.

Why do you need it?
Picture this: You walk into a meeting ready to give a great pitch. You’ve created an elaborate presentation for the potential client or investor. An executive asks you to tell them a little bit about your company. Your mind goes blank. You lose the opportunity. Elevator pitches prevent this from happening, ensuring you’re always prepared to positively position your business on the fly.

What questions should it answer?

  • What does your company do?
  • How does it do it?
  • Why does it do it?
  • Who does it help?
  • What makes you better than competitors?

What makes it great?

  • Keep the tone conversational, so your pitch rolls right off the tongue.
  • Ensure the pitch sounds natural and not overly rehearsed.
  • Merge the most important elements of the mission, vision and brand positioning statements.
  • Appeal to whomever is hearing the pitch; you can slightly tweak it to suit every audience.
  • Consider asking an attention-grabbing question to pique interest.
  • End with a captivating hook that leaves the listener wanting more.

 

Tagline

What is it?
Taglines give context into a business, its offerings and its mission with the intention of increasing brand memorability and value. When executed well, they have the power to encapsulate a brand’s value in just a few words.

Why do you need it?
Think of your tagline as your logo’s partner in crime. For instance, “I’m Lovin’ It” is just as valuable to the McDonald’s brand as its unmistakable golden arches. Taglines grab attention and quickly give consumers a glimpse into your company’s benefits, differentiators and personality. When making purchasing decisions, people are more likely to choose companies with a catchy tagline that sticks in their mind.

What questions should it answer?

  • How do we want to be perceived by our audience?
  • How can we make our brand more memorable and credible?
  • Are we accurately reflecting the current state of our business and its offerings?
  • Are we staying consistent with our brand voice and persona?

What makes it great?

  • Don’t exceed five or six carefully selected words.
  • Appeal to emotions and focus on how people should feel when they think of your brand.
  • Showcase your personality; get clever with puns, play-on words and alliteration.
  • Sell your differentiators and prioritize what makes you unique.
  • Be straightforward and direct; don’t be afraid to tell it like it is.

These five messaging elements are essential for positioning your business as an industry leader — and they each require a strategic approach to effectively resonate with both your audience and internal team. However, these are just the beginning of a comprehensive framework that details your product and service descriptors, corporate values, competitive differentiators and more.

Want to elevate your messaging with an updated framework that sums up who you are and what you stand for? Our team of marketing professionals can help take your brand identity from great to outstanding. Learn more about our full suite of branding solutions.