Ever feel like your company’s external messaging is disjointed? Maybe your competitive value is unknown or unclear to certain audiences? Whether the disconnect is the result of a major organizational change or perhaps miscommunication among departments, you can unify your messaging to build a solid brand foundation.

 

What is a Messaging Framework?

Your messaging framework is a one-stop shop for your brand persona. It typically includes a brand positioning statement, elevator pitch(es), competitive differentiators per audience segment and product/service descriptions that highlight the benefits of your offering, in addition to the features. Depending on your goals, it may be advantageous to develop standardized messaging that hits additional areas.

Building a messaging framework takes numerous players. As a common first step, senior leaders, department heads and other key stakeholders can take part in a collaborative branding session to hash out their vision, short- and long-terms goals, value proposition and more. An external communications team can be beneficial for moderating the session, steering the questioning and extracting key points to help you build a cohesive, brand-aligned framework that serves as the foundation for all marketing and sales communications.

Companies experience far-reaching benefits from messaging frameworks:

  • Ensure Your Entire Team is on the Same Page: A messaging framework serves as a resource for your marketing, sales, business development and customer service teams, whom can become disconnected or operate in silos without the right structure. The messaging framework helps close rifts among these departments, reducing confusion or differing perception about the company’s messages. The messaging exercise is critical and worthwhile to ensure your team, including spokespeople, is seeing eye-to-eye ahead of any coordinated marketing/PR campaign.
  • Identifies Key Differentiators: Your framework spells out what makes you different from competitors, elaborating on each point to show how and why you stand out from the competition. This aspect is where a PR team is especially valuable. As master communicators, PR pros can help you extract competitive advantages and refine them into impactful statements that are aligned with overall business goals.
  • Prevents Confusion in the Marketplace: Some industries are saturated with companies offering the same products or services, while others are extremely complex, making it difficult for potential customers to understand the value of your offerings. Regardless of your situation, creating and utilizing a messaging framework helps you carve out a place in the minds of your target audience. Your framework arms you with clear, concise language that breaks down the complexities of your industry while maintaining your individual brand voice.
  • Provides Structure Following Major Changes: Acquisitions, restructuring, major product or service launches and other meaningful organizational changes are the ideal time to create – or reevaluate – your messaging framework. Your company is continually evolving, and your messaging should too! As business priorities change, the framework hones your brand identity, bringing you one step closer to your goals.
  • Creates Cohesion Among All Communications: Your messaging framework can be used in a variety of contexts, serving as a base for all future marketing and sales communications. Pull content from the framework to use as a base for brochures, sales kits, case studies, presentations, social media campaigns, website copy and even meetings or other in-person interactions.

 

The right messaging framework, along with complementary PR and marketing activities, helps position your company as a leader in the present, and drives continued growth. Learn more about how our team integrates a messaging framework into long-term PR and marketing plans.