What is Brand Messaging? How to Develop an Impactful Verbal Identity
Most people think of branding as a visual identity – the colors, logos and typefaces that identify a company or product.
Think of popular brands like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Apple – the instantly recognizable logos are a testament to how powerful visuals can create a brand identity. In the digital age, you have 7 seconds to make an impact and compel action.
However, successful branding isn’t just about visuals. Verbal identity is just as important when creating an unforgettable impression with customers. Brand messaging is a crucial part of building a solid brand identity, and it’s how your business communicates its values, purpose and personality to the world.
The challenge for companies is to communicate their message in an engaging way that captures customers' attention. Brands that can convey their messages effectively are more likely to make an impact, build trust and loyalty with customers, and grow their business.
So what is brand messaging? And more importantly, how do you develop an impactful verbal identity for your brand? Let’s take a closer look.
What is Brand Messaging?
Brand messaging is all about creating a consistent message that reflects your brand’s values and mission. This message should be reflected in all of your marketing materials, from your website to your social media posts.
Your brand messaging should be clear and concise, answering the question, “Why should I care about this product or service?” It's a consumer-focused message that shows how your brand’s offerings can help customers solve their problems or improve their lives.
Because why should anyone choose your brand over the competition? Your messaging should tell customers what sets you apart and why they should stick with your business. If you can clearly explain your unique selling points, you’ll have a leg up on the competition.
It’s all about you – but it’s also not ALL about you.
Verbal identity should communicate value and compel customers to learn more. A good brand message should be memorable, engaging, and informative. It should capture customers’ attention and make them feel your business understands their needs and wants.
There's another factor to consider that many brands overlook: Your brand messaging shouldn't be all about you. In today’s world of personalization and customization, customers want to feel like a business is listening to their needs and speaking to them directly.
They want to know that they are putting their money to use beyond simply buying a product or service – they want to know that their investment will have a positive, lasting impact.
Companies and organizations that want to build meaningful relationships with their customers should focus on how they can make a difference in people’s lives. This could be through supporting a cause, providing helpful advice, or offering a fantastic product or service.
Genuine and transparent messaging can go a long way in helping customers understand the deeper meaning behind your brand. And being positive is a win-win: research shows that consumers are willing to pay nearly 50% more with brands that feature an outward-focused mission.
What Does Brand Messaging Entail?
While there are philosophical and emotional elements to brand messaging, there are also practical considerations. Your verbal identity will extend beyond your logo and brand name to encompass all of your communication elements:
Tagline – A catchy phrase or slogan that quickly and effectively communicates your brand’s message. A mission statement, vision statement or elevator pitch can also fall into this category.
Mission & Values – A brief overview of your business’s core mission and values that reflect your brand's identity.
Voice – How does your company communicate with customers? Do you use an authoritative voice or something more conversational? Your voice should be consistent across all channels.
Tone – What kind of language and content do you use? Depending on your brand, this could be professional, humorous or something else entirely. If you can personalize your brand voice, you can enhance your potential with loyal customers.
Copywriting – The words and phrases you use to describe your brand in marketing materials such as website content, product packaging and advertising.
Crafting a compelling brand message that resonates with customers while reflecting the true essence of your brand is not an easy task – but it’s worth the effort. When done right, a powerful brand voice can help you stand out in a crowded marketplace and foster meaningful connections with customers.
How to Develop an Impactful Brand Identity
You may have already developed a strong visual identity for your business, but are you paying enough attention to brand messaging? Let's take a look at how you can create a verbal identity that resonates with customers.
1. Clarify your brand's message.
When it comes to brand messaging, clarity is key. You want your message to be easy for customers to understand, and you need to be sure that your marketing materials are consistent in their messaging. This means ensuring that your website, social media posts, and other marketing materials are all in sync and accurately reflect your brand’s values and mission.
Take the time on the front end to map out your brand messaging and ensure that it clearly communicates your value proposition.
For instance, imagine that you're an outdoor goods retailer focused on hiking, canoeing and camping. The initial message you develop should clearly emphasize your products' quality, durability and versatility. But beyond that, you should strive to communicate the lifestyle benefits associated with your products.
By speaking directly to customers’ passions and interests, you can differentiate your product from other outdoor retailers and create an emotional connection with customers. Don't rush to market with a brand message before you've taken the time to map it out and make sure that it fits your target audience.
2. Test your messaging with your target audience.
Once you clearly understand your brand message, it’s time to test it out and ensure it resonates with customers. One great way to do this is by creating focus groups or surveys with your target audience. Ask potential customers questions about their needs and wants and which brands they already trust and prefer.
The feedback you get will help you refine your brand message and ensure it accurately reflects what customers want in a product or service. Additionally, this process will give you an opportunity to A/B test different messages to see which resonates most with customers.
For instance, a study found that individuals who identified as “moms” were 38% more likely to engage with content online that other moms had “liked” on social media. The power of community is much stronger than you expect – so find yours!
Not sure how to begin creating a focus group? Consider leveraging social media to find people who match your target demographic. You can also reach out to local businesses or organizations in your niche and ask them to participate in testing your brand message.
3. Weave your verbal identity with stories.
Once you have a strong, clear brand message, it’s time to ensure that customers can easily find and connect with your brand. One effective way to do this is by weaving stories into your messaging.
Stories serve as great visuals for potential customers and help them understand the deeper meaning behind your products or services. They can also create an emotional connection between customers and your brand and help customers differentiate you from competitors. Recent research shows that 92% of consumers prefer businesses and brands that utilize storytelling in their marketing and messaging.
Weave real customer stories or anecdotes into your website copy, blog posts, social media posts, and other marketing materials. These stories should authentically reflect the values you're communicating with your verbal identity. Don't simply sell the benefits of your product or service- try to get customers emotionally invested in your brand.
Returning to our outdoor gear company above, you could tell stories of customers’ adventures and unique, life-enriching experiences while using your products. If your company works with other nonprofit organizations or charities, you can weave these stories to create a positive emotional connection with your customers.
4. Measure and monitor your messaging.
Branding is a powerful connector with consumers – so don’t set it and forget it.
Once you launch your brand messaging, it’s important to measure and monitor its effectiveness. This will help you understand which channels work best for your message and where customers engage with your content most.
Start by setting up analytics on all of your marketing materials, including social media posts, website copy, and other content. This will allow you to track customers’ reactions to your messaging and where they are engaging with it the most.
You should also be mindful of how customers respond to any changes that you make to your message or branding. If a message isn't resonating with customers, consider adjusting it to fit their wants and needs better.
Finally, make sure that your messaging is consistent across all channels and platforms. This will help customers quickly recognize and remember your brand and build trust with customers over time.
The Don'ts of Brand Identity & Messaging
The above steps will get you well on your way to creating an effective brand identity and message. But, as you develop your verbal identity and messaging strategy, there are certain things you should avoid to ensure that your messages remain authentic to your brand.
1. Don't copy your competitors.
At the end of the day, it's important to remain authentic to yourself and your brand. Resist the temptation to copy competitors’ messaging or slogans, as this can make customers feel disconnected from your brand.
Additionally, don't just focus on highlighting product features – show potential customers why they should care about your product or service and how it can benefit them in the long term. Demonstrating a genuine understanding of your customer's values and needs will help create an emotional connection with them over time.
2. Try not to overdo it.
When crafting your brand message, be sure to avoid being overly dramatic or exaggerating the benefits of your product or service. This can create mistrust among customers and make them feel like you’re trying to manipulate them into buying something.
It's also important not to oversaturate your audience with messaging – be sure to space out posts and other content enough so that customers aren't bombarded with marketing materials all at once.
3. Don't be disingenuous.
The benefits of quality brand messaging are clear, but creating an identity shouldn't be a means to an end. Don't be disingenuous with your messaging – if you’re trying to sell a product or service, make sure it truly lives up to your brand's values and mission. This will help ensure that customers trust your company in the long run.
Discover and Build Your Brand Messaging with Atlas Studio
Creating and delivering a strong brand message is essential for any business. It helps customers understand your products or services, as well as differentiates you from competitors – and creates a human connection with customers.
Sometimes building the perfect verbal identity can be overwhelming. At Atlas Studio, we work with companies every day to craft powerful brand messaging that resonates with customers.
Our team is here to help you create a consistent, compelling message for your customers. And as an agency that's committed to creating lasting change in our community and beyond, we can help you bring your social mission to life as well.
Ready to take your verbal identity to the next level? Contact us today, and let’s get started! Your new brand identity is waiting – will you take the first step?
