The Why, Where, and When of Messaging
We then take a look at what activity is happening both internally within their organisations and externally within their marketplaces and the world at large before planning their comms strategy. We are not political at Antelope but think the last six months have shown how important messaging is and how easy it is to get it wrong.
1. Think why?
Before starting planning your brand messaging campaign, it’s always good to go back to the why? Why do you want to talk to your customers? Why should they listen to you? Ensure you not only answer the first question but also the second one. So, you might want to talk to your audiences as you are launching a new product. But, why should they be interested in listening to you? Your messaging needs to explain to your target customer how your product will improve or enhance their life.
2. Think where?
Planning where your messaging is going to reach your audiences is as important as what you are going to say. There is no point talking to a metaphoric brick wall. So, if your campaign is going as far and wide as newspapers to socials, think how it might look and read on both.
3. Think when?
We all know people who bounce out of bed, have done their exercise class by 6am and are raring to go by 8am and others who get up at noon and work through until the early hours. Launching a morning chorus to the late risers is a recipe for disaster while late night breaking news to the early larks is likely to be as successful as launching a lead balloon. Understanding when people are receptive to messaging is key. Likewise, if a major crisis has just happened in your industry, launching a comic advertising campaign will seem insensitive at the best, damn right cruel at the worst. Like with the why think about what is happening in your target audiences’ lives and pick your timing well.
4. Make it clear
If the recent memes around the government campaign show anything it is the need for a clear message. The ‘stay alert’ campaign brought out a hoard of naysayers including author J.K. Rowling who commented, on her twitter account “Is Coronavirus sneaking around in a fake moustache and glasses? If we drop our guard, will it slip us a Micky Finn? What the hell is ‘stay alert’ supposed to mean? pic.twitter.com/8cUmAVBVL7 — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 9, 2020.
5. Make it simple
Clarity and simplicity go hand-in-hand and as many copywriters have found over the years a bold statement often makes more of an impact that realms of words. Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ or Mastercard’s ‘There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else there’s Mastercard’ are simple statements that conveyed so much more.
In our fragmented world, exacerbated by many of us staying home more to work and play, communication is more important than ever before. However, bad communication, like bad news, will never help covert customers and help build your brand. Understanding how you speak to your customers, and when and what is appropriate is more important than ever.