Messaging

Branding & Strategy

Also: Brand Messaging · Marketing Messaging

What it isThe core things a brand says about itself

JobCommunicate value clearly and consistently

TestWould the customer say it back

Quick definition

Messaging is the set of core things a brand consistently says about what it does, who it is for and why it matters. It is the language layer that turns positioning into words the audience actually hears, across the website, ads, sales and content. Good messaging is clear, consistent and framed around the customer's needs. Bad messaging is vague, internally focused or different everywhere.

Where it shows up in the data

Positioning into words

Messaging is the language layer that turns the strategic positioning decision into the actual words the audience hears across every touchpoint.

Customer-framed

The strongest messaging describes the customer's problem and outcome in their words, not the company's features in the company's jargon.

Consistency

The story must hold across the website, ads and sales. Messaging that changes between touchpoints teaches the customer nothing and erodes trust.

What it actually means

Messaging is the layer of language that communicates a brand's value consistently across every touchpoint. It translates positioning, the strategic decision about where you stand and for whom, into the actual words used on the homepage, in ads, in sales conversations and throughout content. Strong messaging has three qualities. It is clear, saying what you do and why it matters without jargon. It is consistent, so the story does not change between the website, the ad and the salesperson. And it is customer-framed, describing the audience's problem and desired outcome rather than reciting the company's features. The classic failure is inside-out messaging that lists what the product does in the language the company uses internally, leaving the customer to work out why they should care. The test of good messaging is whether a customer, having read it, could explain your value back to someone else in their own words.

Good messaging passes one test: the customer could repeat it back. If they cannot, you have described yourself, not spoken to them.

Where people get this wrong

Writing from the inside outListing what the product does in internal jargon leaves the customer to work out why they should care. Start from their problem and outcome instead.

Letting the message drift between channelsMessaging that differs on the website, the ad and the sales call confuses the audience and undermines recognition. Keep the core story consistent.

Confusing clever wording with clear messagingA polished turn of phrase that does not communicate value clearly is decoration. The test is whether the customer could repeat your value back, not whether it sounds smart.

Common questions

What is messaging in marketing?

It is the set of core things a brand consistently says about what it does, who it is for and why it matters. It is the language layer that turns positioning into words the audience actually hears.

What makes messaging effective?

Clarity, consistency and a customer frame. Effective messaging describes the customer's problem and outcome in their own words, holds the same story across every touchpoint and avoids internal jargon.

What is the difference between messaging and positioning?

Positioning is the strategic decision about where a brand stands and for whom. Messaging is the language layer that communicates that positioning in the actual words used across the website, ads and sales.

Debrief

Get the next one

No spam. No fluff. Just the next article, straight to your inbox.

Keep exploring

About New Rebellion

New Rebellion is a marketing intelligence consultancy. We build tools, score Australian businesses on how their marketing actually performs, and publish Debrief every day. This dictionary is part of how we work in the open.

How we think →