One of the phrases we often use when talking about the work we do is, “our proven, yet always evolving, methodology.” Throughout the last 10+ years, it has indeed evolved, and it has indeed been proven. Most of the evolution has been small tweaks, however. Until now.
We still believe that an effective brand and its message check off these three boxes:
- Authenticity. No one wants to be sold to, they want to buy from. In order to do that they need to know you and your message is authentic.
- Differentiation. It’s critical that everyone understands what you do in a way that is relevant and competitively differentiated from all the other options people have.
- Emotion. We all make decisions based on both analytics and emotional drivers. We have to connect with our audiences on that level too.
It’s become increasingly clear to me that we need to call out more explicitly something that’s been buried in these three core elements: Understanding. To connect with someone, especially the individuals we work with on some level, we need a complete understanding of their needs—both literal and figurative.
We often forget, myself included, what we’re really selling. Accountants aren’t just selling tax filing. They’re selling confidence. Restaurants aren’t just selling food. They’re selling experiences. Software developers aren’t just selling tech. They’re selling possibility, exhilaration, or a sense of progress.
The Original Focus & Messaging Framework
To find the initial three, we create a Focus & Messaging Framework (often called a brand house) that uncovers:
WHY: Why you care and why and one else should as well.
WHAT & HOW: What you do and how you do it in a way that is different from all the other choices people have.
WAY: The way your brand comes to life, how you connect with people on an emotional level?
Understanding, then meeting both someone’s needs and wants, was buried in each of these on some level, and recently we’ve found it more challenging to tease them out with the current structure.
Then there’s the Mission and Vision debate. As I wrote in an earlier blog post, unless they’re integrated into what an organization both does and says, they’re useless. To facilitate that integration, we’re pulling them out more explicitly than before.
The New Focus & Messaging Framework
Introducing our new Focus & Messaging Framework (still akin to a brand house). In order to find an organization’s authenticity, differentiation, emotion, and understanding, our new framework identifies these four core elements:
WHY. The change you want to see, your vision. The WHY is important because why you care about the work you do matters; It inspires others to care as well.
HOW. How you show up in the world as a brand. These are your brand’s personality attributes, which in turn will influence the way your messages come to life verbally and visually.
WHO. The audiences who are most important to your success, what they need from you and how they want to feel in the process. Meeting needs and wants are the building blocks of strong, long-lasting relationships. Exploring those blocks makes creating that connection more intentional.
WHAT. A succinct declaration of what you do, your mission if you will, and how you do it differently than anyone else. More practical than an often-forgotten mission statement, the WHAT forms your core message and aligns with your most important work. Most people start here, but without the previous three steps, the end result is just a collection of words. Not a message. Not a brand. Not a game changer.
Your Challenge
Here’s a challenge: Can you easily spell out why the work is important to your organization, how you show up in the world, and whose needs and wants you are meeting? Is what you say about what you do connecting with people with authenticity, differentiation, emotion, and understanding? Bonus points if you have mission and vision statements that actually pull it all together.
Let me know how you did on the challenge.
