Constructing effective consumer messaging
Did you know that Nike’s famous slogan, ‘Just Do It’ has very sinister origins? And yet, the message behind the three simple words has connected so well with target customers for 33 years since its debut in 1988.
Like many other famous slogans, Nike’s was the product of creative heads in an ad agency coming together. But slogans and marketing messages that work are a lot harder to produce if you are a smaller business with a smaller budget.
But if you’ve made it this far into the article, you’re in luck! Here are some key tips to create effective messaging for your target customers:
- Have a clear value proposition. If customers are going to remember one thing about you, it should be your value proposition. This is not just about why your product or brand is better than the competition, but why the potential customer will be better off choosing you over others in the market.
2. Deep dive into your target market. A message is only effective if it connects with your target market in the way that you want and produces the intended result. Knowing your target market intimately will give you the secret recipe for connecting with them and activate their interest. You can start by developing a consumer persona using our Voyager platform.
3. Understand your customers’ motivations and aspirations. While your target market may be interested in the same product, individual consumers within the group may be motivated by different things. For example, compare between the motivations of 30-to 39-year-old female fashion shoppers who are into fitness and those who are into the latest trends. If you customise your message to each segment, you’ll have a better chance of connecting with them.
4. See how your competitors are communicating. Many businesses forget to keep an eye on their competition. There are many learning opportunities in tracking their successes and failures so that you can differentiate yourself effectively. In the immortal words of Sun Tzu, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a thousand battles.”
5. Use your customer’s lingo.Consumers now expect to interact with the brands they are considering to purchase. If your brand is youthful, you need to adopt the same tone and spirit when communicating. But remember to be respectful of your customers at all times!
Key takeaway: You may need to keep testing your messages to find the one that works, and in some cases, the ones that used to work pre-COVID may have passed expiration date and need retooling. Take the time to gather the necessary consumer and competitor information to make an informed decision. And lastly, in the words of a famous sports brand, just do it!