Messaging

Clean and concise, messaging is the headline

If I don’t get your attention, the opportunity is lost.

We find that many organizations have their acts together. With lots of great material clients often need help refining their copy.

When we work on identity, promotional pieces, news releases and collateral, the bulk of the content is there. Sometimes content needs to be re-written to speak more clearly or directly to a new audience or industry.

The gold is in there, but it needs something extra to extract it, purify it. This is messaging—and it’s mission critical.

Messaging simply means the words we use to get your point across. It’s the pitch, the hook, the headline and the initiator, all designed to grab the readers attention and get them interested in the details.

Tag Line

Another great item is the tag line, or slogan. From your company to product, people scan and make conclusions about your brand very quickly. The Tag Line helps us to help identify what we do, what need we fill. Quick, concise, we have seconds to make an impression.

Longbow is Brand, Content, Digital.

Brand Promise

More than a mission statement, a brand promise says what you do, for whom, and what makes you unique. Your promise should represent your values, beliefs and vision.

We do _____ for _____ because _____.

Longbow is a boutique marketing agency focused on brand, content, and digital—for clients who make a difference.

A great brand promise is one that is authentic, memorable, and believable, and clearly communicates what the brand offers. It should be aligned with the brand’s values and positioning.

Examples of great Brand Promise.

• BMW, The Ultimate Driving Machine.
• Publix, Where shopping is a pleasure.
• Apple, Think Different.
• GE, We brings good things to life.
• Levi’s, Quality never goes out of style.
• USAID, From the American People.

And what happens when you break that promise?
Betraying trust is hard to come back from. Don’t over-promise or under-deliver.

Talking Points

In media, messaging is often boiled down to talking points. You can tell someone who’s been media trained, when they’re being interviewed and keep bringing the discussion back to their main talking points.

In the corporate world, we want to stay on message. Taken beyond the news grilling someone under the gun, it’s important to stay focused. Messaging does this.

When we write articles, we use formulas that address needs and concerns in a logical format. Again this is messaging. It’s a key part of the way we write—and often why we’re successful content marketers.

Gimme the pitch

What’s your story?

You meet someone and are asked what you do. You have ten seconds, what’s your story?

If you can’t come up with something off the top of your head, then you haven’t spent the time refining your message. If you get different answers from different leaders in your company, then it’s an identity crisis.

Not only are you confused, chances are, your audience doesn’t understand what you’re selling.

To formulate your message, we work with you to pull out the best talking points, the key differentiators, the nuggets of gold that quickly and concisely sum up all you are and what you offer your prospects. When the message is hammered out and tempered, the promotion becomes second nature. Refine and practice your pitch.

Longbow is focused on message—we’re experts at refining yours.