Why Key Messaging Matters

More than a tagline

Within your marketing strategy, there are various marketing messages and different opportunities to engage your audience. A tagline, often three or four words, is important and can help your brand be memorable, but should not be confused with your marketing key messages. The key messages can include more detail, and bring in values and emotions, to sit alongside the tagline.

An example would be Nike. The world-famous tagline, “Just Do It”, compliments Nike’s key messaging of innovation, passion for sport, excellence and empowerment.

Sense check all your marketing activity

Consistency is critical. For your marketing messages to be trusted, all your marketing activity matters, regardless of platform or purpose, needs to have a consistent thread running through it – your key messaging. This will strengthen your branding, drive direction and give focus to your strategy, and why it matters.

This is not to say that it’s a simple cut-and-paste job. It’s about having a consistent key marketing message, but how that is delivered may change. The tone of voice, words and delivery may need to be amended depending on the specific target audience, but the message will remain the same.

Four great starting points to create a marketing key message

• Short, simple, and suitable is a great place to start. Have a brainstorm with your team to ensure consistency with your brand, your culture, and your product/service. It needs to be real and deliverable. Forget jargon and complex language. Make it easy to understand and remember. You want it to be relevant to your key audience: once you understand your audience’s challenge, your key message can focus on creating an emotional connection by providing a solution.
• Understand your competitors and make it clear how you stand apart. For example, this could be price, innovation, or customer service.
• Understand your audience. Your key message needs to connect with your audience. Throw in an emotional pain point you can solve, and they will relate, and engage. Our blog Getting to Know Your Target Audience explains more about why knowing your audience is so important.

A great key messaging example of all four is Fairy Washing-up liquid. A key message is value for money: lasts longer (twice as long as competitors), a successful outcome with cold water (in response to the cost-of-living crisis and heating costs), and a small amount needed (sustainability).

Key Messaging Importance to Deliver Your Marketing Strategy

One purpose of key messaging is to be the foundation of your marketing strategy. To create a simple and memorable key message, it is important to understand your brand and why it is unique. An effective key message will communicate your marketing strategy to your target audience.

Another great key messaging example is M&S. A brand associated with trust, quality, and value. The tagline, “Anything but Ordinary” was introduced in 2021, and works alongside the key messaging of quality and value, combined with being bold and different. At the same time, M&S altered their service delivery to enable them to be “anything but ordinary” by introducing brands other than M&S to their range.