Knowing your elevator pitch and key messages can be akin to having a north star for an organisation.
Associate Annie Bacon shares her findings from creating messaging frameworks for our clients over the last 3 years…
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We’ve had the privilege of working with several organisations on the creation of a messaging framework. It’s been transformational work, yet we didn’t anticipate some of the added benefits our clients have shared.
A messaging framework may sound relatively simple. A set of sentences or phrases that articulate the essence of who you are, what you do, who you do it for, and why. However, getting there is about much more than a day’s business planning. It is about going deep, identifying the essence of who you are, your uniqueness and value, and your emotional connection with your audiences. It leads to greater clarity and consistency, to stronger relationships with your audiences and ultimately an authenticity which will set you apart.
To get there we ask a lot of searching questions, about everything. Especially what people say about you and why. We invite you to look inward too, to understand if your decisions are supporting the essence of who you are. Some things you may let go, others may come into focus. We do it together, over a period of time. Exploring, listening, and allowing time for reflection and for ideas to emerge.
What I’ve discovered in doing this work is, in a strange way, a little like therapy. I wasn’t expecting this, but bear with me. As you may know, if you’ve been there, in therapy is an open and honest dialogue about you. It’s a space to explore thoughts and feelings and reach a deeper understanding of any issues or difficulties. The idea is that through greater self-awareness you can inspire change and feel more empowered to make healthier choices.
What’s been remarkable about the work we’ve done this last year with our clients is not just arriving at the messaging frameworks – it’s the things people have said to us about the process. About how working with us has built confidence, greater clarity and direction. How there’s renewed purpose, vigour and ambition. That it’s empowered the team, they know where they’re going and why. They have their communications north star in place now.
Photo by Alex Conradt on Unsplash