Why Every Business Needs a Brand Messaging Guide (+ 7 Steps on How to Create One)

You have a logo. You have your colors. You have your typography. You have a website, social media accounts, and an email list. But to your dismay, your pipeline is as dry as the Sahara desert.

We get it—panic is setting in. You’ve poured money into making your brand look picture-perfect, yet you aren’t seeing a dime in return. Remember the saying, “If you build it, they will come”? That’s not just a baseball fantasy (excuse the retro reference). The phrase also applies to the success of your business.

“But my brand looks amazing!” you might say. However, before you send your business out into the world, it’s crucial to remember that every building starts with a solid foundation, or it may collapse.

That’s where a messaging guide for brands comes in.

Every business, regardless of size or industry, needs a clear brand messaging guide before initiating any brand development or marketing efforts. When a brand shows up confidently and consistently, it helps potential clients get to know it, like it, and trust it enough to invest in its products or services.

Imagine walking into a new coffee shop, expecting to experience the cozy smell of espresso beans and brewing cups of Joe. Instead, you walk into a building with battling aromas, mismatched furniture, and – worst of all – baristas who know nothing about the product they are selling.

You would probably turn around and go to Starbucks, right?

This is an example of a business that needs to step back and start from the beginning of the process with a brand messaging guide. This well-researched document acts as a blueprint, ensuring every customer experience element is cohesive and reflects the brand’s core identity.

Some other reasons your brand needs a brand messaging guide are:

Brand Cohesiveness

In 2010, Gap made a rash decision – it abruptly changed its iconic logo and narrative across marketing channels. This sudden shift in messaging led to widespread confusion and outrage, causing customers to take their business to places like Zara and H&M.

Businesses should maintain clear, consistent messaging to keep customers happy and avoid potential problems. A brand messaging guide helps align branding with core values, and this will strengthen market position and build lasting relationships with its audience.

Trust and Loyalty

Creating campaigns that align with your core values reinforces your brand’s reliability and strengthens its position in the market. Consider Patagonia, an American outdoor gear retailer.

Patagonia’s clear brand message—centered around eco-friendly activism, social responsibility, and high-quality products—has also nurtured deep loyalty among consumers who resonate with these values.

By consistently communicating its commitment to eco-friendly activism and social responsibility on its website, social media, and email campaigns, Patagonia has not only strengthened its market position but also cultivated deep consumer loyalty.

Unique Value Proposition

A well-crafted messaging guide includes in-depth competitor research, helping you understand what works in your industry and what does not. Using this information, you can develop a narrative that clearly articulates what sets your business apart.

For example, if you are a hardware store, you are not selling hammers. You are selling the hole in the wall that you need to complete your project. The hole is your unique value proposition. Embracing this brand promise, you can craft compelling marketing collateral and content to support this message confidently.

Team Alignment

A clear, concise, compelling brand message guide ensures everyone on your team is on the same page. Imagine taking your team to a networking event and asking them to explain what your business does. Would they be able to articulate it clearly, confidently, and correctly?

While they might manage a simple “We sell computer software,” the real test is whether they can speak of the problem your business solves, the solution it offers, and the specific audience it targets—all in a 30 to 60-second elevator pitch.

Financial Growth

Apple Inc. is a prime example of a company successfully leveraging a consistent brand narrative for financial gain. By maintaining a sleek brand message centered on innovation, simplicity, and premium quality, Apple’s strong brand identity resonates with consumers worldwide. In fact, Apple’s gross profit for 2024 was $177.231B, a 6.24% increase from 2023, and part of that lends to the fact that they have a highly, consistent, recognizable brand.

Research suggests that having a uniform brand narrative can boost revenue by up to 23%. This proves the power of a consistent narrative in driving financial growth, as it helps with customer recognition and, ultimately, the choice between you and your competitors.

A brand messaging guide will help you and your team stay consistent across marketing and communications channels. It will also give you and your team the confidence you need to succeed in your industry (and who wouldn’t want that?).

But what type of information does this guide entail? Here are seven steps you can take to craft your messaging guide for your brand.

Step 1: Establish Your Hero

The most important thing to remember is that you are not the hero of your brand story—that is the role your customer plays. Understanding who your customers are, inside and out, will help you create an accurate client persona to focus on as you develop your brand messaging guide.

Get as detailed as you can, asking yourself questions such as:

  • What do they want?
  • What problem are they facing?
  • How are they feeling about it?
  • What transformation do they crave?
  • What is their occupation and income?
  • Where do they live?
  • What types of brands do they like?
  • What type of media do they consume?

Once you create your hero, your messaging will start to take shape, guiding you to build a strong narrative for your marketing.

customizing your brand persona

Step 2: Become the Guide

If your customer is the hero, then you are the guide. Your job is to help them battle through layers of obstacles to reach the solution—your product or service.

Positioning yourself as an empathetic and authoritative guide will gain the trust of your audience, turning them into loyal customers. Think of who Dumbledore is to Harry Potter. He has the experience and training of an authority figure but also feels empathy because he has been in the same place as young Harry.

Here are some questions to consider:

Experience

  • What qualifications do I have to be their guide?
  • Do I have any testimonials or reviews about my product or service?
  • Have I been featured in any media?

Empathy

  • What statement can you make to show your audience you understand them?
  • Do you have any stories that show your trustworthiness?
  • In what ways have you “been there, done that” as it pertains to their problem?

By embracing your role as an empathetic and authoritative guide and reflecting on your unique experiences, you can build the trust and loyalty needed to turn customers into lifelong advocates for your brand.

Step 3: Decide on Your Mission, Vision, and Values

Many businesses often combine their mission, vision, and values, but they are actually separate points within your brand messaging.

  • A mission statement is a brand’s purpose and objective. A business uses a mission statement to guide decision-making, ensuring that each choice aligns with the organization’s goals. It also unifies company stakeholders under a common purpose.
  • A vision statement is created with aspirations in mind. It is a motivating statement that outlines the company’s long-term goals, sparking innovation and creativity. Target’s vision statement, “Guided commitments to great value, the community, diversity, and the environment,” ensures that each effort is aligned with these points.
  • Guiding values are the ethical principles that shape an organization’s culture and decision-making. Some examples could be collaboration, customer focus, creativity, and adaptability.

Step 4: Determine Your Brand Archetype and Voice

A brand archetype is a recognized 12-character model based on the studies of psychologist Carl Jung that represents a brand’s core identity and personality. These archetypes allow businesses to connect more deeply with their ideal clients and shape their marketing narrative with human experiences and emotions.

For example, your archetype could be The Caregiver, much like Dove. You could be The Rebel, modeled after Louis Vuitton, or embrace The Magician, like Disney.

Image by Iconix Fox

After you have chosen your archetype, it’s time to decide on a brand voice. Are you playful, serious, or funny? Do you use slang or stick with buttoned-up language? No matter what you choose, make sure it is consistent with your archetype and the language of your target audience. And keep in mind it’s ok if you deviate a bit — as long as it’s intentional!

Step 5: Write an Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch is a brief, persuasive speech that entices people to ask for “more.” The primary purpose of an elevator pitch is to capture the attention of the person(s) you are speaking to – all within the span of a fictional elevator ride.

Take our client, Shepherds’ College, for example:

We are an accredited occupational school and 501c3, with a mission to transform the lives of students with IDD so they know how God sees them and see the plans He has for them. Donate to Shepherds to join God’s work in the IDD community, and be a part of a student’s story from uncertain to flourishing.

When creating your pitch, it’s essential to keep it clear and engaging, but also consider “reading the room.” Write a few elevator pitches for different scenarios: networking events, sales calls, emails, podcasts, or even an Uber drive.

Step 6: Create a Mood Board

Creating a mood board is different from designing a logo or deciding on your brand colors. A mood board establishes a “feel” for your brand narrative using sourced images online to tell a visual story.

Pinterest is a great way to create a brand mood board due to its Google-like search capabilities. Some images to include are:

  • Smiling people
  • Graphics that evoke feelings
  • Products/services that are similar to yours
  • Locations that are relevant to your brand

Don’t be afraid to have fun with this, and ask your team to get involved to nurture collaboration and share ideas within your company.

Step 7: Create a Brand Narrative

Now is the time to put it all together. Starting from the beginning of your brand messaging guide, begin outlining your brand narrative, a story composed of answers to the previously addressed questions in paragraph format:

  • Who is (and is not) your ideal client?
  • What are they looking for?
  • What is their pain point?
  • How is it making them feel?
  • Who are you?
  • What is your solution?
  • Why do you empathize?
  • How are you a qualified guide?
  • What is your business?
  • What do you stand for?
  • How can you help?
  • What is the transformation you will take them through?
  • How can they get a hold of you (your CTA)?

This information can be utilized in your marketing materials or kept for internal purposes to ensure that your team comprehensively understands your brand’s message.

A brand messaging guide creates clear and coherent communication in your marketing, which builds confidence within a company, enhances customer trust and loyalty, and builds long-term relationships with your audience.

Let our team of digital marketing professionals create your brand messaging guide, and get ready to attract more clients and customers to your business.

Contact us to learn how we can help your brand stay consistent and relevant in your industry.

Ashley

Ashley Falletta

Ashley Falletta is a StoryBrand certified copywriter and brand strategist. She helps brands clarify their marketing message using storytelling so they can get seen, heard and recognized as an expert in their industry.