Create Your Company's Core Marketing Message

If you are running a new business, you are probably wondering, “How do I begin developing my marketing plan?” Or perhaps you are running an existing company and realize that your current marketing efforts are not delivering as much as you would like. Now is the time to plan your new marketing efforts. Before you spend a great deal of time and money on logos, stationery, brochures, and websites, you need to develop your company's core marketing message. Otherwise, you risk missing the target and wasting your time and resources. This is true for sole proprietors, mom and pop businesses, and large corporations alike. It doesn't matter how big or small your business is. You need to begin your marketing efforts by developing a core marketing message. You will then use this core message to create an entire marketing plan.

To create a profit-generating marketing plan, the first direction to go is inward. Establish an understanding of what you are selling, what value you are selling, and who should buy what you are selling. This will be your core marketing message. Once you discover your core marketing message it will become much easier to create all of your external marketing material. Your logo will accurately reflect your company, your tag lines will present themselves, your website structure will flow, and your printed material will have purpose.

How do you create your company's core marketing message? Complete the following exercise. Don't worry if you don't have all the answers or if your answers are not perfect. The first time you perform this exercise just brainstorm some ideas. Write down the first things that come to mind. You can go back later to refine your ideas and put things in a better perspective. It will also help to have others review your answers to see if they have any additional ideas or suggestions. Don't just think about your answers. You must write down the answers for this to truly work for you. Okay, let's brainstorm.

What are you selling? (in the simplest sense)

Write down the products or services you are selling. Write down the categories of what you are selling, then list the specific product or service under each category.

For example: If you are in the hospitality industry, you sell a stay in a room.

What are the needs of your potential buyers?

List all needs, and wants, of ideal potential customers, even if the needs or wants are unrelated to your product or service. Be specific.

For example: Hospitality guests need rooms, food, transportation, peace and quiet etc...

How does your service fulfill these needs?

Choose only the needs you wish to address, keeping in mind that you can't fulfill all needs. It is impossible and will just spread out your resources too much. Write down how you will specifically address these needs. Don't just list your products or services; state how that product or service will fulfill each need. You may find you need to add or subtract products or services to address some needs you didn't think of before.

For example: Hospitality guests need to relax. You can offer a spa or weight room.

What problems do your potential buyers have fulfilling those needs?

List all problems, issues, pains, predicaments, challenges, worries, and fears, even if they seem unrelated to the services you offer. Be specific.

For example: Your bed and breakfast guest's problem is they have special dietary needs.

How does your service solve these problems?

Choose only the problems you wish to address. (Remember, you can't solve them all.) Write down how you will specifically address each problem. Don't just list your products or services. State how that product or service will solve the problem. You may find you need to add or subtract products or services to address some problems you didn't think of before.

For example: Your bed and breakfast guest needs to eat breakfast but may have special dietary needs. You can set yourself apart and solve this problem by having the guest notify you of these dietary needs in advance.

What emotional gratification are you providing?

Regardless of the business, people buy because of an emotion that a product or service can provide, not necessarily the product or service itself. Think about the last few purchases you made. Did you have to choose between two or more things? Why did you decide on the one you purchased? How did it make you feel? You most likely bought it because it made you happy for one reason or another. Likewise, you need to identify what emotion or emotions you are selling to your clients, such as: happiness, pride, joy, satisfaction, confidence, relief, peace of mind, etc. Identifying the gratifying emotions you can provide is the most important part of developing your core marketing message.

For example: As a bed and breakfast, you are not selling your available room; you are selling “peace of mind” in a tranquil environment that will allowing your guest to forget all their worries.

What sets your product or service apart from your competition?

You can't compete very well if you provide the exact same thing as your competitors. You need to identify what is unique about your product or service. What do you have that your competition does not have? What makes you memorable, special? This could be your personality, your experience, your values, your people skills, services you offer, or simply your interests. It is what people will remember about you that will help them chose you over your competition. Many of us feel uncomfortable proudly claiming our own special qualities, so it may be easier to ask others. What are some compliments you frequently hear from other people? You could try sending out a questionnaire to past clients. It may also help to take the focus off of yourself and consider how your clients benefit from your unique talents or services. What unique services do you think they would like to have? Your uniqueness could simply be that you fulfill a need that your competitors do not.

For example: You are unique because you are kind enough to go out of your way to acquire tickets to a play for a guest who loves the theatre.

What are you really selling now?

Now you can get more specific about the product or service you are selling. You aren't selling the product or service from above. You now know you are fulfilling a need, while solving a problem, all while satisfying an emotion. Knowing this will allow you to separate yourself from your competitors. So now you need to write down what you are really selling.

For example: Some businesses will compete on price alone and sell the cheapest product or service to satisfy the emotion of feeling “smart” because the customer feels he’s found a great deal. These businesses will cut anything necessary to accomplish this. If they are in the hospitality business they would write here: “I sell the cheapest room rates in Orange County, making the weary traveler on a tight budget feel smart for finding the best rate to fulfill their basic need of finding a place to sleep.”

You, on the other hand, are smarter than that and realize you are selling much more than a room. You are fulfilling someone's greater emotional need. You are selling a pleasant stay at your hospitality which includes the use of more than just a bedroom. Your guest can use other rooms and services inside and outside your facility. So what you are really selling is a “joyful” experience. It could be the experience of staying at the most grandiose resort which caters to your every need, or the experience of staying at the most cozy and romantic bed and breakfast with the best view of the Hudson Valley.

No matter what you are selling, you need to be specific about it. You are not selling a product or service. You are selling an experience, a quick turn-around, the best value for the money, the best quality, the best service, convenience, a different approach to a product or service, a breath-taking view, reliability. Whatever the need is that you are fulfilling, you are selling the answer to that need and making your client feel emotionally gratified.

Who is your target market?

Now that you know what you are selling you need to identify the target market that will buy it. Think of your best clients or who your model client would be. List the qualities that make them ideal. This is your dream list, so write down all of the qualities that matter to you. Consider geography, gender, age, income level, values, interests, standards, what they consider quality, etc. If it's important that they are pleasant to work with and have the means to pay you, then write that down. What is their specific title or profession? Can they be put into a category? List every important quality you can come up with. A helpful exercise is to think of what kind of car and home they would own. A person who rents an apartment and leases an economy car is not going to want the same services as someone who owns two homes and luxury cars.

For example: Sarno Photography & Graphic Design’s ™  target market is environmentally conscious business owners who need to promote their property or services such as: architects, travel and tourism locations, restaurants, and hospitalities. They need architectural photography, graphic design, web design, and 360 virtual tours to market themselves. They appreciate quality work, operate their businesses with a high degree of integrity, value building relationships with their clients and vendors, and they are interested in developing their business. They are also a joy to work with and they appreciate a good sense of humor.

Description of your business

Armed with all this information you can now write a short description of your business that clearly states what you do and whom you serve. Make sure you mention what makes you unique and which emotions you sell.

For example: "Sarno Photography & Graphic Design™ promotes properties through the arts of graphic design, web design, and photography, to create your professional image. I deliver the final marketing solution so you only have to deal with one company to save you time – for your peace of mind, and for results."

You have now created the heart of your core marketing message. Take some time to continue refining it. When you read through it, you should feel that it hits the mark and it illustrates the image of your ideal business. This will also help you create a mission statement, elevator pitch, tag line, and motto for your business that all illustrate your core marketing message.

For example:

Mission Statement: "To market and promote properties through the arts of graphic design, web design, and photography, while providing professional, caring, finished solutions, and ongoing customer service, with respect to community and the Earth."

Elevator Pitch: “My name is Daniel Sarno, owner of Sarno Photography & Graphic Design. I provide marketing solutions for architects and property owners such as those in the travel and tourism industry. When a client works with me they only have to work with one professional for all their graphic design, web design, and photography needs. This saves them time, and creates peace of mind, while increasing their business. My clients know they can come to me with a need and I will supply a finished solution that will be as consistent with their entire marketing message as it will be effective. Your success is my success. I care about your professional image.™”

Tag line: "I care about your professional image™."

Now when you are ready to create your marketing plan that includes a logo, brochures, website, and other marketing materials, you have the core marketing message to draw from and to guide you. Your core marketing message will tell you how large of a budget you will need to reach your target audience and how you should reach them. However, developing a marketing plan for your entire year is a topic for another day.

Always have your core marketing message handy to make sure all your marketing efforts convey its message. When you meet with your designer bring your core marketing message with you and the designer will know what your message is. Make sure every one of your marketing projects speaks to your audience as if you know them personally. Address your target audience's needs and show them how you can provide a solution. Most importantly, make sure you illustrate how your uniqueness will make them feel emotionally gratified when they use your product or services. Remember the phrase: "sell the benefits, not the services" of your business.