Messaging comes before marketing. An authentic perspective on the impact and the results of creating foundational messaging as a first step. S7.E6.N119 of Wait What Really OK.
I believe messaging comes before marketing
Yes, marketing does involves messaging.
At the same time, my view is that many less than moral or ethical marketing organizations will run with a service, product or business and bring that client to the public prior to the foundational messaging being in place.
Of course, messaging will shift, move and motion…
but in my experiences, I see both small and large organizations save a fortune when they can work from a messaging palette that is not just pretty words that hit the intention of the client and the marketing company, but also taking into consideration…
Identity
Integrity
Oversaturation
Perceptions
Connotations
Comparatives
Competitive
Optics
Temperature
Timing
and more.
The way many of the less than moral marketing types run to hype, pressure, spam and quickly shifting the message campaign by campaign, it ends up hurting the brands message, identity and validity.
On the other hand, Ive watched marketers, marketing companies and PR agencies have an easier time being able to reach further at a faster tempo and a reduced cost.
And it is not about making the marketer less money, but allowing them to make more for their efforts and marketing strategies when the foundation is there.
I feel there are some marketers that understand the aspects of messaging, but a smaller number as a whole.
“Where is the authority and authenticity in plagiarizing someone else’s authority and authenticity?”
Messaging comes before…
Still, it seems like so many are out there screaming from the mountain tops about how they will create popularity, opportunity and awareness, yet they throw expensive darts at a board or use unrelated metrics and templates to explain what needs to be done with out really having a complete understanding of what they are saying.
Then many position themselves to take no liability for their spending and their campaigns that were built on the hippest trend that might have no direct relation or application to the specific client.
On that same note, many of them push a messaging to telling people what they need, what they want and what they must have. This is neither good marketing or messaging. Watch out for that.
“No one has a right to tell you what you want, what you need, or what you must have.”
Also something to keep an eye out for
and in many cases, even worse…
the “I had all these big campaigns that worked 10, 20, 30 years ago” and the ever famous “Here is an example of an amazingly successful campaign I did” but that campaign had a budget ten times the size of the person they are pitching and a completely different product.
This has been a bit of a rant, and I am not saying it is every marketer or PR group. Still, I have a large issue with the lack of morals, ethics, integrity and professionalism of many in that profession.
That is why I have come to the perspective of
Messaging before Marketing.
As you choose what to listen to, be sure that in the middle of the opinions you consider, that the amplified authentic opinions and the ones that can back up their claims with proof are ones to consider a little more than the rest.
In the array of intelligence to consider, keep in mind the array of those that are messaging for popularity over authority in their hype to get you spend money to market with them.
As you take the steps that are best for you, consider allowing the footing underneath you to be secure and stable in a foundation of strong and clear messaging that will allow for easier marketing and amplification of who you are in order to stand out from so many others.
Root and build that message with your story, your authority and your authenticity. When that base is in place, all content, all ads, all marketing and all PR will have a foundation and anchor to connect and convert interest.
