When we work with a customer, one of the first steps we take in our relationship is to institute a fundamental strategy we have used with great success over the past 30 years. Whether it’s a new product launch, an annual report, the promotion of a new acquisition, even developing a complicated annual advertising and PR plan, we always keep in mind the “3 Rights” as our compass to guide us through the process. Those 3 principles are:
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Developing the RIGHT message
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Reaching the RIGHT people
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Reaching them the RIGHT number of times
This approach is like a three-legged stool. With all three in place, you have a strong foundation. But, if you remove one “leg” from the process, you’ve lost your strategic balance…a guarantee for failure.
Developing the RIGHT message
First, your message should emulate your mission statement as a reflection of your organization and your products and services. Its purpose is to raise brand awareness and project an image that keeps your company at the top of your customers’ mind. It should be short, memorable, able to stand alone, but most of all, it should be honest. Set your egos aside and speak to your customer in their voice, using words that trigger and feed their emotional needs, not yours.
Secondly, your base message should be easy to remember, using words your customers can relate to, while promoting the key benefits that make your brand stand out from your competitors, offering something they can’t claim. Now, how do you boil all those considerations into a simple, effective message?
I’ll use two B2B message examples that support all the points above. First is a small manufacturer of elevator push buttons and fixtures. For more than 20 years we have branded their company and their products with a simple, but concise phrase…”Quality. Choices. Solutions.” We believe, and our customer agrees, it captures their overall message simply, capably and just as important, honestly.
Another example we have seen for years is from an industrial manufacturer that designs and builds industrial air compressors. Their message captures the culture of their company as well as their products and appears in all their marketing efforts. Their message, again, is simple, effective and presents a bold commitment to their customers in three words…”Built for Life.” Those are just two examples of what we consider to be solid and well thought out, communicating a strong, believable message to customers and prospects. They’re both perfect examples of getting the first leg of the formula “Right”.
Just for fun, let’s take a look at other, more familiar messages that not only have proven themselves to be on-target, but are so right-on-the-money that they have spanned generations, almost becoming household sayings.
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BMW – The Ultimate Driving Machine since 1973
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NIKE – Just Do It since 1988
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Wheaties – The Breakfast of Champions since 1933
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Campbells Soup – M’m M’m M’m! Good! since the 1930’s
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Maxwell House – Good to the Last Drop since 1915
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United Airlines – Fly the Friendly Skies of United since 1965
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De Beers – A Diamond is Forever since 1947
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Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes – They’re G-r-r-r-reat! since 1952
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M&M’s – Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hands since 1954
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And there are dozens more…can you think of one or two?
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Do you recognize a few of these messages? After seeing how long they have been in use, it’s clear that developing a strong, simple and effective message for your company or project is a critical key to success.
To the RIGHT people
Have you heard the old adage, “build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door”? Well, that is only true if the “world” knows about your better mousetrap.
Advertising to the RIGHT people, first and foremost, requires an advertiser to understand who that person is. You can develop that target using geographical areas, events, job functions, job titles, purchasing authorities…and the list goes on and on.
Secondly, you need to understand how that person engages their media or content.
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Do they read magazines?
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Are they active on LinkedIn?
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Do they attend webinars or read articles on media outlet websites?
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That list goes on and on as well. Understanding WHO the right person is, and HOW they engage their media sets the foundation for the advertising plan.
The RIGHT number of times
Once you have the RIGHT message and have developed it for the RIGHT people, you now need to distribute it the RIGHT number of times. This has often been coined the ‘Rule of 7’.
Every day we accept the challenge of getting our clients Right Message to the Right people the Right number of times. Over the years that challenge has grown in its complexity, with traditional advertising mediums such as print and broadcast vying for audience share with digital advertising, podcasts, social and other emerging channels.
That said, knowing your audience and knowing how to position your message in the RIGHT format the RIGHT number of times is critical in overcoming the barriers we see in media planning and capturing a potential customer’s attention.
Again, we always keep in mind the “3 Rights” as our compass to guide us through the process. Those 3 principles are:
-
-
Developing the RIGHT message
-
Reaching the RIGHT people
-
Reaching them the RIGHT number of times
-
This approach is like a three-legged stool. With all three in place, you have a strong foundation. But, if you remove one “leg” from the process, you’ve lost your strategic balance…a guarantee for failure. Now that we’ve examined the 3 “Right” principles to effectively market to your customers, the next topic will focus on how to choose the right media mix.
