In a recent column, I revealed the three components of a brilliant marketing plan, the first of which was a brilliant marketing message. What makes a marketing message brilliant? Well, they tend to share the following characteristics:
1. They get to the point.
Weak marketing messages meander.
Example: “In today’s highly competitive business world, every company needs our software to run their manufacturing more efficiently.”
Brilliant marketing messages immediately express what’s important.
Example: “Our software halves your manufacturing time.”
2. They take the customer’s viewpoint.
Weak marketing messages speak to how the seller sees the world.
Example: “Our world-class engineering team designed our product set to be both usable and flexible.”
Brilliant marketing messages address what’s relevant to the customer.
Example: “It takes 10 minutes, tops, to learn our product.”
3. They use familiar language.
Weak marketing messages contain obscure technical jargon.
Example: “Our sales enablement system creates an integrated computing framework for profitable customer interactions.”
Brilliant marketing messages use plain, simple words.
Example: “We help your sales team close deals more quickly.”
4. They feel informal.
Weak marketing messages sound stilted and unnatural.
Example: “Our strongest form of communication is behavior that’s consistent with our vision for leadership.”
Brilliant marketing messages sound like off-the-cuff remarks.
Examples: “No surprises. Ever.”
5. They say something original.
Weak marketing messages sound as if they could belong to any product or service.
Example: “Our award-winning product set decreases costs and increases revenue.”
Brilliant marketing messages are one-of-a-kind.
Example: “You’ll save so much you’ll think you won the lottery.”
6. They need no further explanation.
Lousy marketing messages must be decrypted before they make any sense.
Example: “We’re the double deuce in your multi-media deck.”
Brilliant marketing messages have immediate and unmistakable meaning.
Example: “We win way more eyes for your ads.”
7. They make you smile.
Weak marketing messages are all work and no play.
Example: “Our system achieves the highest quality industry standards.”
Brilliant marketing messages often have a tinge of humor.
Example: “It’s rocket science meets brain surgery but easy-to-use!”
BTW: the examples of weak marketing messages are adapted from real marketing messages that people have sent me. The “brilliant” marketing messages came from my own imagination and were influenced by this great list of legendary tag-lines.