Discover more from Start-Up PR 102 by Marek Unt
How to set up key messages for PR and marketing
Founders, CEOs, marketing or PR managers - here's a basic process to creating key messages for your company.
Why do you need key messages?
Founders don’t really need to be sold on requiring an ‘elevator pitch’. But it’s not just investors who appreciate a clear, concise message around what you’re offering — if anything, your customers deserve even more attention.
So your pitch deck and messaging strategy, although they should share important elements, are not necessarily the same thing.
Part 1 — Brainstorm
Gather a core team of 4–8 people in a room.
Go through an individual brainstorm where people put their ideas down first and then share in the group. Focus on questions about positioning —what would our customers do if we did not exist, how are we uniquely better that their current alternative, what value do we provide to them. Post the ideas on the wall.
You’ll begin to see common threads. Group ideas together based on similarity and closeness—if possible, give the group an overarching name. Aim for 6–8 groups, but no more than 10—the fewer, the better.
Have everyone vote on the one or two words/groups that are key to your product. You’ll end up with a ranking. That’s the end of your workshop for now.
Part 2 — Copywriting
“Copy is never written. Copy is assembled.” — Eugene Schwartz
Take the ideas that ranked at the top of the list. Form a sentence that describes who your company is for and what it does uniquely, with a maximum of three distinct values expressed in that sentence (this is where you’ll need copywriting skills). This becomes your main message.
Example: EcoFresh is an eco-friendly water bottle that keeps you hydrated on the go while protecting the planet.
For copywriting tips, check out Scott Adams’ legendary The Day You Became A Better Writer and Julian Shapiro’s Writing Well.
If you have target audiences that require a different focus or need specific aspects of your message in more detail, write 2–3 additional messages. These become your supporting messages.
Example: 1. EcoFresh is made from 100% recycled materials, helping to reduce plastic waste. 2. EcoFresh is designed for durability and ease, keeping your drinks cold for 24 hours and hot for 12 hours. 3. EcoFresh lets you stay hydrated to maintain energy, focus, and overall health throughout your day.
Together with proof points (data, evidence, arguments that back up your claims), they will form your message house.
Part 3 — Validation
Go back to the group for feedback, tweak if needed. At this stage, it’s best not to let any new ideas or words creep in. Re-prioritising ideas that should be expressed in the messages is okay. Ideally, it’s the result of a good group discussion.
Part 4–Go live
The final messages will serve as your message house. Use them to create either short or long-form copy, briefings, marketing messaging etc. Make it available to everyone in the company who needs it.
Example boilerplate: EcoFresh is a pioneering brand committed to creating sustainable and high-quality hydration solutions. Founded by environmental enthusiast Jane Doe in 2018, our flagship product, the EcoFresh Water Bottle, is crafted from 100% recycled materials, designed to minimize environmental impact while offering superior performance. With its advanced insulation technology, EcoFresh keeps beverages cold for up to 24 hours and hot for up to 12 hours, ensuring that you stay refreshed and hydrated throughout the day.
EcoFresh has attracted investments from leading venture capital firms such as GreenFuture Capital and EcoVentures.
Example tagline: EcoFresh: Hydrate Sustainably, Live Healthily
Don’t just make it available — sell it within your organisation. Use it for your spokespeople briefings. Use it as a starting point for marketing copy. Use it in your internal comms.
Part 5–Review
Your messages may change over time as your company evolves. Revise as needed or go through the process again.
Bonus tips
💡 Tip: The process needs a facilitator, someone with experience in running workshops. The facilitator is not part of the brainstorm, they steer the group and help move the process along.
💡 Tip: The copywriter that will be responsible for crafting the message should be at the workshop — the discussion can inform subtle nuances in the copy. The facilitator and the copywriter can be the same person (e.g. your head of PR or marketing).
💡 Tip: Ideally, the CEO or top spokesperson for the company should be part of the workshop, for their buy-in as well as first-hand experience in delivering the message.
⭐ Bonus: It’s a great alignment exercise for the team involved as you’ll be diving deep into what you all think the company really stands for.
Subscribe to Start-Up PR 102 by Marek Unt
For founders, CEOs, marketing or PR peeps wanting to do a better job in communicating their mission to the world.