The front lines of marketing are where are the fun happens.
Being able to engage and connect with our audiences on social media platforms and during events can be a wonderful time.
The less glamorous part of marketing, for many, is developing the core marketing pieces. Not only do many view building core marketing assets and collateral boring, but they skip doing so altogether, often in a hurry to get to the front lines.
But, having core marketing principles is what has carried many brands and businesses as we have weathered a global pandemic.
Having a core message means you were ready to speak up when it was time.
Pandemic aside, there have also been many social justice issues this year. But, whether it’s an illness crippling the world’s systems or injustice to a minority group, knowing who you are and what you believe is vital.
Your core message defines for your audience and your company culture what you believe and what you stand for. It gives direction to every decision of involvement or collaboration. It ensures you can find your real, authentic voice in the current matter. When change happens, as it has during a pandemic, marketing is made much easier when you are merely adapting your message to what’s happening.
Having your brand tone and voice saves time when things are changing quickly.
On the heels of knowing your brand’s core message is having developed your brand’s tone and voice. Knowing what you believe is one piece. How you communicate that (or anything) is just as important.
Often, brand tone and voice are what differentiates competitors within an industry. During this pandemic, we have seen brands having to be incredibly transparent and vulnerable with their audiences.
For some, that was entirely on-brand for the level of authenticity they always have in their brand tone and voice. For others, it seemed off and awkward for their audience. Defining your brand tone and voice will help you keep a consistent conversation style from your web copy to your Instagram posts.
Your brand’s core message, tone, and voice are seen in every aspect of your business, whether you are trying to show it or not. And a pandemic may have exposed weaknesses in those important core pieces for you. But, luckily, it’s never too late to take a moment and honestly determine who your brand is and how it communicates. Let all the many changes of 2020 guide you to the truth of who your brand truly is and create a style guide that you can share with your team and your audience in various ways.
