In this Issue

🗂️    Simple Clarity
🙈    Please Don’t We We
📝    Write a Clear Pitch

🗂️  Simple Clarity

Simple Clarity is the foundation of your brand. It’s the ability to describe your value proposition and what makes your business unique in 10 words or less.

It’s so important that it is the first principle of my book, Sticky Branding, now available on Audible.

Think of it like a label on a file folder in your customers’ minds. It’s how they know and reference your business.

A label can’t provide a lot of information, but it has to be clear and descriptive to be effective. Too much or too little detail makes it hard to categorize, remember, and retrieve.

Your brand messaging works in the same way:

• Short: Ideally 10 words or less.
• Descriptive: Clear explanation.
• Memorable: Easy to find and easy to refer.

It sounds easy, but it’s not.

As you craft a Simple Clarity statement, avoid the temptation to add more words, metaphors, and abstract language. The goal is to be so clear and obvious that you can describe your brand and what makes it unique in 10 words or less.

🙈  Please Don’t We We

You see it all the time. Companies make bold claims:

“We are the oldest…”
“We are the greatest…”
“We have the best customer service…”
“We have the best prices…”

We… We… We…

But please! Please! Don’t we-we all over your customers. Nobody likes to be we’d on.

I’m making a joke, but it’s actually serious. Go look at your website and marketing collateral. What tense is the copy?

Does your marketing speak in “you” and “I,” or is it taking a “we”? If it’s taking a we, it’s time for an upgrade.

📊  One Stat to Watch

124.4

Bad Bunny may have outplayed the Patriots at the Super Bowl on Sunday, carrying the ball 124.4 yards during his halftime show. The Patriots rushed for 79 total yards in the actual game.

📝  Write a Clear Pitch

I have two go-to formulas to write a simple, clear description of your company and its services.

Template 1: You Are, You Do, You Serve

This is my go-to for most brand messaging. In three questions, describe your business and services:

• [Category] You are: What is your company’s industry or category?
• [Service] You do: What does your company do? More importantly, what does it do better than everyone else?
• [Market] You serve: Who does your company serve?

Simple Clarity distills you are, you do, you serve into a statement about your brand.

For example, Patriot Software is a prolific radio advertiser. In its ads, the brand repeatedly states, “Patriot Software is accounting and payroll software for companies with 1 to 100 employees.”

It’s not a particularly colorful or catchy statement, but it’s blunt. It’s a label in your mind. You know exactly what Patriot Software does and for whom. If you fit their target market, you will pay attention. If not, you can tune them out.

Template 2: Category + Passion

If your brand has a unique approach or is well differentiated, you can be even bolder.

Combine your category (what you do) with your passion (what makes your company unique).

Cardinal Couriers, for instance, has a unique value proposition: they deliver packages before 8am the next day.

Cardinal competes against giants like FedEx and UPS, but what they do better than everyone else is next day delivery. Their website and marketing collateral all proudly proclaim, “Pre 8am Package Delivery.”

If you break it up you can see the template: Courier + Pre 8am Package Delivery.

It’s simple. It’s bold. It’s easy to understand and share.

🤔  Thoughts on Today’s Issue?

We’d love to hear your feedback. Message with any thoughts, comments, or ideas for future issues.