Atomicdust

Article: Start with a Message

by Mike Spakowski

When we begin new relationships with clients, they are sometimes dismissive of their current marketing materials. If it’s their website, brochure, newsletter or whatever, they will quickly point out how bad they think it is. They’ll complain that their sales materials are difficult to understand and how sales people don’t know how to sell the product. They’ll explain how the product itself is so complex that marketing materials are covered in diagrams that look like cylindrical towers of energy or meat grinders, or worse yet, the same diagram competitors use in their sales materials.

Some clients are even apologetic about their marketing materials, or lack thereof. They think theirs is the only company in the industry that doesn’t have its marketing together, and that their organization is the only one where marketing is difficult. They even believe that their competition is more organized, has larger marketing budgets or has a ‘cooler’ image.

Most people feel this way because creating marketing that makes an impact can be a challenge. In larger companies, marketing pieces are passed from stakeholder to stakeholder, and ideas sometimes become either totally generic or filled with so many product features that they’re nearly impossible to digest. In smaller organizations, the CEO is looked at to provide the vision for the company. In these situations, this person is often so close to the business that having an objective view is difficult. Plus, ‘marketing’ tends to take a backseat to other business responsibilities.

So, how do organizations get their marketing on track? A great place to start is with a clear, central message.

A simple, easy to understand message brings focus to your company and makes it possible to communicate your purpose and why you’re different from the competition. It conveys who you are, what you do and why it will matter now and in the future. It roots marketing campaigns and sales promotions in deeper meaning. It can unify an organization and serve as a roadmap for a brand’s success. You need more that just a website, brochure, newsletter or whatever. You need a platform to grow on and a mantra to measure against.

It might take a lot of thinking to get there, but when your marketing is based on a clear, central message, you’ll focus your business and create better materials that will make an impact on your audience.

Mike Spakowski is Principal / Creative Director of Atomicdust and is involved with the day-to-day design strategy, art direction and studio management.