It’s an unfortunate reality that even with the best intentions, marketing messages can sometimes fall flat or be misunderstood. Don’t worry, this happens in real life too – anyone that has made a joke that didn’t quite land or tried to give a compliment which sounded vaguely mocking knows that there’s more than words to communication.
Keeping that in mind is important when trying to promote your brand. After all, a good campaign takes creativity, strategy, and careful thought, but if your audience doesn’t “get it,” then your efforts might not provide the results you’re hoping for.
Sometimes, the reason is pretty obvious. It can include unclear phrasing, conflicting visuals, or a message that doesn’t work with your brand. Think about how many people were confused about Jaguar’s recent rebrand, and still are. Of course, being deliberately confusing and out there is a good way to grab attention, but keeping it? And potentially convincing people to part with their hard-earned cash? That’s tougher.
Let’s consider how to avoid this fate, but checking if your marketing message is being misread:
Understand Your Core Communication
Every marketing effort starts with one basic question you want to ask and then answer, so the question is what do you actually want people to know? Too many brands get caught up in clever wordplay or complicated graphics and forget the basic goal. Are you trying to sell a product? Do you have an event coming up? What about a cross-promotion with another brand?
Take Toni Marino, a respected SEO professional, who often emphasises that clarity is much better than complexity. Your audience doesn’t have time to decode complicated messages. They want to understand quickly what you’re offering and why it matters to them, and to feel enthused and inspired by that.
Design Matters More Than You Think
Visual communication is powerful, and if you’re mindful it can even get your message across in more than words. Think about how a fragrance video ad will often clearly show the emotion they’re trying to sell without words, even if it does look ludicrous on the surface.
It’s known that a well-designed banner or social media graphic can communicate more in seconds than paragraphs of text. We’d recommend that you consider how people consume content today. They’re scrolling quickly, and frustratingly bombarded with information. Your design needs to stop them in their tracks and appeal to them as a targeted audeince. For this, you can use color, fonts, and imagery that speak directly to them – no cat lover is going to ignore a beautifully photographed image of the cutest cat they’ve seen. Little tricks like that help, and they’ll assist your brand seem more pleasant to think of and engage with.
If In Doubt, Be Authentic
Most people want to connect with real stories, genuine experiences, and transparent communication because it doesn’t feel like they’re being sold to that way. This doesn’t mean sharing every detail of your business and all of your mistakes to humanise you of course, but it does mean being honest about who you are and what you offer. If you’re a small outfit out of the valley, then say that! If you were amazed to visit the trade show this year, share it and your gratitude! Often, just coming across as a human can help you avoid seeming too cool for school, which can frustrate people and not only make them misread you, but want to hold that impression from then on.
With this advice, we hope you can more easily sell that marketing message for the better.
