Verbal Identity

COMMUNICATION & MESSAGING

Your verbal identity is the baseline for all brand communications, internally and externally. These verbal elements are crucial components of a comprehensive and complete brand. Creating a thoughtful verbal identity will set you up for success by speaking to your ideal audiences and creating a culture that not only attracts but retains talent.

Internal Communications

True transformation starts from within. Internal elements of your verbal identity are the foundation of your brand. Specifically, internal communications impact your company culture, drive the direction of your organization, and cast a vision for the future. Effective communication will result in a more engaged and collaborative workforce, improved productivity, job satisfaction, and overall performance. Thoughtful internal communication sets the stage for strategic external messaging.

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Your Mission

A mission statement is crucial in defining an organization's identity, guiding its decisions and actions, and communicating its objectives to stakeholders. A well-crafted mission statement can inspire and motivate employees, help align the organization's efforts toward a common goal, and distinguish the organization from its competitors. Overall, a mission statement provides a clear and concise framework for an organization's purpose and direction, making it an essential tool for any business or non-profit organization.

Your Vision

A vision statement provides a clear and inspiring picture of what the organization wants to achieve in the future and sets the direction for its growth and development. A well-crafted vision statement can motivate employees, align their efforts toward a common goal, and guide decision-making. It also helps to establish the organization's identity and differentiate it from competitors, attracting customers, investors, and other stakeholders with the same values and aspirations.

Brand Values

Your company values will identify and define what the organization stands for and how it operates, shaping its relationships with employees, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders. Establishing clear company values can help create a shared sense of purpose and direction, build trust and loyalty, and foster a positive and productive work environment. It can also serve as a benchmark for decision-making, helping leaders to evaluate the organization's performance and alignment with its core values.

Audience Personas

Audience personas provide a detailed target profile, including demographics, triggers, barriers, needs, and behaviors. Having well-defined audience personas can help businesses understand their customers better, tailor their marketing messages and sales strategies, and create products and services that meet their needs and preferences. Businesses can improve customer engagement and increase conversion rates by understanding their customers' motivations, challenges, and decision-making processes.

internal brand communication graphic

EXTERNAL MESSAGING

Shout it from the mountain tops! The external messaging elements of your verbal identity are critical when creating an authentically focused and truly aligned brand. External messaging is the core of “what to say and to whom.” This drives all your communication efforts, maintains clarity, promotes professionalism, and generates engagement for your brand. Strategic, thoughtful, and consistent brands build trust among your audiences and establish differentiation from your competition.

Brand Voice

Brand voice refers to the personality, tone, and style a company uses to communicate with customers and stakeholders. It is a critical element of brand identity that helps businesses build trust, establish authority, and create emotional connections with their target audience. A consistent and authentic brand voice can help businesses differentiate themselves from competitors, improve brand recognition and recall, and build a loyal customer base.

Brand Positioning

Brand positioning is the process of defining a brand's unique value proposition and its place in the market relative to competitors. It involves identifying the brand's target audience, their needs and preferences, and the key attributes that differentiate the brand from its competitors. Developing a strong brand positioning can help businesses stand out in a crowded market, attract new customers, and build a loyal customer base.

Brand Promise

Brand promise refers to the commitments and expectations that a brand makes to its customers. It reflects the brand's core values, mission, and unique selling proposition, and sets the expectations for the customer experience. A well-defined brand promise can help businesses establish a strong and positive reputation, build trust and loyalty with customers, and differentiate themselves from competitors.

Key Messages

Key messaging points are the main ideas or themes that a brand or organization wants to communicate to its target audience. They are the foundation of the brand's communication strategy and help ensure consistency and clarity in all messaging and communications. Well-crafted messaging points can help businesses articulate their unique value proposition, differentiate themselves from competitors, and build trust and loyalty with customers.

Brand Pitch

A brand pitch is a concise and persuasive summary of a brand's unique value proposition, key messaging points, and differentiators. It is a powerful tool for communicating the brand's story and benefits to potential customers, investors, or partners. A well-crafted brand pitch can help businesses grab attention, generate interest, and create a memorable first impression. This is also sometimes referred to as an elevator pitch—how you would explain what you do in the short time you spend with someone in an elevator.

Brand Tagline

A tagline is a short and memorable phrase that encapsulates a brand's entire messaging strategy. It is a powerful tool for creating brand awareness, building brand equity, and reinforcing brand identity. A well-crafted tagline can help businesses differentiate themselves from competitors, communicate their unique strengths and benefits, and create a positive and memorable brand experience. It can also help businesses establish an emotional connection with their audience, evoke positive feelings, and build brand loyalty.