Get Nuanced or Get Lost
One-Size-Fits-All Messaging Is a Trap 🕳️
Read time: 4 mins
Why Are You Here?
Welcome to Cyborg Marketer, your weekly guide to brand growth mastery. This issue is the second part of our three-issue series on brand messaging. Ready to crack complex concepts with AI and unique ChatGPT prompts? Let’s dive in.
Growth Spotlight
That moment when a brand just gets you—that's Huel for you. I've watched them evolve from a simple meal replacement shake to a lifestyle choice.
But what sets them apart isn't just the product—it's how they talk about it.
Sarah Levinger, a consumer psychology expert, dissected Huel’s strategy in her newsletter, The Best Brands Do This (totally worth the subscribe, btw), and after reading it, I wanted to dive deeper into the concept.
Huel has mastered the art of diversifying their emotional messaging within the 'Nurturance' framework. They have a message that resonates with different customer personas:
"Fuel your future": Targets performance-focused customers.
"All the nutrients you need": Appeals to health-focused customers.
"Trying to eat healthier this year?": Caters to the weight loss crowd.
As you can see, it's not just about hitting the right emotional notes.
It's about playing the entire emotional scale.
The Need for Nuance in a High-Stakes Game
Let's get real for a moment. The digital marketing landscape isn't just competitive; it's a pressure cooker.
You're constantly expected to hit the bullseye with every campaign, every message. Miss the mark, and it's not just a wasted opportunity; it's a blow to your confidence (sound familiar?).
That's why we're not just talking about diversifying messages for the sake of it. This isn't a marketing elective; it's a core subject in the curriculum of brand survival.
In a post-iOS14 world, where creative is the new targeting, your messaging can't afford to be a one-size-fits-all affair.
Why? Because when you tailor your message to different personas within the same emotional motivator, you're not just casting a wider net—you're casting a smarter one.
It's like having a Swiss Army knife in a toolbox; you're prepared for every scenario. And in a world where every message counts, this isn't just smart—it's your lifeline.
Here’s the walkthrough on message diversification:
Step-by-Step: Crafting Diverse Messages
Persona Identification: Dive into your customer data. Unearth patterns and behaviors that can be clustered into distinct personas, each resonating with a specific emotional motivator.
Message Mapping: Identify the triggers and pain points that make them tick. Craft messages that don't just speak but sing to these unique facets.
A/B Testing: Run A/B tests across different channels to measure the magnetic pull of each message.
Iterate and Refine: Adjust the language, tweak the call-to-action, and perhaps give a little facelift to the visuals.
Now let’s get ChatGPT on board for Steps 1 and 2.
ChatGPT Brainstorm
Before we begin, let’s break the prompt down:
ChatGPT becomes your marketing strategist and consumer psychologist. The role is designed to go beyond surface-level suggestions, diving deep into the psychology of emotional branding.
We want the output to be emotionally charged, brand-aligned and actionable.
There are constraints that guide the creative process to dig deeper into the emotional motivator, ensuring that each persona is not just a variation of the same theme but a distinct expression of the concept.
Let’s throw in some data and see what happens:
ASSISTANT= Act as a seasoned marketing strategist and consumer psychologist, specialized in emotional branding and messaging. Your expertise lies in crafting emotionally resonant messages that captivate diverse customer personas. You understand the nuances of language and its impact on consumer behavior, making your suggestions actionable and effective for e-commerce brand owners and marketers.
CORE EMOTIONAL MOTIVATORS=
1. **Achievement:** Striving for success and celebrating accomplishments.
2. **Autonomy:** Valuing freedom, individual expression, and personal choices.
3. **Belonging:** Desiring deep connections and lasting relationships.
4. **Competence:** Striving for growth, proficiency, and achievement.
5. **Empowerment:** Feeling capable and in control.
6. **Engagement:** Craving pleasure, excitement, and full presence in moments.
7. **Esteem:** Seeking recognition, distinction, and confidence.
8. **Nurturance:** Desiring compassion, support, and appreciation.
9. **Security:** Striving for security and relief from worry.
CONTEXT= In a post-iOS14 landscape where creative is the new targeting, it's essential for brands to not only nail their messaging but also the language within the messaging. The aim is to discover ways to diversify brand messaging to more effectively capture the attention of the target audience, thereby widening creative targeting.
BRAND OVERVIEW= [Briefly describe your brand, your Unique Selling Proposition (USP), and the kinds of products you sell.]
BRAND MESSAGING= [Insert your current brand messaging here for reference.]
BRAND VOICE= [Define the tone, style, and language that encapsulate your brand voice here. For example, "Our brand voice is luxurious, indulgent, and culinary-focused."]
AUDIENCE= [Define your target audience here.]
TASK= Based on the concept of [Emotional Motivator], can you suggest different ways I can diversify my emotional messaging to appeal to different customer personas within my defined audience? Use my current brand messaging as a reference to provide actionable suggestions.
CONSTRAINTS=
- Focus solely on the concept provided in TASK.
- Each customer persona should represent a unique facet or interpretation of the concept.
- Avoid overlapping characteristics among the personas; each should have a distinct way of expressing or experiencing the concept.
- The messaging for each persona should clearly reflect this unique aspect, making it immediately obvious why this message would appeal specifically to that persona.
FORMAT= Organize your suggestions in markdown with headers for each emotional motivator, followed by its sample message and targeting idea. Use bullet points for key takeaways and bold words for emphasis. Return only the suggestions. Exclude pre-text and post-text.
You're amazing! You got this!
Here’s the dummy brand I used for this experiment:
And here’s the output:
I like it. Every customer persona here is a unique snowflake. The messages aren't just generic nurturance riffs; they tap into the persona's unique values and interests.
GourmetPaws can read this and walk away with clear ideas on how to implement these messages to attract specific customer personas within their audience.
And if you use this prompt for your own brand, so will you.
The Bottom Line
Diversifying emotional messaging isn't just a savvy move—it's your lifeline in a high-stakes market.
In an era where every message counts, you can't afford to miss the mark. The pressure's on, but here's your relief: a strategy that doesn't just resonate but resonates widely and deeply.
But heed this:
Diversification isn't a gamble; it's a calculated play.
Your messaging must be as multifaceted as the personas you aim to captivate. With this approach, you won’t just weather the high-stakes pressure—you'll thrive in it.
Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It
Dig deep into the emotional nuances that make your messaging resonate. Identify the core emotional motivators that resonate with your audience.
Craft distinct messages for each customer persona within a single motivator. Test, measure, and refine until you hit the sweet spot.
Do this, and you're not just amplifying your brand's voice; you're orchestrating a symphony that can captivate a broader, yet more targeted, audience.
So, are you ready to turn your brand messaging from a one-note wonder into a full-blown orchestra?
PS: We'll be crafting the messaging for the last issue in this three-part series. See you next week!
— Gold
