Comms and marketing folks know about messaging. It's par for the course, a staple, a hygiene factor. However, how many of us have had a meeting with sales leaders or other stakeholders in the business, when all of a sudden sales plays, SEO keywords and even product features suddenly become 'the message'? I think it's because sometimes we over-complicate the mission. But it doesn't have to be that way...
The RE:DI approach is a bit simpler to grasp and it taps into the things that sales folks in particular are already thinking about. RE:DI - or 'Relevant and Different' - is an approach to messaging that can help to capture all the necessary information while keeping the conversation in a place that business minded teams can contribute in a big way.
Relevant
We all know what the word means, but what do I mean in this context? It's a term that really focuses on audience. We want something that's relevant to our target groups, which starts with understanding who they are, and then what they need.
Who buys our products? Seems like a simple question, but too frequently the answers are general. Breaking the question down into industries can help. Perhaps a compliance officer in a bank uses your company's tech, but it's a supply chain professional in a retail organisation. Same tech, different people. So you'll need to start two columns on your message house!
Once you know who, then explore why. Why do they need what you have to offer. The answer always has to be to solve X. A potential customer without a problem is both rare and of little use. Who do we need to reach, and what are their burning problems. That's the beginning of the equation that should equal a relevant message.
Different
Now we're talking about the market...and it let's product developers/marketers talk to you about their product. How and why it's different from what everyone else does has to be the drill-down point though. "Our product is brilliant, it does 'Y'" - don't take that at face value as a responsible comms operative. If everyone else says the same thing, suddenly you're back to square one.
Notice I use the words "says the same thing" and not "does the same thing". Because this is going to guide how you develop a good message. If competitive products are just better, you need to draw on every ounce of your creative juices. But if they just say they're better, then your messages need to be overloaded with clarification and proof points that those competitors can't keep up with.
Punchy Messages
Creating a message that works for customers, media and influencers still requires your creative flair. However, the business needs to see their own input reflected in it as well. The best way to do this is design a process that makes them central, while you're still shaping the output.
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