7 Steps to Craft a Core Brand Message That Resonates

Many of our clients come to us with the same challenge: “We know we offer something valuable, but we struggle to explain it in a way that sets us apart from our competition." Sound familiar? When you’re busy running a business, it can be tough to invest the time to capture the heart of what you do in a way that grabs attention and builds trust. 

Here’s the truth—your brand message is the foundation of your marketing strategy. It’s the story you tell about who you are, what you do, and why your audience should care. And if it’s not clear, consistent, and compelling, it will leave your audience feeling confused instead of connected, and give your competition a leg up. 

This guide will walk you through actionable steps, along with examples to help you craft a message that resonates and positions your brand for success.

Why Your Core Brand Message Matters

Your brand message is the promise you make to your customers—it’s the story you tell about your mission, values, and vision. It defines how you position yourself and what sets you apart.

A well-crafted brand message:

• Builds trust and credibility with your audience.

• Differentiates you from competitors.

• Inspires action and loyalty.

• Attracts only your ideal customers.

  
  

Without a clear brand message, your marketing efforts may feel disjointed, leading to confusion instead of connection, and lost revenue.

Define Your Brand Message in 7 Steps

Let’s dive into the key steps to craft a core brand message that resonates.

STEP 1: Identify Your “Why”

Every memorable brand message starts with a powerful “why.” This is your brand’s purpose—the deeper reason behind your business beyond making a profit. 

To uncover your “why,” ask yourself:

• What inspired you to start your business? 

• What impact do you want to make? How do you challenge the status quo in your market?

• How does your work improve life for your clients?

STEP 2: Know Your Audience Inside and Out

Your brand message isn’t just about your business—it’s about how your audience relates to what you offer. To create a message that resonates, you need to understand everything you can about your ideal clients’ goals, pain points, and motivators.

How to Get to Know Your Audience:

• Use AI: AI is your friend when it comes to market research. Prompt AI to use the Empathy Mapping Process to help you understand each segment of your target audience.

• Surveys and Interviews: Ask your best clients about their challenges and what they value most about working with you.

• Review Mining: Look at online reviews to see what language clients use when praising or critiquing your services. Identify themes among the reviews to guide your brand message.

• Create Ideal Client Personas: Build profiles, or personas, that include demographic information, identifying behaviors, emotional drivers, and problems they are trying to solve to reference when creating content, especially your core brand message.

STEP 3: Clarify Your Brand Personality

Your brand personality shapes the tone and style of your brand message. It humanizes your message and builds an emotional connection with your audience. 

We use Carol S. Pearson’s 12 Brand Archetypes System to create authentic brand personalities. Here’s how you can use archetypes to identify your brand personality:

1. Review all archetypes: Armed with the information you collected in steps 1 & 2, review each brand archetype as it relates to your brand. Note the top 2-3 that are authentic to you, your audience, and your industry. If you only find one, that’s totally fine.

2. Identify primary archetype: Ask yourself, “which archetype aligns most closely with your core values and overall personality?” If you only found one, this is it!

3. Identify secondary archetype: Optionally, if you have more than one archetype, identify the second archetype that is most aligned with your core values and overall personality. The third, if you have one, is a supporting archetype. 

STEP 4: Define Your Unique Value Proposition

Your value proposition answers the question: “Why should I choose you over someone else?”

To define your value proposition:

• Identify the primary problem your service solves.

• Highlight the specific outcomes you deliver.

• Emphasize what makes your approach unique.

For example, for a legal firm,  instead of simply saying "We offer legal services," a stronger value proposition would be:

This message identifies the client’s pain point (uncertainty) and the solution (empowerment through expert counsel).

STEP 5: Craft a Clear and Compelling Message Framework

Once you’ve established your purpose, value, audience, and personality, it’s time to bring it all together into a cohesive message framework.

Framework Formula:

1. Who you serve: Your ideal client.

2. What problem you solve: Their biggest challenge, aka pain point.

3. What you offer: Your solution.

4. The transformation: The outcome your clients can expect.

Framework Statement: We help [ideal client] who [problem] by [service/solution] so they can [transformation].

Example:

Sustainable Design Firm: "We help eco-conscious homeowners [who you serve] create beautiful, energy-efficient spaces [problem/offer] that reduce environmental impact and reflect their personal style[transformation]."

This framework creates clarity and highlights the transformation your clients can expect.  

STEP 6: Align Your Message with Your Brand Story

People remember stories more than facts. A brand story weaves your message and personality  into a narrative that evokes emotion and highlights transformation.

Elements of a Strong Brand Story:

• The Beginning: Describe the problem that needed solving.

• The Solution: Explain how your business stepped in to solve it.

• The Transformation: Share the positive results your clients experienced.

Example brand story for an Architecture Firm:"When the Johnson family came to us, they were struggling to balance their dream design with eco-conscious goals. We listened to their concerns, created a sustainable blueprint that exceeded their expectations, and today, they’re living in a net-zero home that inspires their community."

STEP 7: Test and Refine Your Message

Your brand message isn’t set in stone—it should evolve as your business grows and your audience’s needs shift. As your marketing ecosystem grows, build in systems to run A/B tests in email campaigns or ads, and gather client feedback. Track engagement metrics like clicks, comments, and conversions.

By continually refining, you keep your brand message relevant and impactful.

The Power of an Authentic Brand Message

Crafting a core brand message that resonates requires clarity, intention, and a deep understanding of your audience. The time you invest to develop your brand message and personality will turn your marketing into your secret weapon. In fact, when implemented consistently across all marketing channels, you can expect to grow your business, up to 23%.

With growth potential like that, what have you got to lose?