Message Map
A better way to communicate
A Critical Part of Leadership
• A leader establishes themselves through
concise communication
• A leader is able to succinctly and
articulately tell their personal story in an
engaging way
• A leader needs a personal message map!
• Message Mapping simplifies large volumes of complex
information into a concise story that helps guide a host
story telling
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Media interviews
Advertising
In-store POP materials
Sales presentations
Speeches
Digital & social channels
• Through Message Mapping, we extract the most
compelling messages and positive points about your brand
or your campaign
– Organize them in a diagram to show how each message fits into the larger context
of your strategy
– Focus on consistent messages across the entire organization
Why?
Why?
• It’s important to convert marketing language and strategy
into language that can grab consumer attention and
inspire conversation and story-sharing about the brand
through PR and social media channels
• It’s critical to achieve consensus among internal parties on
the story
It Helps You Break Through
• Simple
• Organized
• Flexible: update it when you need to
Because you must tell a compelling story, quickly,
to break through to consumers and other audiences
Message Map Model
The Landscape
Expresses the
marketplace need
The Pay-off
Your chance to strut
your stuff a bit, cite
your credentials
Proof Points:
1.____________
2.____________
3.____________
Home Base
Message
Proof Points:
1.____________
2.____________
3.____________
State your goal or mission
Should be ownable and
provocative
Your Response
What you’re doing
Get into more detail
about it – the
features, the
innovative attributes
How are you doing it?
Describe the product
or service
Proof Points:
1.____________
2.____________
3.____________
Proof Points:
1.____________
2.____________
3.____________
Proof Points:
1.____________
2.____________
3.____________
Keys to Success
• Avoid
marketing jargon
• Avoid “brand speak”
• Know and keep in mind
your audience
• Message Map should be able to be
used as an “elevator speech” or for a
media interview or to guide content of
advertising or other marketing tools
Message Mapping – How do we do it?
• Facilitated group conversation
• Primary audience filter
– 3rd parties
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Build simple, compelling messages
White board supports the process
Don’t give up!
Leave if you must; be present while in the room
Retail Store Message Map
X brand health and
wellness products and
the pharmacists who
back them are proof of
the company’s
commitment to help
people live happy,
healthy lives.
* Since 1801, X store has
been helping keep people
well
PHARMACISTS
Everyday people rely
on the expertise of X
brand pharmacists to
help manage their
health
• 25,000 certified
immunizing pharmacists
•7,600 stores; a store
within 3 miles of 63% of
the U.S. population
• Pharmacist Live Chat
• RX Interactions counsel
Today’s consumers
are concerned and
confused about how
to get the most for
their limited
healthcare dollars
• Product recalls have seeded doubt and concern about many
name brand products
• Overwhelming explosion of online information (millions of
health Web sites; 82% of Americans w/ Internet access in ‘08
(61% of all adults) had searched for health information online)
• Consumers want more control over their health & their
healthcare choices
X brand health and
wellness products are
pharmacist-recommended
to help people and
communities live well, stay
well and get well for less
X Store is tapping its 110
years of expertise to
educate consumers ,
support community
wellness and be a more
active partner in helping
people stay well.
PRODUCTS
X Store is more closely
aligning its brand of
health and wellness
products with its mission
to be a retail health and
daily living store
• Over time, the X brand will be
PHILANTHROPY
X brand health and wellness
products will bring free
preventive health services to
communities thru the X brand
Community FundTM
• In 2011, 1¢ from the purchase of every X brand health & wellness
product, up to $3 million annually, will support preventive wellness
services in communities through the X brand Community Fund .
•The Fund will offer free preventive health tests, services and
education via the Wellness Tour Bus and vouchers redeemable in
stores
•X is the only brand to support local health & wellness initiatives at
this level
solely focused on health and
wellness products
•X store has a wide variety of
products to meet all your daily needs
(pain, allergy, digestive, baby care,
sun care, dental, etc.)
• Compare active ingredients as other
leading brands
• Pharmacist recommended
(pharmacists surveyed cite quality
and price as basis for
recommendation
• 100% satisfaction guarantee
• On average, X brand costs
20-30% less than other national
brands for the same quality
The Landscape
My Message Map
Today’s consumers
are hit with more than
5,000 commercial
messages a day, plus
hundreds of social
media messages.
What Else?
I complement my
professional passion
with other interests
and activities to bring
rounded thinking to
every situation
Playing music,
practicing yoga,
blogging, cooking,
entertaining
How?
I seek creative
inspiration
everywhere
Study the
competition, the
consumer and the
marketplace
Technology has led to
increased consumer
expectations and
demands.
Home Base Message
I’m a communications
professional who thrives
on helping clients break
through today’s cluttered
marketplace with bold
stories told in engaging
ways.
Consuming media,
brainstorming, traveling,
vacationing, listening to
music, cooking,
shopping, gardening,
talking to neighbors
Your Response
I tap my years of
experience and mine
multiple sources for
creative strategies and
tactics that command
attention
How?
From silly to
scientific
I use a planning
process aimed at
getting buy-in and
scoring quick wins
early and measurable,
meaningful results
later
Tap experts,
internal &
Capitalize on
external
proven, best
practices
Now you try it!
First steps
• Identify your strengths (and weaknesses)
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Define what your bring to the market place
Make it ownable
Make it interesting
Make someone want to know more
Consider the landscape
• What about the
marketplace sets up your
own unique offering?
• Competitive
environment?
• Changing communication
landscape?
• Lack of creativity?
And in response to that, you…
• Do or bring what?
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Insight
Skills
Experience
Interest or enthusiasm or desire
• How do you do it or bring it?
One Last Thing…
• If someone were to ask you: what else
should I know?
– What’s that last statement that makes you
unique?
• Outside interests?
• Multi-lingual?
• Educational creds?
• Future goal?
Questions?
THANKS FOR
PARTICIPATING 