B2B PRODUCT MESSAGING:IN 60 SECONDS OR LESS:‘WHAT DOES YOUR PRODUCT DO,

AND WHY SHOULD I CARE?’

THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013 6:15 P.M.

Sadhana JolietDirector of MarketingEarthLink Business

Davida DinermanDirector

Schwartz MSL Boston

WHAT EXACTLY IS A MESSAGE ANYWAY?

Articulates:

Who you are

What you do

For whom

What the benefits are

Why it’s unique

Includes:• Tagline (optional)• Top line (1-2 sentences)• Paragraphs on:

- Problem solved- How you solve it- Top 3-4 business benefits- Top 3-4 features

Typically summarized in a 1-2 page internal-use only document

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MESSAGE MUST-HAVES

The EXACT WORDS you want to use• Complete sentences - not bullet points!

Translates well into multiple formats• Verbal & written (e.g. presentation, Web, press releases)

Usable by anyone representing company/product

• Executives, BOD, product/engineering, sales, PR

Appropriate for all key audiences• Executives, investors, customers, analysts, media, mom

Evolves over time

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WHY DO YOU NEED A GOOD MESSAGE?

Question: What do your investors, customers, BOD, senior executives, employees and media and analysts have in common?

a. They are important to your business.b. They are very busy.c. They have many priorities.d. You are probably not their #1 priority.e. All of the above.

Your message helps your audiences to *quickly* understand and remember what your product is

and why they should care.

Answer: e. All of the above

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GOOD VERSUS BAD MESSAGING

“[PRODUCT ABC] is a converged system that combines standard physical data center resources, such as servers, switching, operating systems and network interfaces, with sophisticated management and control software.”

Before

• Why would I buy this? • What are the benefits?

• And what exactly is a “converged system”?

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GOOD VERSUS BAD MESSAGING

“[PRODUCT ABC] is a unified computing system that drives down the time and cost of managing IT infrastructure by enabling servers, networking, and storage to be controlled through a single software interface.”

After

• States what it is in common terms• Describes what the benefits are, and for

whom• Explains how it delivers those benefits

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GOOD VERSUS BAD MESSAGING

“[PRODUCT XYZ] provides a standardized assessment tool to measure Nonnutritive Suck (NNS) performance in premature infants.

NNS is an essential neurological building block in an infant’s coordination of sucking, swallowing and breathing - a capability required for independent oral feeding. Our system also provides a clinically proven ororhythmic stimulation therapy to reinforce NNS. Ororhythmic stimulation has been demonstrated to accelerate and achieve full oral feeding 7 days sooner (1). Once healthy premature infants have achieved the ability to feed independently, they can be discharged from the neonatal ICU and sent home.”

Before

What does this product do, and why should I care…in plain English?

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GOOD VERSUS BAD MESSAGING

“[PRODUCT XYZ] is an FDA listed device that promotes early development of essential feeding skills in premature infants.

The easy-to-use cribside system includes a pulsating pacifier that trains infants on the proper way to suck, building an important skill linked to faster transitions to oral feeding, more rapid weight gain and shorter hospital stays.”

After

• Is understandable • States what it is in common terms• Describes what the benefits are; for whom is

implied• Explains how it delivers those benefits

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Q: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO CREATE A GOOD MESSAGE?

A: About 40 hours over a 4 week period

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WHY IT TAKES SO LONG

Message development requires:

1) Research to answer some big questions:• What is the product?• Who is the primary target/user?• What are the benefits to that target user?• How does it deliver those benefits? • How is it unique from competitive offerings?

2) Synthesis of research into key messages

3) Buy-in from key parties

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CustomerWho is the primary target?Who are the secondary targets?Why/how do they use your product?

CompetitionHow do they position themselves?• Product name• Target customer• Top line positioning statement• Top 3 features/benefits

MarketWhat industry challenges do you solve?What terminology is used? By customers, analysts/media, search?

ProductWhat are the top 3 benefits?How do you deliver them?What are the top 3 features? Why are they unique and important?

RESEARCH – ESSENTIAL TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK

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SYNTHESIS – WRITING YOUR MESSAGESpend 50% of your time and effort on the top line, in the format:

[Company] is a provider of [category] that provides [benefits] to [target] by [unique approach]

Then develop the detail paragraphs for:

• Problem solved• How you solve it• Top 3-4 business benefits• Top 3-4 features

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STEPS TO GETTING BUY-IN

Step 1: Identify stakeholders that will deliver or receive the message (sales, executives, customers, analysts, media)

Step 2: Interview them early in the process, during research

Step 3: Get buy-in on the primary target and product category/terminology

Step 4: Get feedback on initial draft messaging

Step 5: Get approval on final messagingNote: It’s far more efficient to get consensus through individual discussions versus big group sessions.

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WHY SHOULD I CARE?

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DRINKING THE KOOL-AID

Good messaging is only as good as what you do with it.

It isn’t meant to be kept in a folder in a drawer.

Use it internally and externally.

It is the basis for excellent media and analyst relations.

Media relations ensures the messaging is truthful, relevant and sticky.

 

DRINKING THE KOOL-AID

Internally

• Employees • Board of Directors• HR/recruiting• These people are important

because they will be your spokespeople.

ANYONE OUT THERE?

Externally:• Partners• Prospects• Shareholders/investors • Customers• Advertising

These people will be receiving the message. They can tell you if it is resonating or not. Get the message out through strategic communications

• Media relations – both professional and social media • Analyst relations

TEST THE MESSAGE

Live with it for two weeks before going into production

Run it by the BOD, analysts and customers to validate

Pitch to reporters. They are great benchmarks too, since they want pithy, exciting and relevant stories.

Develop media training to help get the kinks out• Develop the Q&A with media training• If you’re taping, a transcription will get you very, very far• Lot of work, but you will use it for the life of the account

TEST THE MESSAGE

You know the message is solid when..• People stop asking the basic questions about what the

product is, what it does, differentiators and if it is right for them.

• You can move to higher level discussions about the applications and benefits to their business.  

• It becomes easy to develop marketing materials, presentations, website content, media pitches, press releases, sales materials.

• It speaks to a clear market need and can be easily adapted to different audiences and communication channels.

SPREAD THE WORD THROUGH STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONSTrain the people who will be speaking with target audiences

for:• Major product/service launch• Acquisition• Partnership• Investor relations• Industry analyst relations• Create a good set of tools to use.• All of this is wrapped around strategic communications.

SPREAD THE WORD THROUGH STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

An aside on strategic communications.

Do you need an outside firm to:• Support the marketing director of VP, who doesn’t have the time or

expertise to handle the public relations function• Provide extra manpower to execute specific campaigns or long-term

company programs• Know what will resonate with the media and can help execute on the

messaging• Serve as an objective third-party

Because you are busy enough as it is.

SPREAD THE WORD THROUGH STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS THE STORYSHEET

SPREAD THE WORD

SPREAD THE WORD THROUGH STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

Key terms

Hot trends

Web site content

SEO

Press releases

Speaking submissions

Customer-facing .ppts

Award submissions

Product reviews

Interview briefing materials

This segues into the world of…

SOCIAL MEDIA

Key considerations: • Do not activate a social media channel just because it’s there • Do not use a social media tactic just because it is there • Social media tactics are not effective without a steady

stream of optimized content

Messaging enhances the content.

SOCIAL MEDIA

SOCIAL MEDIA

You are not going to regurgitate messaging onto Twitter, but the messaging will help guide you to what you should be posting.

 

One simple example is posting a press release to Twitter. The release included messaging and key word links.

 

You can also post links to a company blog, which could include some aspect of company messaging.

 

Post articles on Twitter, Facebook LinkedIn, for which a company spokesperson talked with a reporter… and might have used company messaging.

SPREAD THE WORD THROUGH STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

Article title: harmon.ie aims to close the mobile gap in Office 365

Tweet: harmon.ie 4.0 Means (Mobile) Business for Office 365 - CMSWire - CMSWire bit.ly/15LjHkQ | News

Tag: harmon.ie, the user experience company for the mobile enterprise,

Press release header: harmon.ie brings Office 365 to the Mobile Enterprise

SPREAD THE WORD THROUGH STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

Tag: PatientPoint®, the leader and innovator in care coordination solutions that drive engagement with patients and providers

Press release headline: Leading Medical Homes, ACOs and Integrated Delivery Systems Select PatientPoint® Care Coordination

Platform for Population Health Management

Articles: 3 Simple Ways Hospitals Can Engage Patients in Their Care

Accountable Health Care: Shifting the Focus to Prevention

A WORD ON MEASUREMENT

Messaging>PR• Reporters understand material in a press release or pitch & want to

write about it. • Spokespeople nail interviews. • You see a spike in website traffic.• Speaking presentations are accepted.• You win awards.• You see increased activity on Twitter, Facebook and other social media

channels• Share of Voice increases.• Prospects recognize your name.

• The ultimate goal is to make the phones ring.