Brand Messaging: Legacy Portfolio

Service Messaging Platform for a B2B company with an exclusive, competitive offering

A B2B startup needed help explaining to potential customers the detailed, complex process behind a new, proprietary service and how it would deliver value compared to solutions offered by competitors.

The B2B startup challenged Zumwald & Company to:

Capture the problems, fears and concerns faced by three unique customer audiences with vastly different wants, needs and behaviors (installers, managers, owners)
Highlight the various risks faced by each of these three audiences
Recommend a name for the proprietary service
Design a logo for the service
Position the proprietary service as the best solution to the problems, fears, concerns and risks faced by these three audiences
Explain the detailed, complex process behind the service in just four simple steps
Outline the advantages of the service that appeal to each of these three audiences

The B2B startup then asked Zumwald & Company to convert the approved Service Messaging Platform into a storyboard of sorts featuring custom illustrations, strong headlines and subheads with minimal body copy.

View the piece here.

Company Messaging Platform for a professional services company with new offerings and a new culture

Rapid growth and change at this professional services company meant that telling the right story about "who we are, where we're going and why" had become much more challenging. The firm's CEO wanted a clear, concise and compelling brand messaging platform for the company that reflected the current truth about the organization today.

This brand messaging project required Zumwald & Company to conduct 90-minute, one-on-one interviews with 20 key employees (30 hours of interviews).

Key concepts were compiled in a 42-page Key Concepts Document and shared with the internal five-member Messaging Leadership Team.

Based on these key concepts, we created a preliminary, prefinal and final version of the Company Messaging Platform with these components:

Core purpose (legacy)
Core values (legacy)
Value drivers (five value drivers important to clients and potential clients; six value drivers important to employees and potential employees)
Positioning statement building blocks
Positioning statement (differentiation)
Positioning tagline (with bridge to core purpose)
External messages summary page
External messages (five key messages with supporting/secondary messages)
Internal messages summary page
Internal messages (six key messages with supporting/secondary messages)

Having the right words is not only helping the organization drive consistent messaging for marketing, sales, recruiting and onboarding but also empowering every employee and stakeholder to become a more confident ambassador for the organization.

“I think this is an amazing product that was produced from us sitting around a table and talking out loud.”

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING
Educational institution

Company Messaging Platform for a K-8 Catholic school

Zumwald & Company conducted 22 in-person interviews as the foundation for developing brand messaging and a follow-on brochure to help a K-8 Catholic school recruit new families and enroll new students.

The messaging platform was based on a 48-page Key Concepts Document, which ultimately led to these five messaging themes:

Inspired by Faith
One Loving Family
Great Expectations
Endless Opportunities
Momentum for Life

Each messaging theme was clearly defined by a strong core message plus three supporting messages with evidence and examples.

The five messaging themes were applied in the brochure's headlines:

Set the stage for the rest of your child's life:

Give your child an excellent education inspired by faith
Be part of one loving family
Join a community with great expectations
Offer your child endless opportunities
Create momentum for life

The brochure was used as a leave-behind piece for the annual open house and ongoing school tours.

The school also used the new messaging to develop a framework for a new website.

View the piece here.

"Thanks so much for leading us to a good result. It was a pleasure working with you on the messaging platform. I am very pleased with the overall product."

CHRIS MCATEE
St. Christopher School Marketing Committee

Service Messaging Platform for a strategic advising and business growth services firm

Zumwald & Company developed brand messaging to help a newly reorganized company educate, vet and select exclusive new business partners.

The confidential, proprietary platform included:

Seven value drivers
Positioning statement building blocks
Positioning tagline: long form and short form
Master message
Supporting messages (on ownership and roles; services [strategic advising and business growth]; and delivery of services

We also guided a professional graphic design firm to use the approved messaging platform to create a companion infographic illustrating every aspect of the messaging for use during face-to-face meetings with the chief executive.

Service Messaging Platform for an association

Zumwald & Company developed brand messaging – complete with several test marketing messages – to help an association differentiate itself in a confusing and crowded technical marketplace and motivate entrepreneurs to become members.

This platform included:

Target audience
Positioning statement building blocks
Positioning tagline
Brand promise
Elevator pitch
Core message
Supporting messages (based on current pain points, features, benefits and distinct competitive advantages)