Say it, don't spray it.

Clarity trumps persuasion.
– Dr. Flint McGlaughlin, Director, MECLABS

I’ve never heard it put more simply, or eloquently (okay, clearly). Finding clarity—that is, understanding and then refining a message to its absolute guts and delivering it concisely and compellingly—is at the heart of what we do in marketing communications.

We’ve all had our brush with the seduction of persuasion, like an ad that convinces by over-promising. Problem is, this method of messaging often backfires in buyer’s remorse, wasted time, emotional letdown and the list goes on. A clear message delivered with impact, on the other hand, sets expectations and provides the payoff consumers want—and deserve.

Clean & Clear

The cool thing about using clarity as a guiding principle is that it translates to everything. It’s not just about words, or making what you write or say more clear. It shows up in design, atmosphere and the general tone around how we do business.

For example, at Rezonant, we consider it our job to deliver clarity in clean, unaffected design that removes the clutter and uses breathing room and a hierarchy of visual elements that evoke a particular emotion while still relaying a message in a calm, organized way. This should also be evident in how your business environment is staged and run. If you are clearly promising something through your marketing communications efforts, your business must also be prepared to live up to this expectation when customers are ready to act.

Still feeling a little cloudy about clarity? We understand. It’s intimidating and kind of paralyzing to have to focus that hard on a message—and even harder to commit to something. So here are a few places you can start to find clarity in how you market your message:

Go back to your brand. Go back to your brand identity and those core messages that you have identified as making your business singular at what it does. Don’t have one of those? Hire a team to help you create a meaningful brand foundation.

Say one thing at a time. When we are executing on our strategy at Rezonant—whether we are creating an identity, ad or an email campaign—we always remind companies about the importance of leading with one clear message. We get into trouble when we try to say too much or to be everything to every audience in one communication vehicle. When too many messages shout for attention, they all kind of drown each other out. None of them resonate.

Give a hoot; don’t dilute. With so many emerging marketing vehicles it can be tempting to dip a toe in all of them. The key to success is creating a cohesive strategy that lets you go deep in places that have worked in the past while still trying new avenues in a way that consistently support your brand. It doesn’t mean you can’t course correct along the way, but it’s smartest to commit to one strategy, empower it with the resources to be successful and give it adequate time and dedication to do its magic.

- JK