If your team struggles to clearly explain what your company does—and why it matters—you’re not alone. Even strong brands lose momentum when their messaging becomes unclear or disconnected from what customers actually value.
A clear marketing messaging strategy changes that. It aligns how your brand speaks with what your audience truly needs. Done right, it drives relevance, revenue, and reputation—all at once.
In this guide, we’ll walk through what a messaging strategy is, why it matters, and how to build one that scales. We'll also show real-world examples and common pitfalls to avoid. Whether you're clarifying your brand messaging, dialing in product messaging, or finding message-market fit, this post will give you a clear roadmap.
What Is a Marketing Messaging Strategy?
A marketing messaging strategy defines how your brand communicates value to your customers. It’s about what you say, and also about what they hear, feel, and remember.
At Backstory, we explain it this way: a messaging strategy is a structured system of benefit-driven statements tailored to your brand, your offerings, and your audience. It helps you say the right thing to the right people at the right time—every time.
When done well, messaging becomes a multiplier. It improves sales performance, marketing ROI, product adoption, and even internal alignment. When done poorly, it creates confusion, dilutes your positioning, and stalls growth.
In short, your messaging strategy is how your brand speaks—and it should never sound like everyone else’s.
Why Your Brand Can’t Afford to Wing It
Too many companies confuse activity with clarity. They pump out content, campaigns, and collateral, but struggle to articulate their value in a way that sticks.
That’s because they lack a unifying messaging strategy. Without it, every team tells a slightly different story. Products say one thing. Sales says another. Marketing tries to keep up. The result? A fractured narrative and a diluted brand.
This kind of fragmentation makes it harder for your team to close deals, justify pricing, or build trust.
Brands that win are brands that align. A strong brand messaging framework ensures consistency across every touchpoint—from your homepage to your sales deck to your next pitch meeting. It keeps everyone on the same page, working from the same playbook.
Want to create alignment from the inside out? Learn more about Backstory’s brand messaging services.
Types of Messaging Strategies (And How to Choose the Right One)
Not all messaging strategies are equal. The right approach depends on what you’re selling and who you’re trying to reach.
Here are the core types of messaging strategies you should consider:
1. Brand Messaging Strategy
This is your high-level, audience-agnostic message. It answers the big question: Why do we matter? It includes your brand foundation and the general emotional value behind your offerings. It’s the keynote that everything else should harmonize with.
Explore Backstory’s approach to brand messaging here.
2. Product Messaging Strategy
Product messaging connects features to benefits—translating what you do into what customers get. This is especially critical for companies with multiple offerings or complex products. It’s also how you equip your sales team to tell the story in a way that converts.
See how we help brands build clear, differentiated product messaging.
3. Audience Messaging Strategy
This type speaks directly to different customer segments or buyer personas. It considers what each group wants, what’s in their way, and how your offering solves their specific problem.
For multi-audience brands, getting this right is essential.
4. Campaign or Launch Messaging
Whether it’s a product launch, rebrand, or thought leadership campaign, short-term messaging needs structure, too. Campaign messaging should be linked to your core strategy, but zoom in on one product, audience, or CTA.
Need help finding message-market fit? Dive into Backstory’s proven process here.
Successful Messaging Strategy Examples
Let’s look at a few brands that got it right, with help from a strong message strategy:
BambooHR
Purpose: To set people free to do great work.
This simple, powerful message helped BambooHR scale from 30 to 1,000+ employees and serve millions of users across 100+ countries. It speaks to emotional value while signaling practical outcomes.
Gabb Wireless
Position: Safe tech for kids.
Parents don’t want more tech—they want peace of mind. This message made Gabb the go-to brand for tween-safe smartphones and wearables.
Vasion
Promise: Make digital transformation attainable for everyone.
Instead of sounding like every other tech company, Vasion leads with inclusion and accessibility.
Message Strategy in Advertising Example
One of the best-known advertising messages of all time? Nike’s “Just Do It.”
Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign is often cited for its simplicity—but what made it effective was strategic clarity.
Rather than focusing on product features, Nike anchored its message in the mindset of its audience. The brand understood that customers weren’t just buying shoes, they were buying the belief that they could push further, go faster, and achieve more.
This is the essence of strong messaging: it moves beyond what the product is and speaks directly to what the customer values. In Nike’s case, that meant shifting the narrative from athletic gear to personal drive and self-discipline.
When messaging resonates at that level, it doesn’t just sell a product—it builds long-term brand equity.
How to Build a Marketing Messaging Strategy That Scales
Building a messaging strategy isn’t a one-time task. It’s a layered process:
- Start with brand discovery
Interview internal teams and customers to surface emotional drivers. - Clarify your foundation
Define your brand purpose, position, promise, pillars, and personality. - Tailor by audience and offering
Craft benefit-driven messages for each ICP and product. - Align and activate
Bring your messaging to life across your website, sales materials, and campaigns. - Test and refine
Measure resonance and conversion. Adjust based on real-world feedback.
Mistakes to Avoid in Your Messaging Strategy
Avoid these common pitfalls that derail even the best marketing teams:
- Generic value props (e.g., “We’re innovative and reliable.”)
- Internal language vs. customer language
- Misaligned team messaging
- Over-emphasizing features instead of benefits
- Skipping emotional drivers (people buy with their hearts, then rationalize with their heads)
Above all, remember: your customers don’t care what you do. They care what you do for them.
Bringing It All Together: Your Next Move
A strong marketing messaging strategy is a foundational asset that helps you win in the market and scale with clarity.
Whether you’re refining your brand story, rolling out a new product, or aligning your sales team, your next step should be intentional.
Ready to bring clarity to your brand narrative?
Schedule a strategy call with Backstory and let’s build a message that works as hard as your products.
Frequently Asked Questions
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
