Hardwood Floors June/July 2019

By Katrina Olson

Brand Messaging

The outward expression of a brand message is a tagline or slogan that succinctly and accurately articulates the brand’s promise, which in GEICO’s case is also its promise. The core message should underscore the company’s value in believable terms that are relevant to the customer and create a desire for its products or services. It should: • be different from its competitors; • be short, simple, and clear; • be authentic and based in reality; • resonate with target audiences; and • ideally, be focused on a single benefit. This message should be used in all communications including advertising, digital/social media, and printed materials. To wrap up our example of the high-quality hardwood flooring supplier with the Ron Swanson brand personality, a branding message might be, “When you demand the best, choose the best.”

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The emotional benefit is not worrying about replacing it. The self-expressive benefit is that it’s classic and elegant. The social/ psychological benefit is that it’s environmentally friendly and sustainable. Brand Promise Brand promise capitalizes on the greatest value proposition you can credibly claim. It’s an overarching benefit that’s communicated in a clear, easy-to-understand message. An example is GEICO’s “15 minutes or less can save you 15 percent or more on car insurance” – a claim that’s made it the country’s second- largest auto insurer.

confident, and so forth. Brand voice is based on the brand personality and culture, and should be consistent throughout all company communications. Our Ron Swanson brand personality might be authoritative, direct, confident, knowledgeable, and trusted. Brand Value Proposition A brand’s value proposition is based on its functional, practical, emotional, self- expressive, and social/ psychological benefits. A functional benefit is based on a product attribute. For example, a functional benefit of wood flooring is that it’s long-lasting and durable. The practical benefit is that it will save money in the long run.

socioeconomic class, and other human traits. In our example, the high-quality supplier might be a 54-year- old, experienced craftsman who appreciates history and respects nature. He is wise, but down to earth; he is upper class, but lives simply and doesn’t flaunt his wealth. His humor is subtle; he is quiet, but witty. (Think Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation , played by Nick Offerman.) A brand’s personality is reflected in its written and spoken communications, referred to as brand voice. Brand Voice A company’s brand voice can be sincere, friendly, witty, understanding, casual, trustworthy, intellectual,

the magazine of the national wood flooring association

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