A communication strategy is a fundamental element of any effective marketing campaign.
It involves not only planning and executing communication activities but also defining key messages, tone, and supporting arguments (RTB – Reason to Believe). A well-thought-out communication strategy allows for effective audience engagement, relationship building with customers, and brand image enhancement.
It is important to note that a brand communication strategy is based on brand positioning (describing how a brand will occupy its place in the market), which is part of the overall brand strategy (a set of main guidelines and action plans for the brand). While communication strategy is often equated with brand strategy, this is a misconception. Brand strategy encompasses general guidelines and assumptions about all aspects of communication, including visual elements, focusing on defining the brand’s identity. In contrast, the brand communication strategy specifies how these guidelines should be implemented in day-to-day operations, focusing on effectively utilizing available resources to achieve the company’s communication goals.
Why is it worth creating a brand communication strategy?
Here are the main reasons:
Consistency of Message: When messages are uniform and consistent, they reinforce brand identity, making it easier for customers to recognize the brand and building trust. A consistent message also helps avoid misunderstandings and mistakes that may arise from uncoordinated communication.
Effective Resource Management: By precisely defining channels, tones, and communication styles, companies can better allocate their marketing budgets and human resources. This leads to more targeted and effective communication efforts, resulting in better outcomes at lower costs.
Crisis Management: In difficult and unexpected situations, thoughtful communication can significantly minimize negative impacts on the brand’s reputation.
Ultimately, a brand communication strategy is essential for effectively conveying the company’s values and mission. It helps clearly express who the company is, what it stands for, and what it offers, contributing to building a unique market position and competitive advantage. Such a strategy is often prepared for planned, larger, and more intensive actions.
Do you need a communication strategy for your brand?
Communication Strategy – step by step
Creating a strategy is a multi-step process. The key stages in developing a communication strategy include:
Defining Goals
Setting clear goals is a fundamental step in creating a brand communication strategy. Goals determine the course of our communication efforts and serve as a benchmark for assessing their effectiveness. They may include increasing brand awareness, boosting sales of products or services, improving customer relations, building engagement, or promoting new products. Clearly defined goals allow for focused efforts to achieve strategic results, which is crucial for the success of the entire communication strategy.
When setting goals, it is helpful to use the SMART method, ensuring that goals are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Time-bound
Key Message
The key message is the foundation of communication. When creating the Key Message, we should ensure that the message is clear, coherent, and consistently repeated across all marketing activities. It should reflect the brand’s mission, vision, and values. Key aspects to consider include:
- Simplicity and Understandability: The message should be easy to understand and remember.
- Audience Engagement: The message must resonate emotionally and meet the needs and expectations of the target group.
- Unique Selling Proposition (USP): The message should communicate what distinguishes our offering from the competition.
Tone of Voice (ToV)
The tone of communication is the way in which the brand communicates with its audience. It should be consistent with the brand’s image and values. The tone can be formal, friendly, humorous, etc. It is essential that it is applied consistently across all communication channels.
Reason to Believe (RTB)
The next step in developing a communication strategy is to establish RTB, or elements that convince audiences to believe in our value proposition. These may include:
- Social Proof: Customer testimonials, recommendations, case studies.
- Facts and Data: Specific numbers, statistics, research.
- Authorities: Collaborations with experts, influencers, or well-known individuals.
Touchpoints
An important element of creating a communication strategy is identifying touchpoints. It is crucial to find all points of contact between the brand and its audience. Touchpoints are all the places and situations where consumers interact with the brand, including direct interactions and subtle marketing stimuli.
Outline of Media and Campaign Plans
Developing a media plan includes:
- Choosing Appropriate Communication Channels: At this stage, we select the communication channels that will be most effective in reaching our audience. This may include social media, traditional media (television, radio, print), email marketing, or specialized industry platforms.
- Tailoring Messages to Channel Specifics: Each communication channel has its own characteristics and specifics. Advertising or informational messages should be adapted to the format and user expectations of the medium. For example, content on social media can be more dynamic and interactive, while traditional media may require more detailed and fact-based content.
- Action Schedule: Planning the schedule of activities is key to campaign effectiveness. We determine when and how often we will publish our messages to reach our target audience at the right time and place. The schedule also considers special events, seasonality, and key moments for our industry.
- Setting Performance Metrics: It is essential to establish performance metrics for each channel. Example KPIs may include website visits, social media engagement levels, and newsletter subscriber numbers. Without these metrics, it is challenging to assess whether actions are yielding desired results.
Creative Concept
Based on the communication strategy, we develop a campaign idea. This concept should be unique, engaging, and tailored to the brand and its audience. At this stage, it is important to identify and understand the audience—conducting a thorough analysis of the target group, its needs, preferences, and behaviors. This includes not only demographic characteristics such as age, gender, geographic location, or socio-economic status, but also psychographic aspects such as lifestyles, values, preferences, needs, and expectations. The more precisely we understand our audience, the more accurately we can tailor our messages and select the appropriate communication channels.
Examples of creating communication strategies in our Agency
Purella – “Active Parent – Active Child” Campaign
We had the pleasure of developing a communication strategy for the Purella brand. The company approached us for support in reintroducing its products to the market. Our goal was to increase brand awareness and its benefits among a wide group of parents. To strengthen the brand’s market position, we identified unique elements that set it apart in communication. One of these was the brand’s philosophy, aimed at democratizing healthy eating and promoting healthy habits. Another distinguishing feature was the already established ambassador, Ewa Chodakowska. To ensure the BeRAW Kids campaign reached a wide audience, we planned activities aimed at generating word-of-mouth and maximizing earned media. In addition to managing social media, we engaged partnerships with media and commercial partners, allowing the brand to gain presence in widely circulated media without incurring huge advertising costs.
Valio – “Finnish Mix for Polish Bread” Campaign
We also developed a communication strategy for Valio when introducing their products to the Polish market. Following the process, we identified unique elements that distinguished the brand: milk from Finnish family farms and cow welfare, wonderful buttery flavor, and natural, simple ingredients. Each of these differentiators could serve as a leading theme for communication. Ultimately, we focused on the unique flavor, combining it in the Key Message with beloved Polish bread, which emotionally resonated with audiences. We promoted the campaign on social media and managed collaborations with influencers. These initiatives contributed to Valio becoming widely recognized among Poles.
Summary
A communication strategy is a key element of any marketing campaign. It involves not only developing a campaign idea but also defining key messages, tone, supporting arguments, and planning media activities. A well-thought-out communication strategy enables effective audience engagement, relationship building with customers, and brand image enhancement.
FAQ
What is a communication strategy?
Answer: A communication strategy is an action plan that outlines how a brand will communicate with its audience, what messages it will convey, and what media it will use.
Why is the Key Message important?
Answer: The Key Message helps build a cohesive and understandable brand image that is easy for audiences to remember.
How do you determine the tone of communication?
Answer: The tone of communication is determined based on the brand’s image and values. It should be consistently applied across all communication efforts.
What is Reason to Believe?
Answer: RTB refers to supporting arguments that convince audiences to believe in our value proposition. These may include social proof, facts, data, and authorities.
What are the key elements of a media plan?
Answer: Key elements of a media plan include selecting appropriate communication channels, tailoring messages to the specifics of those channels, and scheduling activities.
