Beware of going overboard with your brand messaging, says Ashgrove’s Terry van Rhyn – simplicity is far more likely to stick in the minds of your customers

As marketing people we’ve all been there. That moment in a brand workshop when someone stands up and reads out a brand mission statement so long and convoluted it requires a compass and a thesaurus to navigate your way through it.

Someone, somewhere, probably decided it was clever to simply string a bunch of value propositions together and thought it good enough for an adverting message. But out in the real world? Consumers are busy, impatient, and, frankly, not that bothered.

In today’s ever-moving environment of scrolls, swipes, and split-second decisions, your brand message has maybe five seconds – if you’re lucky – to make a connection. And if that message is buried under a mound of corporate waffle, technical jargon or obscure metaphors, it will struggle to cut through, let alone resonate with your target audience.

I call this the “connect-the-dots” syndrome: marketers working so hard to sound intelligent, disruptive or “next-gen” that they forget the golden rule of communication – to make it easy and distil the message down to its essence.

You’re not writing a thesis. You’re trying to get a message across that triggers a response. You want to stimulate interest, desire, curiosity… something that pulls the consumer closer, not pushes them into a coma.

Here’s a radical thought: say what you mean – quickly and simply – and in plain English. One of my favourite quotes is by Abraham Lincoln (although recently I was surprised to learn that it could also have been attributed to Benjamin Franklin, Mark Twain, Blaise Pascal, TS Elliot, or Winston Churchill!) who allegedly said, “I have already made this paper too long, for which I must crave pardon, not having now time to make it shorter.”

Distilling a complex idea into a short, sharp message is one of the most profoundly difficult tasks that those of us in the advertising industry struggle with every day – and also the most valuable. It’s not about dumbing things down; it’s about finding that one thing that is important about your brand, product or service.

It requires deep understanding of the topic, ruthless focus, and a firm grip on what really matters to your target audience. You must strip away layers of competing priorities and stakeholder noise to uncover the single, resonant truth at the heart of your brand or offer.

That takes clarity of thought, creative courage, and a fair bit of restraint. But when you get it right – when you land on that one line that says it all – it’s pure magic.

A couple of good examples of brands who have nailed it are:

Specsavers: “Should’ve gone to Specsavers.”

Simple, memorable, and it pokes fun at everyday mistakes. No jargon. No fluff. Just a brilliant hook that’s stood the test of time and culture.

B&Q: “You can do it when you B&Q it.”

Rhyming aside, this is clear and empowering. It tells you exactly what the brand enables you to do: be a DIY hero. Done.

Less successful are these brands that could have done with a bit of editing (and a reality check):

British Gas: “Here to Solve.”

The slogan feels like it’s halfway through a sentence. Solve what? A Rubik’s Cube? A marriage crisis? It’s so generic it ends up saying nothing. When you’re in the heating business, maybe just say, “We keep your home warm.”

BT: “Beyond Limits.”

This sounds more like a Marvel film tagline than a telecommunications service. It’s dramatic, yes, but what does it actually mean? Most consumers just want decent Wi-Fi that doesn’t drop out during a Teams call.

HSBC: “Together we thrive.”

A lovely sentiment but in a cost-of-living crisis and amid global bank scepticism, it can come across as hollow. Also, what does it mean practically for a customer? Cut the poetry, show the benefit.

At least these last three managed to keep it short. Marketers often fall into the trap of over-explaining because they care too much.

They’ve spent weeks agonising over positioning statements, product USPs and consumer personas, so of course they want to cram it all in. But consumers don’t need to know everything. They just need a reason to care.

Remember, the goal of a message isn’t to tell your whole story. It’s to get someone to lean in – to want to hear more.

A few quick tips to avoid message meltdown:

• – Ditch the jargon.
  
• – Unless your audience is made entirely of PhD students in quantum physics, keep it human.
  
• – Say one thing well. Don’t try to list every feature. Lead with the most powerful benefit.
  
• – Test it on your mum – or someone else who will be fairly blunt! If they don’t get it in five seconds, rewrite it.

Simple isn’t basic – it’s brilliant. A stripped-back message, when rooted in a powerful brand truth, does more heavy lifting than a ten-paragraph manifesto ever could.

Because the brands that win aren’t the ones that shout the loudest, they are the ones that say something worth hearing, in a way we can all understand…and remember.