Message Mapping

Assess and Improve the Performance of Your Communications

Communications set customer expectations. Message mapping is the process through which organizations align messaging with the brand. A message map allows you to strategically plan what you want to say in your communications and ensure consistency.

Our message mapping process is an interactive process involving the Gelb team and your company’s internal team. Through a series of Gelb facilitated workshops and discussions, we help your internal team answer three pivotal questions about your current and target customers’ expectations and perception of your brand:

  • How do they see us today?
  • How do we want them to see us?
  • How will we convince them? (transforming your brand goal into reality)

Message mapping can be used for all types of audiences: internal stakeholders, consumers, and external stakeholders (like a board of directors or benefactors). It is especially important when building brands, setting customer expectations, and commercializing new products and services.

The Message Mapping Process

Our message mapping process begins with the brand promise and its pillars. Guided by the brand, Gelb makes use of marketing research to understand the key decision drivers, attitudes to reinforce, and attitudes to overcome. Using this approach ensures that message mapping is a research-driven creative process. We believe that using language and perceptions to your advantage is critical to encouraging behavior.

The components of the message map include primary messages, differentiating messages (what makes your brand or product unique), and support points.

Finally, we review the most appropriate touchpoints through which to convey these messages.