How to Review and Refine Your Market Message
You have successfully defined your brand's internal world—its purpose (Core Code) and its personality (Expression Sequence). Now, it is time to connect that identity to the external world. Welcome to Stage 3: The Market Message.
This stage is about achieving market relevance. A powerful brand isn't just authentic; it's also the perfect solution for a specific person's specific problem. The Market Message is where you shift your focus from "who we are" to "who we serve" and "what we promise them."
Your AI Brand Assistant has taken your latest interview answers and generated the four narratives of the Market Message. Your role is to review and refine them to ensure they create a perfect, unshakeable link between your brand and your ideal customer.
Understanding the Four Elements of Your Market Message
In the DNA Studio, you will now see four new narratives. It's important to understand the distinct role of each one.
1. Target Audience
- What it is: A detailed profile of the single most ideal customer you exist to serve. This is far more than just demographics; it's a "persona" that includes their goals, values, and, most importantly, their pain points.
- Why it matters: You cannot craft a resonant message if you don't know who you're talking to. A sharp focus on a specific audience allows you to tailor your language, features, and marketing to be maximally effective. Trying to appeal to everyone leads to a generic brand that appeals to no one.
2. Positioning Statement
- What it is: A concise, internal-facing statement that articulates your unique place in the market, relative to your competitors, for your specific target audience.
- Why it matters: This is your strategic formula for differentiation. It forces you to make hard choices about what makes you unique and serves as the internal blueprint for all your marketing and sales messaging. This statement is for your team's eyes only.
3. Brand Promise
- What it is: Your customer-facing vow. It is the tangible value and experience you commit to delivering to your customers every single time they interact with you.
- Why it matters: While your Positioning Statement is the internal logic, your Brand Promise is the external, emotional commitment. It’s simple, memorable, and focused entirely on the customer's benefit. It's the core message they will remember.
4. 'What' Statement
- What it is: The simplest narrative of all. It’s a clear, jargon-free statement of what you actually do or sell.
- Why it matters: It provides essential clarity. After all the strategic and emotional language, this statement grounds your brand in reality and tells people exactly what your product is.
The Refinement Process: Sharpening Your Focus
Your goal in this stage is to ensure your brand is aimed at the right target with the right message. Use this framework to review your generated narratives.
Step 1: Scrutinize Your Target Audience Persona
This is the foundation of the entire Market Message. Read the generated persona carefully.
- Does it feel like a real person? Does the description of their goals and pain points resonate with the customers you know you can help most?
- Is it specific enough? "Small business owners" is too broad. "Freelance graphic designers who are struggling to manage client feedback" is specific and actionable.
- Use the Edit tool to add nuance and detail. You know your customer best. Add specific language they might use or a frustration you've heard from them directly.
Step 2: Pressure-Test Your Positioning Statement
This internal statement must be sharp and defensible.
- Is the key benefit compelling to your Target Audience? Does the benefit you've identified directly solve one of their core pain points?
- Is your differentiator truly unique? Is the reason you're better than competitors something they can't easily say about themselves? Be honest. "Better customer service" is a weak differentiator; "a proprietary AI that automates 90% of the workflow" is a strong one.
Step 3: Ensure Your Brand Promise is Deliverable
Your Brand Promise is a vow. The single most important question to ask is: Can we keep this promise, every single time?
- Is it simple and memorable? It should be free of corporate jargon and easy for a customer to repeat.
- Is it compelling? Does it speak directly to the benefit the customer will receive?
- Use the Regenerate button to explore different ways of phrasing your promise. Sometimes a small change in wording can make it much more powerful. Use the Edit tool to ensure the final version is something your entire company can stand behind.
Step 4: Confirm Clarity in Your 'What' Statement
This one is simple. Read the 'What' Statement. If you said it to someone at a party, would they understand what you do without asking follow-up questions? If not, edit it for clarity and simplicity.
Once you are confident that these four narratives create a powerful and accurate link between your brand and your market, you are ready to proceed. Your AI Brand Assistant will now guide you to the next stage: The Communication Toolkit, where you will build upon this strategic foundation to craft your brand's stories.