Key lessons from beloved car brands—most importantly, #MessagingMatters!
Pretty much everyone buys a car. But the reasons each of us buys a car can be quite different. Knowing this, automotive marketers have developed and reinforced unique key messages for their brands that help to set them apart from the others in the market. When you do executive personal branding, you can take a lesson from the carmakers and develop and communicate distinguishing key messages as well.
Let’s look at several car brands and how they use key messages to distinguish themselves in the market. Then let’s talk about how to discern key messages that will matter to your executive personal brand—and help you communicate your unique calling to the people you most want to serve.
Getting Clear About Key Messages
Quickly defined, key messages are the main points of information a brand wants members of its target market to hear, understand and remember.
According to this article from dobies health marketing, auto manufacturers are experts at creating key messages in part because they include information about the features, advantages and benefits of their cars.
A feature is a prominent part, characteristic or special attraction, the dobies health marketing article says. For example: “The new Cadillac CVS has pop-up navigation, a 40-gig hard drive, wood trim and a sunroof.” An advantage is a favorable impression or effect (of the feature). “It’s a luxury vehicle.” Finally, a benefit is something that promotes well-being (from the perspective of the recipient). “When you’re driving it, you’ll feel fabulous.”
Four Examples of Distinctive Key Messages From the Auto Industry
Let’s talk about four beloved car brands that have distinctive key messaging: BMW, Volvo, Mercedes and Tesla.
BMW has talked with the world so much about the performance of its models that we know if we buy from them, we’ll be behind the wheel of the “ultimate driving machine.”
Photo by Adam Przeniewski on Unsplash
In contrast, Volvo has been talking with us about safety for so long that we recognize that as a top benefit of buying this brand.
Photo by Miguel Teirlinck on Unsplash
And how can Mercedes best serve? That’s right. They surround customers with comfort and luxury while we drive.
Photo by Sebastian Pociecha on Unsplash
Tesla, a relatively new player in the automotive market, delivers yet another key message: It pursues the latest technology.
“By constantly innovating in different spaces and sharing their work, it’s almost as if social media followers are right there in the science lab with Tesla, which gives the impression it is the most technologically advanced car brand out there,” according to an article from digitaldoughnut.
Photo by Tesla Fans Schweiz on Unsplash
Each of these four brands has—and is communicating—that it has a higher purpose than just selling cars. You, too, have a purpose that’s higher than the basic concept of what you do. And your executive personal brand will benefit from your discovering what that is and learning to articulate it to your key audiences.
Applying These Lessons to Your Key Messages
How can leaders translate what the car brands do so well into their own executive personal brand? The Excavate–Tell–Affirm™ process is a valuable tool.
Going through this time-proven process, leaders first dig into—excavate—who they are, what they stand for and the big change only they can make in the world for the people they most want to serve. With this knowledge in hand, executives can both affirm their brand until they feel it in their bones and learn to tell the world about what makes them stand out. The “tell” step of the process is where key messages come in.
Let’s look at some hypothetical examples of key messages in action.
“Dr. Amelia Stevens” is an amazing neurosurgeon. But that’s not all. She also is a leader in bringing along the next generation of neurosurgeons. Making the key message of “I educate aspiring surgeons” a part of her executive personal brand has opened opportunities for Dr. Stevens at desirable hospitals, attracted top surgical residents to her team and even brought her patients who believe in her larger mission.
Another example of the power of key messages comes from “Farid Bedi,” the CEO of a healthcare technology company. Not only is he a “tech geek” CEO (his words) in a traditional sense, but he’s the best in the world at getting researchers jazzed to envision and create world-class patient care software. Expertly sharing this key message, Bedi has reaped a host of benefits, including helping his company bring top researchers onto the team, inspiring current customers to stay during uncertain times and bringing in more potential customers.
Ready to develop key messages that will help describe your unique genius to the world? We at Revealing Genius have lots of ways for you to accelerate your executive personal branding efforts.
Get instant access to the free Revealing Genius 10-minute webinar, sign up for our Excavate-Tell-Affirm™ Brand Leadership Summit or take our online course. We would be honored to work with you 1:1 or to help you develop your brand manifesto.
