This document provides guidance on developing effective key messages and brand values. It recommends starting by reviewing current needs and expertise. Values should be articulated and examples given of how to apply them across different communications. While key messages and guidelines are easy to write, using them consistently is difficult. The document provides tips like focusing first on practical applications and audiences. An example is given of developing a mental health charity's brand values of being real, personal, compassionate and courageous and applying them consistently in materials from websites to fundraising. In summary, doing thorough upfront work to make values and tone of voice usable and explaining their application can help ensure consistent messaging.

1. 17th January 2013
Being who you are,
wherever you are
Articulating and using effective key messages

2. Words matter more than ever.

3. Suddenly ‘tone of voice’ is sexy again

4. AND: we have more words to choose from

5. The challenge
THE VISION
The punctuation

6. How do you get here?

7. How do you get here?

8. How do you get here?

9. FOUR
UNCOMFORTABLE
TRUTHS

10. 1. It’s really easy to write
key messages

11. 2. It’s really easy to write
brand values & tone of voice
guidelines
Empowering Responsible Passionate Knowledgeable
Clear Open Honest Intelligent Ambitious Informed
Leading Innovative Brave Thoughtful Caring

12. 3. It’s relatively easy to write
good copy

13. 4. It’s really HARD to write key
messages that will get used,
guidelines that people can follow,
and good copy that uses them.

14. Immediate need (the
one I get paid for)
Bigger need (the one
that really matters)
vs
The Problem

15. Top tips
• Start with practical applications – review where
you are and what you really need
• Start with the level of expertise your team has
• Explain values and how to use them
• Start with a realistic appraisal of the copy you will
need to write (look for the most difficult pieces)
• Start where your audiences are
• Where are the rubs?

16. Look for the rubs and work with them
• I have to talk to someone with a learning disability.
And the Health Secretary’s chief adviser.
• I have to convince someone to support my mental health charity. And
talk sensitively to someone with a mental health problem.
• I have to talk to adults with autism.
And people who’ve never heard of autism.
• I have to tell someone to stop smoking.
And console someone who’s just lost their husband to a heart attack.
• I have to convince someone to rehome an ill-treated dog.
And tell someone to stop ill-treating their dog.
• What cuts across?

17. A story about a
stupid little kitten

18. The Mind mental health kitten
•How do we talk about
mental health?
•How do we make people care,
but not feel weird or guilty?
•How do we reconcile
campaigning, policy,
fundraising, support?
•What matters most?

19. What we developed
• Clear vision & mission
• Behavioural and communication values that reflected them
• Descriptors that brought vision, mission, values to life
• Tone of voice guidelines so people knew how to articulate values
• Case for support that rooted fundraising in brand
• Style guide to establish a common language
• All based on research with key audiences (internal & external)

20. 1. Brand values that establish boundaries

21. Those values again
• Real: all the time
• Personal: all the time
• Compassionate: flex for fundraising
• Courageous: flex for campaigning

22. 2. Usable descriptors & messages

23. 2. Key descriptors & messages
Personal
Real
Compassionate
Courageous
Real Compassionate
Courageous
Personal

24. 3. A case for support built on values

25. In action: from the website
Services
Campaigns
Brand

26. In action: from the website
Campaigns
Stories

27. In action: fundraising
Real, Personal
Real, Personal
Compassionate
Real, Personal

28. In action: case for support

29. In action: newsletter
Personal, Compassionate

30. In summary
• Do the work upfront – make values, tone of voice guide usable
• Explain how to use values & tone of voice – bring them alive
• Be practical and honest about potential uses – find the difficult bits
• Make tone of voice carry through all the way to punctuation

31. Words matter
• Words matter to organisations
• Words matter to influencers, supporters,
stakeholders
• Words matter to the people we’re
here for

32. THANK YOU
Reuben Turner
Reuben.turner@thegoodagency.co.uk
@reubenturner