Authentic messaging for purpose-led brands: what it is, why it’s fundamental and how to get it right (with lessons from Pamela Anderson)

MessagingCopywritingTone of voiceStrategic storytelling

Sep 18

Great messaging makes your audience feel seen and understood.

Have you noticed that people never say they’re obsessed with X brand ‘because their Instagram looks amazing’, ‘…because they have a clever tagline’ ‘…because their TV jingle is so catchy’?

While these elements might grab attention, they’re rarely the reason people truly fall in love with a brand. People fall in love with a brand because of how it makes them feel. And much of that emotional connection is down to expert messaging: the words used to communicate with its audience. In this article, we’re going to tell you what brand messaging is, why it’s key to your business strategy and how to do it right.

What is messaging?

Often tossed around like ‘copy’, it's one of those buzzwords that makes you nod along, saying, ‘Yeah, yeah, soooo important!’ But secretly, you’re thinking: ‘Wait, what does that even mean?!’

At its core, messaging refers to the way a brand communicates its identity, mission and values to its audience. Translated into everyday speak, this boils down to seven elements:

WHAT YOU DO
HOW YOU DO WHAT YOU DO
WHO YOU DO IT FOR
WHY YOU DO IT
WHY YOU ARE DIFFERENT
WHAT MAKES YOU BETTER
THE VALUES THAT GUIDE YOU

It’s not just about a catchy tagline or a well-crafted ad – expert brand messaging is the narrative that tells people what the brand stands for, how it delivers on its promises and why it matters.

It shapes the story that goes beyond just product features and focuses on the bigger picture: your brand’s purpose and how it aligns with the values of your audience.

Messaging is about affirming people’s sense of identity, making them feel like an active part of the solution. It taps into a sense of awe, whether by connecting them to heritage, sparking transformation or offering a moment of transcendence.

Most importantly, great messaging makes your audience feel seen and understood.

Why messaging is fundamental to your brand

Messaging, copy and visual branding go hand in hand like this:

Messaging is the heart of a brand or your brand promise. Think of it as the essential ingredients that give a dish its unique flavour and character. Without high-quality, carefully selected ingredients, even the most skilled chef won’t be able to create a dish that’s any good.

The words you use in your marketing efforts are obviously important, as is your branding. Think of copy as the common language your business uses to articulate the dish’s essence (your brand promise), inviting the audience to taste it. Branding, expressed through colours, graphics and fonts, acts as the visual presentation of the dish, enticing the senses and creating anticipation for the flavours to come.

While copy adds the verbal allure and branding provides the visual appeal, the quality and harmony of the underlying ingredients (the messaging), ultimately determine the dish’s success.

A brand with a muddled or uninspiring message will struggle to connect with its audience, no matter how visually appealing or cleverly worded its marketing efforts may be.

That’s why effective messaging is essential to connecting with the right people, building your business and getting them to buy from you rather than someone else.

The many ways messaging can help build successful brands

1. Consistency across channels

A clear message enables you to be consistent across all platforms, from social media posts to web copy to email. This consistency builds trust and reinforces your brand’s mission in the minds of your audience

We think Burt’s crisps do a great job of this – everything from their website copy to the micro-copy on their crisp packets has a strong message.

2. Building emotional connections

People don’t fall in love with brands because of a clever tagline or pretty social media feed. They connect with brands that reflect their own values and beliefs, like outdoor lifestyle brands Finisterre, Patagonia and Vivobarefoot. Strong messaging speaks to these shared ideals, helping to build loyalty and emotional connections.

3. Guiding marketing efforts

Strong messaging is the bedrock of any successful marketing strategy, giving brands the tools to effectively attract the right people and win them over. Messaging is essential for defining what a brand stands for, who it serves and why it resonates with consumers.

One of our biggest projects recently has been working with the parent company of a collection of luxury Maldivian resorts to craft consistent, high-quality messaging, content marketing and copywriting. Our mission is to unify the messaging across multiple unique brands, while ensuring each resort’s individual character and charm is brought to life. How do we do this? By working on a cohesive messaging framework that defines all the little nuances that make these destinations special, helping the marketing teams on the ground communicate with intention.

There’s no need to be noisy

Importantly, successful messaging doesn’t have to be about shouting the loudest – it’s about speaking softly, yet confidently and resonating with sincerity.

Do you know who does this extremely well? Pamela Anderson. As 1990s kids, she was always on our radar, either pneumatic and resplendent in red on Baywatch or doing something crazy with Tommy Lee. But before her 2023 documentary, Pamela – A Love Story, it was hard to get past her blonde bombshell persona and that barbed wire tattoo.

That show cracked open the real Pamela – raw, unfiltered, warm and genuine. Despite our preconceptions, over the last year or so, Pamela has transformed her image through careful personal branding and razor-sharp key messaging. The fact that she rocks up make-up free aged 56 to the most glitzy of red carpet events is inspiring. OK, she has recently launched a skincare brand (some say her make-up free revolution was a PR stunt) but her empowering make-up-free style and step against ageism certainly resonates for the forty-something UK copywriters of this article (Incidentally, if you’re interested, read about our what/how/why here.)

It’s this kind of genuine, transparent messaging that is a perfect example for purpose-led brands like yours. In a world where values drive consumer choices, brands that build strong, meaningful connections with their audience go beyond just selling products or services. They operate on missions that resonate deeply with people’s values and aspirations for positive change.

To communicate that purpose effectively, clear and authentic messaging is essential. Here are some key lessons you can adopt:

1. Clarify your purpose

Messaging starts with knowing your brand’s purpose inside and out. What problem are you solving? How do you do it? Why does your brand exist? Who for? Why are you different? What makes you better? These core questions should shape every message you create.

2. Be relatable

Speak to your audience in a way that’s real and relatable. Avoid jargon or corporate speak and instead focus on communicating how your brand is making a difference in their lives.

3. Be consistent, yet flexible

While consistency is key, your messaging should adapt to different platforms and contexts. The tone may shift slightly depending on the audience (you may be speaking to two or even three different types) or medium, but the underlying message – the brand’s purpose – remains the same.

4. Reflect their values to build trust

Messaging should be anchored in the promises you know your brand can keep. By consistently delivering on those promises, you build trust with your audience. When customers feel like your messaging reflects their own values and you continuously deliver, that’s when loyalty is built.

5. Test, learn and adjust

Messaging isn’t static. Listen to feedback, observe how your audience responds and be open to refining your approach. By continually evolving, you ensure your messaging remains fresh and relevant.

6. Inspire action

Don’t just tell people what your brand does – show them, and invite them to be part of the mission. Effective messaging for purpose-led brands encourages customers to take action, whether that’s making a purchase, joining a movement or simply sharing your story with others.

7. Stay true to you

Many brands fall into the trap of adopting a corporate, sales-driven tone that feels disconnected from their core values. Authentic messaging comes from embracing your unique voice – letting personality, values and purpose shine through. This approach allows you to stay true to your mission, helping you stay focused.

8. Speak to what they need

Female founders and purpose-led brands usually have a deep understanding of their customers’ desires and challenges, probably because they’ve already experienced them in some way. Use this empathy to craft messages that speak directly to their emotions and aspirations.

9. Confidence without the bravado

Authenticity doesn’t need to be loud. Quiet confidence – grounded in the value you provide – can be far more compelling than grandiose claims. Let your messaging reflect the genuine impact of your work, rather than relying on exaggerated promises.

10. Turn people off

In a sea of brand noise, authenticity is the key ingredient that sets you apart. In essence, successful messaging is about striking a balance between resonating with your audience and staying true to your brand’s essence. Your brand won’t be a perfect fit for everyone, and that’s OK. Your messaging helps potential customers understand whether you’re the right match for them and, just as importantly, it clarifies if you’re not.

Avoid this big brand mistake

Many large corporations spend huge budgets on brand messaging, tone of voice (ToV) documents and lengthy brand guidelines that, more often than not, end up gathering digital dust. It’s not that these documents aren’t useful – far from it – it’s just that most employees don’t actually know how to use them. Read more about how to harness your tone of voice here.

The result? Marketing campaigns, web copy, social posts and emails that feel disconnected from the brand’s true purpose, leaving audiences confused or indifferent.

For purpose-led brands, the goal is not to sound a certain way but to speak *authentically* to the people they’re trying to reach. Without genuine, clear messaging, it becomes difficult to build the meaningful connections that drive loyalty and advocacy.

Your messaging should be a true reflection of your brand’s core identity. When your messaging aligns with your brand’s DNA, it not only connects more effectively with your audience but also helps focus and unite everyone working with the brand around a shared purpose.

Need some expert help? We have two messaging options launching next week:

Mini BRAND ESSENCE workbook - PDF download: £25 (DIY)

A do-it-yourself worksheet brimming with prompts and ideas to help you distil your brand’s essence into seven simple statements.

What you’ll get:

A one-page template to encapsulate your brand's essence.
Founder membership to our new Slack community, The Clearing: it's like having two expert writers in your back pocket! Connect with fellow brand builders, exchange ideas and share copywriting tips.

Mini BRAND ESSENCE consultancy: £250 (DFY)

Get our eyes on your website and socials and then we’ll deep dive into everything that makes you tick as a business owner. We’ll go away and expertly define your brand in seven simple statements: what, how, why, who, values, USPs and your competitive edge. Plus, you'll receive three content ideas that showcase your unique transformation through strategic storytelling.