Over the years, we’ve helped a number of start-ups to get their story out there – explaining what they do and why the world needs them. Start-up branding has some unique challenges.
Products and services are often being developed and understood on-the-go. Priorities evolve rapidly. Unforeseen opportunities emerge and take the offer in new directions.
Read more about start-up branding here
One of these challenges is having to think almost constantly about investors.
Investors are, of course, an important audience – because without them, particularly in the early days, there is no company.
But all organisations need customers too. And their needs tend to be very different to an investor’s.
Confusing investor and customer messaging
Let’s imagine a start-up creates a platform for measuring performance across an organisation – and of pinpointing performance blockers and boosters too. It’s called PERFORMA.
It’s subscription based, and it scoops up existing data from across the organisation and performs diagnostics on it.
Its investment pitch starts like this:
PERFORMA
The plug-in-and-play performance enhancer for SMEs
Performance is the No1 concern for SMEs across the world, and across a range of sectors. Indeed, in the UK, productivity is a perennial concern for business owners and directors. We use AI and machine learning to analyse existing SME data to highlight opportunities for improvement.
Our proprietary cloud-based software is infinitely scalable and we currently have no competitors.
PERFORMA gives organisations a quantifiable way to identify performance issues – and to measure the success of interventions. We currently have no competitors in providing this level of actionable insight.
Our founders include a former HR director of a FTSE 1000 company, an AI specialist and an SME operations specialist.
It’s not horrible, as investment pitches go. But what PERFORMA has to realise is that this is not the messaging to share on its website – because the needs and wants of investors are likely to be very different to those of its target audiences.
For PERFORMA, these are MDs, FDs and Operations Directors of medium-sized enterprises that have a turnover of at least £25m.
The needs and wants of these audiences are different to the needs and wants of investors.
| Investor needs/wants | Target audience needs/wants |
| – Is there a market for this? – Is it differentiated enough to cause impact? – Is there clear space for this product? – Is it scalable? – Can I work with the team? | – Increasing revenues – Reducing staff attrition – Reducing waste – Becoming more agile and resilient – Remaining relevant and competitive |
This means the way PERFORMA defines itself to its SME target audiences has to be different to the way it describes its offer to investors. Yet it wouldn’t be at all unusual for PERFORMA to use the investor messaging across all audience groups.
In the table below, we’re imagining that PERFORMA has paid to publish a page-long article in a trade publication read by senior decision makers in SMEs. On the left, it’s using investor-centric messaging. On the right, it’s using targeted, senior decision maker-focussed messaging.
| Article, using investor messaging: | Article, using targeted messaging: |
| PERFORMA for your business Performance is the No1 concern for SMEs across the world, and across a range of sectors. Indeed, in the UK, productivity is a perennial concern for business owners and directors (1). At PERFORMA, we use AI and machine learning to analyse existing SME data to highlight opportunities for improvement. Our proprietary cloud-based software is infinitely scalable and we currently have no competitors. PERFORMA gives organisations a quantifiable way to identify performance issues – and to measure the success of interventions. We currently have no competitors in providing this level of actionable insight. …Find out about PERFORMA, the plug-in-and-play performance enhancer for SMEs. Visit our website today! (1) bit.ly/2Zk0Ywv | How to boost productivity with the data you already have If you’d like to have a more productive workforce, you’re not alone. There are a number of things that stand in the way of productivity. Some – like access to credit – can feel beyond your control. But for others, emerging technologies can really help. PERFORMA, for example, is a platform that aggregates all your existing workplace data – and uses advanced AI and machine learning to identify trends and productivity boosters and blockers. In weekly reports, you get the insight to: – Increase revenues – Reduce staff attrition – Boost cost control It’s an easy, affordable way to shape – and sense check – strategy. …Call us or visit our website to find out more. |
When you don’t have a clear divide in your mind between different sets of messages for different audiences, then you can end up with unengaging communications. Which could make it harder for you to sell your services, fight off competitors and hire and retain new team members.
So how do you know which messages are right for which audiences?
Start by thinking about who you’re communicating with and how you’re communicating to them. What are the needs of each group, and how does your offer address these needs?
Remember to talk about your audiences, rather than looking internally and describing yourself all the time.
You can find out more about creating messaging systems here: What is a messaging hierarchy and system?
And if you’d like to talk to us about telling your start-up’s story, you know where we are.