Our Work · Insight · Strategic Communications & Narrative
Why Your Message Isn’t Landing (and Six Ways to Fix It)
In 2025, Procter & Gamble launched a beauty campaign starring computer-generated influencers: avatars with flawless, synthetic skin. Shoppers didn’t want makeup advice from a character that had never worn makeup. Engagement tanked. Real influencers felt snubbed. The message was clear; the audience just didn’t want it from that source.
External communication is the bridge between a brand and the people it needs to reach. Done well, it builds credibility and loyalty. Done poorly, it creates distance. In a recent survey of more than 4,000 U.S. consumers, 83% said they feel undervalued by brands they’re loyal to. That disconnect almost always traces to one of six problems.
1. You’re talking to the wrong audience.
Mistake: Defining your audience as “everyone,” which in practice excludes the people who’d actually benefit. Fix: Go past demographics. Ask who you’re really serving and what keeps them up at night. A SaaS company might assume its audience is “all small businesses,” when the real fit is marketing managers at mid-sized agencies who need to onboard freelancers fast.
2. You’re talking about yourself.
Mistake: Leading with features, milestones, or jargon that mean nothing to the customer. Fix: Translate features into benefits. “Our software integrates with 500 apps” becomes “You’ll save hours a week because it works with the tools you already use.”
3. You’re using the wrong channels.
Mistake: Putting the right message in the wrong place. White papers don’t land on TikTok. Reels rarely reach executives who read email newsletters and trade publications. Fix: Audit where your audience actually spends time, then meet them there. Seventy-three percent of decision-makers say a company’s own expert commentary tells them more about that company than its marketing materials do.
4. Your message is too complicated.
Mistake: Jargon and technical detail that create friction. Fix: Choose clarity every time. Steve Jobs didn’t describe the iPod as a 5GB hard drive. He called it “1,000 songs in your pocket.” A useful test: if you can’t explain it to a 10-year-old, simplify it further.
5. You’re skipping the emotional connection.
Mistake: Leaning on logic and stats with no story behind them. Fix: Pair the two. A nonprofit doesn’t just report 10,000 meals served. It tells the story of one family a single meal changed.
6. You’re inconsistent across channels.
Mistake: Saying one thing on your website, another to press, something else on social. Inconsistency breeds confusion, and confusion erodes trust. Fix: Build a messaging framework (clear pillars, tone, and value propositions) and apply it everywhere, without exception.
Connecting with an audience comes from speaking more clearly, more consistently, and with more empathy. Brands that break through understand their audience, show up where that audience already is, and communicate in language that sounds human.
7. Quick Checklist: Is Your Message Landing?
- Have we clearly defined who this message is for?
- Does it speak to their needs?
- Are we delivering it where they’re most likely to engage?
- Is it simple enough to understand at a glance?
- Does it connect emotionally as well as logically?
- Is it consistent with how we show up everywhere else?
