Asking, Building, and Connecting: Messaging Strategies with Douglas Spencer

“The way we speak internally is the way we speak externally. So the message that you have for your employees has got to be the same one you have for the people outside your organization,” shares Douglas Spencer, branding and messaging strategist. Today, Douglas explains the importance of messaging strategies for authentic communication and leadership.

A brand’s message is not only what is seen externally by potential consumers, but also includes internal messaging used for communication with employees. A truly successful business will have a consistent message both internally and externally that really speaks to the purpose of the brand. In order to determine your brand’s message, think about why you do what you do. Now more than ever, people are choosing to patronize and work for brands that align with their own personal core values. You can attract these people to your business by using storytelling that really gets your message across and evokes an emotional reaction.

Internal and external messaging is an integral part of any business and needs to be treated as such. To lead with authenticity, you need to be very clear about the message you want to get across and keep it consistent everywhere.

• “Data showed that millennials in particular will change brands if the brands values aren't aligned. They will take a pay cut and work for a company that is more in line with what they believe and who they are.” (5:48-6:01 | Douglas)
• “The way we speak internally is the way we speak externally. So the message that you have for your employees has got to be the same one you have for the people outside your organization.” (8:29-8:40 | Douglas)
• “Messaging really has to be integral to everything we do and not just something that we feel like we have to do.” (9:07-9:12 | Douglas)
• “How you do what you do is directly related to what you do, which is directly related to why you exist.” (18:32-18:39 | Douglas)
• “Your message and the authenticity that it's built on needs continual monitoring.” (21:11-21:17 | Douglas)
• “We get so far ahead in our heads that our message sometimes falls behind. And so if you're constantly monitoring your message, then you're able to keep it on track and keep it real for the people who need to hear it.” (22:31-22:45 | Douglas)