Messaging frameworks often fail not because they’re wrong, but because they’re too complex to use day to day. A 15-page document full of primary messages, secondary messages, proof points, and tone of voice guidelines sounds thorough but in practice gets filed away and ignored. Here’s how to build something that people will actually refer to.
Start with the core message
If the organisation could communicate one thing clearly and consistently, what would it be? Everything else in the framework should support or expand on that. Getting this right is harder than it sounds — it requires real clarity about what the organisation is, what it does, and why it matters. But once you have it, the rest follows.
Organise by audience, not by channel
A common mistake is to build messaging frameworks around channels (“social media messages”, “press messages”). The more useful structure is by audience: different people need to hear different things, emphasised differently. A framework that maps messages to audiences is much easier to use in practice.
Use plain language
The messages in a messaging framework shouldn’t require interpretation. Write them in the language the organisation actually uses, not in strategic comms jargon. If a message needs a footnote explaining what it means, it’s not ready yet.
Build in evidence
Every message should be supported by two or three concrete proof points — evidence, examples, or stories that demonstrate the claim. Messages without evidence are assertions. Evidence without a message is noise. The framework needs both.
The messaging framework template below gives you a structure for building a one-page messaging framework that covers core message, audience-specific messages, and supporting proof points.