Change happens quickly. In today’s market, it happens really quickly: Emerging technologies and audience preferences are constantly shifting in response to trends, economic factors, and the political climate.  

Ultimately, these fast-paced changes make it even harder for brands to break through the noise and build brand recognition. At Airfoil, we often hear variations of the same concern: 

"We’ve got an innovative product that outpaces the competition, but nobody knows who we are. We know we need to get our name out there, but we don’t know where to start." 

Whether you’re a startup or a Fortune 1000 enterprise, taking a close look at your messaging and communications strategy is that ideal starting point. You’ll need to develop a deep understanding of your audiences to engage with them effectively and fuel your growth. 

The Challenge: Getting from Unknown to Unstoppable 

In many cases, companies come to us when they’re preparing to launch a new product or service. They’re confident that their new offering has what it takes to disrupt the status quo and propel their business forward for years to come. They need expert help in making it happen, but there are a lot of challenges to work through.  

Maybe their sales teams can close deals once they’re in the room—but getting those meetings is harder than ever. Perhaps they have a less-than-ideal marketing and communications budget. Or sometimes, their internal team is stretched thin on a day-to-day basis. 

In each of these scenarios, a strong agency partner can play a valuable role. We can help you take a step back, review your current communications strategy, analyze how well your messaging resonates with your audiences, and charge forward with confidence.  

Our Three-Stage Process: Building a Foundation for Growth 

Over the past 25 years, we’ve honed a three-stage process that gives you clarity, direction, and a plan to grow—without the heavy lift of a long-term commitment upfront. 

Stage 1: Discovery 

This stage is all about assessing the state of your current communications strategy, identifying your biggest needs, and understanding your brand’s status in the competitive market. We’ll collaborate with your team to gather knowledge, conduct primary and secondary research, review the market landscape, assess competitors, and interview stakeholders.  

This results in a Brand Insights Report that summarizes our findings and identifies your strengths, challenges, and opportunities. It also uncovers assumptions and highlights pain points across departments. With these insights, we set a strategic path forward defined by your business priorities.  

Then, we begin laying the groundwork for communications initiatives, multimedia content, and targeted messaging that will differentiate and drive momentum for your brand. 

Stage 2: Audience Definition & Messaging Framework Development 

In the second phase of our process, we develop audience personas that define your key customers and segment them by industry, role, and buying behavior. This helps us determine the key demographics, content preferences, and common audience pain points that inform a compelling communications strategy that reaches your ideal customers.  

From there, we begin developing and clarifying your brand story: Who you are, what you stand for, and the things that make you unique. In most cases, this comes to life in the form of a brand or product messaging framework: the DNA for all your internal and external communications efforts. It includes comprehensive, tailored messaging that keeps your communications efforts clear, repeatable, and impactful. 

Using your audience personas and your messaging framework as the north star for internal and external efforts, we then set the stage for your continued communications success. 

Stage 3: Go-to-Market Strategy 

Everything comes together in your go-to-market (GTM) strategy in stage 3. We’ll deliver a 12-month plan that outlines how to engage your audiences through the right channels—media targets, social media, website content, video, advertising, email marketing, and experiential events. 

The GTM plan is designed to help you make informed decisions about where to start and how to focus your efforts. It includes recommendations on content development, implementation, ongoing execution, and measurement. 

Our work doesn’t end there. Whether it’s time to focus on earned media, developing long-form content, producing videos, launching a social media campaign, or refreshing your website, we can seamlessly shift from “advising” to “doing” by putting your plan into motion. Our mission is to help you turn that vision into reality, focus your team where it matters, and drive lasting business impact. 

Ready to Unlock Growth for Your Business? 

Let’s talk about how Airfoil’s multi-disciplinary approach can help you elevate your brand. Contact us today to get started.