From Blueprint to Brilliance: Navigating Messaging and Copy

TL; DR Summary

• Messaging vs. Copy: Messaging is the strategic blueprint, while copy is the creative execution.

• Roxanne Example: Messaging is the simple "Big Nose" insult, and copy is the witty quips that bring it to life.

• Sales Confusion: Sales often confuse messaging with copy, expecting it to be as engaging as customer-facing content.

• Marketing Missteps: Marketing teams may over-edit messaging or copy directly from it, limiting creativity.

• Mitigation Strategies: Provide copy samples, focus on the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), and keep messaging simple to avoid confusion.

In my years as a marketing professional, nothing frustrates me more than conflating messaging with copy. This confusion has become a staple in my interview process—if you want to work with me, you need to understand the difference. For those unfamiliar, this blog is for you.

What is Messaging?

Messaging is the blueprint of what you need to say and how you need to say it. Think of it as the plan you develop when you need to deliver bad news—considering the audience, timing, and tone to lessen the impact. Messaging is an internal strategy document focused on simplicity and alignment, guiding the communication for each target audience.

What is Copy?

Copy is the creative execution of messaging; it's what you actually say. While messaging lays out the core value propositions, copy brings them to life through engaging language, analogies, and wordplay. Copy is an external asset—whether a webpage, a video, or a social media post—crafted to resonate with the audience while staying true to the messaging.

The Roxanne Example

A great way to illustrate the difference is from the 1987 Steve Martin romantic comedy Roxanne. In the famous "20 Something Betters" scene, Steve Martin's character, C.D. Bates, is confronted by a bully who insults him by calling him "Big Nose." That simple insult—"Big Nose"—is the messaging. It communicates the basic idea of an insult.

But when C.D. responds with 20 witty comebacks, each more creative than the last, that's the copy. His quips bring the basic message to life in an entertaining and memorable way. Just like C.D.'s responses, good copy should transform basic messaging into something that engages and resonates with the audience.

Sales: The Worst Offenders

Sales teams often conflate messaging with copy, usually in two ways. First, they find messaging boring because it needs more of the pizzazz they expect from customer-facing materials. Second, they overload messaging with edge cases, forgetting that messaging needs to remain focused and broadly applicable, not tailored to every possible scenario.

How Marketing Gets It Wrong

Marketing teams can blur the lines between messaging and copy, particularly during reviews. The "Semantics Game" happens when reviewers focus too much on individual word choices, forgetting that messaging is a guide, not the final product. Another issue is copywriters directly lifting messaging text into copy, stifling creativity and producing dull content.

Mitigating Conflation

While it's hard to avoid the conflation of messaging and copy entirely, here are a few strategies to minimize it:

• • Copy Samples: Provide examples of what the messaging could look like in action, such as elevator pitches or social media posts.

  • ICP Review: Revisit the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) before messaging reviews to stay focused on the intended audience.

  • Stay Objective: When debating word choices, prioritize changes only if they improve clarity or accuracy, not just for preference.

  • Keep it Simple: Use clear headings and bullet points in messaging to outline the main points without dictating the exact copy.

Parent and Child, Not Siblings

Messaging and copy have a parent-child relationship. Messaging guides and informs; copy creatively brings that guidance to life. Respecting this relationship ensures that marketing efforts are strategic and engaging, ultimately making a stronger impact on your audience.

Understanding and respecting the difference between messaging and copy allows you to avoid common pitfalls and create more effective, engaging marketing materials.