Walker Comms Senior Vice President Kristin Sauchak, an alum of Outcast and Edelman, has more than a decade of experience in content, comms, and brand strategy. 

In a special presentation and workshop for the inaugural Variant Founder Fellowship cohort, she explained how to craft your messaging and get others to see your brand the same way you do. 

Here are three guiding principles Kristin says early founders should prioritize. Scroll down for the full video of Kristin’s VFF talk. 

Know your audience.

Determine your target audience before you draft content. “If you’re not thinking about your audience first when it comes to telling your story,” Kristin says, “you’re already behind the eight-ball.” (Learn the three specific questions you need to ask about your audience at 1:55.)

Know what’s in your control—and what’s not.

While companies rightly spend a lot of effort crafting a brand identity, the thing that ultimately moves a brand forward is its image—how others perceive it. To turn brand identity into brand image, you must communicate with your audience and figure out how they perceive you.

The tricky part? “A lot can get in the way of these signals,” says Kristin. And not all of the obstacles are in your control, including the political mood, macro environment, and media narratives. (Learn the six elements that are in your control at 3:15.)

Know your messaging framework.

A messaging framework keeps communication consistent across an organization and allows you to “punch above your weight” by continually relaying your message to audiences. “You don’t need to be a robot,” says Kristin, “but it’s important that the themes in those key messages find their way into all of your conversations.” (Find out what Kristin calls the 5 elements of great messaging, and how to integrate them into your messaging framework, at 6:00.)