Having a clear marketing message is crucial for any business to succeed. A unique selling proposition (or USP) communicates to customers, clients and internal staff a reason why someone should do business with you. But, according to research carried out by integrated marketing agency, KISS Communications, 31% of professionals believed their company didn’t have a clear marketing message that everyone understood. “This revelation was surprising,” believes Richard Bland, Creative Director at KISS Communications. “Having a clear, concise marketing message that everyone buys into is the single most important element in defining who your organisation is and what you do.” Richard continued, “Poor planning from the outset is often the reason a business isn’t crystal clear on its messaging. We have come across a number of established businesses that are still quite vague on what it is that they offer that’s different to their competition. And, interestingly, some companies know exactly what makes them stand out from their competitors but don’t actually communicate those selling points to their audience. “Communicating a company’s marketing message not only needs to dovetail all other marketing activity, including advertising, branding, PR and point-of-sale, it’s also vital that an organisation’s USP is clear to all staff and not just to the marketing team. Employees are ambassadors for a company’s brand and form a crucial part of communicating to the outside world so it’s imperative they’re on board with the marketing messages,” believes Richard. Strategic planning is a crucial part of any marketing plan and is just one of the services that KISS Communications offers its clients. The company also launched a service specifically aimed at SMEs earlier in the year called ‘LaunchPad’ which ensures that newly-formed companies have a clear marketing message from the beginning. “All marketing activity, both online and off, must clearly communicate a company’s key differentiator or their voice will be lost in the melee,” concluded Richard.