Today I had lunch with a very, very smart woman. We talked about her non-profit, and how she wanted to move her organization to the next level.

Among other things, she needed a complete marketing overhaul, and she even listed the elements; new logo, new Web site, new tagline… right down the line. And right off course.

What was missing? Her blueprint for success.

She’d left out the messaging platform.

It’s a common mistake. But a lethal one. Without a defined message, you’re marketing into thin air. There’s no anchor and no starting point.

And figuring how you’re going to say something grows exponentially harder when you don’t really know what you’re supposed to say.

Start at the beginning. Craft a blueprint first. And then - with your foundation in place - you can pick the colors for the logo.

[tags]messaging platform[/tags]