Congrats, you launched! WTF do you do next?

Good morning. In this edition:

• 🚀 How to establish your core messaging framework

• 🔥 Google rolls out demand gen channel controls

• 🌟 Meta introduces email capture for promotion ads

Establishing Your Core Messaging Framework

Every successful brand needs a clear, compelling way to communicate what they do and why anyone should care. Your messaging framework is the foundation for all your marketing efforts - from your website copy to your ads and social media posts.

What is a Messaging Framework?

A messaging framework is a structured approach to communicating your brand's value. It answers the question: “why do you exist?” If you don’t have an answer, don’t bother investing in marketing.

• Why does your business exist in the first place?

• What problems do you solve?

• What makes you unique (USPs)?

• Who are your customers?

• How do you serve them?

• Why would they choose you over competitors (differentiation)?

The messaging framework answers these questions and results in:

1. Unique Selling Proposition (USP): what makes your product different and why would anyone choose you over the competition?

2. Positioning Statement: How you want your brand to be perceived in the market? It answers these questions:

   • What is the conceptual place you own in your customer’s mind?

   • What benefits do you want them to think of when they think about your brand?

   • How do you effectively “position” yourself in the market to earn that place in your customer’s mind and that emotional connection to the brand’s benefits?

3. High Expectation Customer (HXC): Your ideal user, the most discerning person within your target demographic. The HXC:

   • acknowledges and enjoys your product to the greatest extent

   • aspires others to emulate

   • knows the market and makes good decisions

   • is your ride-or-die loyal customer

Step-by-Step Guide for Startups

1. Define Your USP

Your USP answers: What makes your product different and why would anyone choose you over the competition?

To create your USP:

• List the specific problems your product solves that competitors don't

• Identify the unique features or approach that only your company offers

• Consider how you deliver your solution differently (faster, cheaper, more personalized)

• Articulate the specific outcome customers get from using your product

Example USP: "The only flower delivery service specifically designed for men who messed up, with humor-based apology options that turn relationship mistakes into relationship wins."

2. Craft Your Positioning Statement

Your positioning statement defines how you want your brand to be perceived in the market. It answers:

• What conceptual place do you own in your customer's mind?

• What benefits do you want them to think of when they think about your brand?

• How do you effectively "position" yourself to earn that place and emotional connection?

Template: [Your Company] provides a [product/service] for [user/customer] using [point of differentiation] in an [voice] voice, helping them feel [feeling] about [impact].

Example: "Acme provides an apology delivery service for men in relationships who messed up big time using a robust flower shop network in a humorous and brazen voice, helping them feel relieved about fixing their relationship in an uncomplicated way.”

3. Identify Your High Expectation Customer (HXC)

Your HXC is your ideal user, the most discerning person within your target demographic. You design the brand with this customer in mind, knowing they are most likely to retain. If your “product” exceeds their expectations, it can meet anyone else’s.  It is important to get a clear understanding of the emotional connection and aspirational invitation you want to emit for them:

• How do they think?

• What do they need?

• How do they behave?

• Why do we matter to them?

If you’re a founder and are in the process of launching a company, ask yourself:

• Who is the customer that needs/wants your service or product most?

• Why does your product or service matter to them?

• How do they feel about your product or service?

• What is its true benefit to them?

• Will your product exceed their expectations?

Important to note: your HXC may not be your early customer profile, or ECP. Your HXC is a description of the customer that your brand is built for. An ECP is a description of the customers who first purchased your product or service. This profile is based on the actual customers who have already made purchases.

For example, Airbnb’s HXC is someone who is “invested in being a good global citizen, and doesn’t want to simply visit new places but to belong. It’s a guest who wants to live like a local and experience X as if they are living there. They’re energized by the idea of staying in unique spaces and feeling welcomed, but are cost-conscious, too.”

The HXC exists at a convergence point between “what” you offer and “why” you offer it. Taking Airbnb’s example, the HXC exists on this convergence point:

• staying in unique spaces (the “what”)

• wants to belong (the “why”)

Implementation Tips

• Test your messaging with actual customers before finalizing

• Document your framework and share it with everyone in your company

• Ensure consistency across all marketing channels

• Revisit and refine your messaging every 6-12 months as you grow

Google Ads Rolls Out Channel Controls for Demand Gen

Google has recently expanded its Demand Gen campaign capabilities with new channel controls, giving advertisers more precision over where their ads appear across Google's expansive network.

The update allows marketers to select specific placements across YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and the Google Display Network rather than relying on Google's automated distribution. This means you can now allocate budget toward channels that perform best for your specific business needs.

Early testing shows that advertisers who optimize channel distribution are seeing up to 15% improvements in cost per acquisition compared to fully automated campaigns. Fashion retailer ASOS reported a 22% increase in ROAS after shifting budget toward YouTube and Discover placements for their summer collection launch.

What this means for your startup: If you're running Demand Gen campaigns, don't settle for the default settings. Start with Google's automated distribution, but after collecting 2-3 weeks of data, analyze performance by channel and adjust your budget allocation accordingly. This more hands-on approach requires a bit more work but could significantly improve your campaign efficiency when every marketing dollar counts.

Meta Introduces Email Capture for Promotion Ads

Starting this spring, Meta is rolling out a significant upgrade to their promotion ads that could be a game-changer for lead generation. Advertisers will soon be able to request customer emails directly before sharing promotional codes in their Facebook and Instagram ads.

This new feature bridges a critical gap in the promotional funnel by allowing brands to capture valuable first-party data while delivering discounts. Previously, promotion ads would simply display coupon codes without requiring any customer information exchange.

Early access partners report seeing email collection rates between 15-25% when offering compelling discounts, with beauty brand Glossier achieving a 32% capture rate during their limited beta test with a generous first-purchase offer.

What this means for your startup: This update creates an opportunity to build your email list while running promotional campaigns—essentially combining your acquisition and lead generation efforts into a single ad spend. Consider testing this feature with different promotional values to find the sweet spot where customers are willing to share their email. For maximum effectiveness, create a dedicated welcome sequence for users acquired through this channel to nurture them beyond their initial discount purchase.

This newsletter is for you. What marketing challenges are you facing in your startup journey? Reply directly to this email with your questions or topics you'd like to see covered in future issues.

Until next week,

Adam

P.S. Found this helpful? Forward it to another founder who might benefit—we're all in this together.