You’ll see the word “tailor” or “customize” in marketing quite often. What exactly does it mean to tailor a message? It seems counterintuitive for a book on developing core messaging to also advocate for creating unique messages for each audience.

Develop your core messaging well, and you can take advantage of that foundation to create very targeted messages. Messages that have a clear line back to that clarity we talked about in Chatper Two. Knowing how far to take your tailoring is a function of how replicable you want a message or campaign to be.

If you’re just starting out, you may think that all marketing is the same and any marketing firm or consultant can deliver. But just like how you can buy a “commodity” off-the-rack suit from a main-street department store or a one-of-a-kind garment, marketing can come in various levels of tailoring.

With each comes a higher cost, lower scalability, but (generally) a better quality of message. Let’s stick with clothing as a metaphor.

The Various “Grades” of Market Tailoring

Off-the-Rack (Ready-to-Wear) Marketing:

Just like off-the-rack suits, this level of marketing uses standard, mass-produced campaigns that are designed to reach a broad audience. These are your typical, generic advertisements and social media posts that are not tailored to specific audience segments. The advantage is cost-efficiency and broad reach, but the downside is less relevance and personal connection with the audience. For this level of customization, you can easily rely on an AI marketing tool or inexperienced communicator.

Made-to-Measure Marketing:

When you begin adjusting your strategy based on collected data such as demographics and general buying behaviors, you step up a level. Like adjusting a suit pattern, your campaign approaches can be modified slightly to better fit the “measurements” of your target market segments. This approach is more effective than off-the-rack because it considers the audience’s general characteristics, though it’s still based on pre-existing templates. Expect to get this level of personalization from general creative and marketing agencies.

Custom (Personal Tailoring) Marketing:

Custom marketing is more refined and offers deeper customization. It involves designing marketing strategies that are significantly more tailored to the specific needs of market segments. Here, you might choose specific platforms, content styles, and messages based on detailed analysis of audience behavior and preferences. There’s more room for creativity and personalization, much like picking out specific fabrics and cuts in personal tailoring. You’ll find

Bespoke Marketing:

This is the highest level of marketing customization. Custom marketing plans are carefully made to match the specific needs of each group of customers or even each customer. Every element of the campaign is crafted to order, from in-depth audience research to personalized messaging and channel strategies. Bespoke marketing aims to engage at a personal level, creating experiences and messages that resonate deeply and build strong brand loyalty.

For bespoke marketing, you’ll often need to rely on in-house marketing teams that are experienced with your particular industry and audience. Some of the best marketers I know were once practitioners themselves and fit into this grade.

Haute Couture Marketing:

We don’t often see marketing on this level. But since it gives me an opportunity to pretend I am fancy and understand French, I’ll go there. This level of marketing is like haute couture in fashion—exclusive, elaborate, and using the latest tech to create unique campaigns. This might involve immersive experiences like highly interactive and personalized digital platforms, or extraordinary live events. It’s not just marketing; it’s an art form, designed to create a profound emotional impact and unforgettable experiences.

So, which is best?

The money you’re willing to spend and the impression you’re trying to make on others are the two key factors to consider when you’re deciding how to dress. For early-to-mid-stage startups, I generally see more focus on Made-to-Measure or Custom marketing. Once an organization gets to a large enough size to support internal marketing efforts, they may step into Bespoke Marketing.

Notably, for very very early-stage companies, Haute Couture Marketing offers a unique opportunity to captivate a chosen few, to create an exclusive circle of brand champions and pioneers. It’s about investing in those highly-personal, one-on-one connections with your very first supporters.

Build your Message Foundation First

Even the best tailor starts with a general pattern. Before you get all wrapped up in psychographics, custom marketing platforms, and interactivity, spend some time discovering and capturing your first-principle market message foundations.

For information on just that, you can start with the MessageDeck Method or booking a workshop discovery.