Meaningful Messaging Framework: Why Some Brands Stay in Our Hearts While Others Fade Away

Last month, I found myself standing in a crowded Mumbai local train, squeezed between office-goers heading home. Above the din of conversations and the rhythmic clatter of the tracks, a young woman was video-calling her mother, showing her the new kurta she'd just bought. "Mummy, dekho! Just like you wanted," she said, her face lighting up with joy. That's when it struck me.

Marketing isn't really about products. It's about these moments—these connections that matter. But here's the problem: Most brands are shouting features and benefits into the void, wondering why nobody's listening. They're telling us about their "premium quality" and "best-in-class service" while we're desperately searching for something that actually means something to us.

The Disconnect We All Feel

Think about the last advertisement you saw. Can you remember it? Now think about the last time a brand made you feel something. Different question, isn't it? I recently spoke with a friend who runs a successful chain of filter coffee shops across Bangalore. "We spent lakhs on advertising our 'authentic South Indian taste' and 'premium coffee beans,'" he told me. "Sales were okay, but nothing spectacular." Then something changed. He started telling a different story—not about coffee, but about the morning ritual his grandmother taught him. About that first sip of filter coffee that signals the start of a new day. About conversations over steaming cups that solve life's biggest problems. Sales tripled in six months. That's the power of meaningful messaging. And there's actually a framework for it.

What Makes Messaging Meaningful?

The Meaningful Messaging Framework rests on three pillars: Relevance, Resonance, and Recognition. Think of it as the difference between someone talking at you versus someone talking with you.

1. Relevance: Speaking to Real Lives

Relevance isn't about demographic targeting. It's about understanding the actual context of someone's life. Take Amul's genius. When demonetization happened in 2016, they didn't just acknowledge it—they created that iconic topical ad with the Amul girl saying "Note-orious." They weren't selling butter in that moment; they were nodding to a shared national experience. They were saying, "We're in this with you." Or consider how Zomato pivoted during the pandemic. Instead of promoting food delivery as convenience, they reframed it as supporting local restaurants and the livelihoods of delivery partners. The message wasn't "Order food because it's easy." It was "Order food because it matters." The Test: Your messaging is relevant when people think, "This brand gets my life right now."

2. Resonance: Touching What Matters

Resonance is deeper. It's when your message vibrates at the same frequency as someone's values, dreams, or fears. Remember Surf Excel's "Daag Achhe Hain" campaign? On the surface, it's about a detergent that removes stains. But the real message? "Let your children explore, create, and learn. We'll handle the mess." They weren't selling stain removal; they were giving parents permission to let their kids be kids. That's why the ad with the brother getting his sister safely through Holi colors while getting himself covered in them makes people cry. It's not about the product anymore—it's about sibling love, sacrifice, and the beautiful messiness of childhood. Or look at Tanishq's approach. While other jewellery brands were selling "bridal collections" and "festive offers," Tanishq told stories. The ad featuring a baby shower for a second marriage wasn't about jewellery at all—it was about celebrating new beginnings and modern families. The product was secondary to the emotion. The Test: Your messaging resonates when people share it not because it's clever, but because it expresses something they feel.

3. Recognition: Reflecting Real People

Recognition means people see themselves in your message. Not an idealized version. Not a stereotype. Themselves. Savlon's "Healthy Hands Chalk Sticks" campaign is a masterclass in this. They recognized a simple truth: children in rural schools were skipping handwashing before mid-day meals. Instead of lecturing about hygiene, they created chalk sticks made with soap. Every time kids wrote on the blackboard, they'd get soap residue on their hands, automatically prompting washing. The campaign worked because it recognized the real behavior of real children in real Indian schools—not some sanitized ad-agency version of them. Similarly, when Dove started the "Real Beauty" campaign in India, featuring women of different sizes, skin tones, and ages, it wasn't revolutionary because of diversity—it was revolutionary because for the first time, women saw themselves in a beauty ad, not just the version they were told they should be. The Test: Your messaging achieves recognition when your audience says, "They're talking about people like me."

Putting It Together: The Framework in Action

So how do you actually build meaningful messaging? Let's walk through it with a real scenario. Imagine you're marketing a financial planning app in India. Most competitors are screaming about "high returns," "easy investment," and "secure platform."

Step 1: Find the Relevance

Don't start with your product. Start with your audience's life. What's actually happening? Maybe you discover that young professionals in their late twenties are earning well but feel paralyzed about money decisions. They want to buy a house, support aging parents, maybe start a business—but they're drowning in conflicting advice from relatives, friends, and the internet. That's your relevant context: decision paralysis, not lack of options.

Step 2: Build the Resonance

What values or emotions connect to this context? It's not really about money—it's about confidence. About not letting your parents down. About building the life you imagined. About feeling like a responsible adult. Your message isn't "Invest in our app for 12% returns." It's "Finally, a financial plan you can explain to your parents with confidence."

Step 3: Create Recognition

Show real scenarios. A young woman having chai with her father, calmly explaining her investment strategy. A couple lying in bed, actually relaxed about their finances for once instead of anxious. A guy at a wedding, not awkwardly changing the subject when his uncle asks about his "portfolio." These aren't actors in your ad—they're mirrors. Your audience should see their Tuesday evening in your message.

The Indian Coffee Shop Test

Here's my personal test for meaningful messaging, and I call it the "Indian Coffee Shop Test." Imagine two people sitting in a Café Coffee Day or a local chai tapri, catching up after months. Would they naturally mention your brand or campaign in conversation? Not because they're discussing ads, but because it genuinely related to something in their lives? "Yaar, did you see that ad about...? It's exactly what happened with my mother last week." That's meaningful messaging. When Cadbury showed people celebrating with Dairy Milk during small everyday victories—not just birthdays or festivals—they passed this test. When Titan showed a husband and wife celebrating their anniversary at the same restaurant where he proposed years ago (that "Celebrating Life" campaign), they passed this test.

Why Most Brands Get It Wrong

The trap is easy to fall into. You know your product intimately. You've spent months developing features. You have data showing why you're better than competitors. So you talk about you. "We have 24/7 customer service." "We use premium ingredients." "We're the fastest-growing brand." But here's the truth: nobody wakes up thinking about your brand. They wake up thinking about their job interview, their daughter's school admission, the argument they had last night, whether they'll make it to the gym today. Meaningful messaging meets them there—in their actual life—not in your product catalog.

The Path Forward

Start listening differently. Not to what people say they want, but to what they're struggling with. Not to demographics, but to human experiences. That friend with the coffee shops? He now trains his staff to notice conversations. What do people talk about over filter coffee? What brings them in? Not for market research—just to understand the role his coffee plays in people's lives. Your messaging should be a bridge between your brand and someone's real life. It should make them feel seen, understood, and less alone. Because at the end of the day, we don't remember brands that sold us things. We remember brands that understood us.

What's a brand message that has stuck with you? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below. Sometimes the best lessons come from noticing what made us stop scrolling and start feeling.