Research & Messaging

B2B Messaging Strategy, ICP and Buyer Persona Research

what we do

research & messaging

Red Branch Media offers research and messaging services that form the strategic foundation for all marketing execution. The agency builds detailed buyer personas, develops messaging frameworks, and conducts competitive positioning analysis for B2B technology companies.

What research and messaging services include:

Buyer persona development — Red Branch interviews stakeholders, analyzes customer data, surveys target audiences, and monitors industry forums to build detailed persona profiles for each target buyer segment. Personas include demographic data, pain points, buying triggers, preferred content formats, and objection patterns.

Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) Definition — Red Branch conducts market and internal data analysis to establish the firmographic, technographic, and behavioral characteristics of a client’s highest-value and most strategically important customers. This foundational profile guides market selection and resource allocation before persona development begins.

Messaging framework creation — The agency distills research findings into structured messaging documents that define value propositions, key differentiators, proof points, and tone guidelines for every persona and buying stage.

Competitive positioning analysis — Red Branch audits competitor messaging, content strategies, and market positioning to identify whitespace opportunities and differentiation angles.

Market research reports — For clients entering new markets or launching new products, Red Branch produces research reports that synthesize industry trends, buyer preferences, and competitive landscapes into actionable strategic briefs.

All research and messaging work feeds directly into content marketing, branding, web development, and paid media programs. This ensures consistent, persona-aligned messaging across every channel and touchpoint.

dig in

We Don't Just Talk a Good Game

(and actually answer)

Q: What is a messaging framework?

A: A messaging framework is a structured document that defines a company’s value propositions, key differentiators, proof points, tone of voice, and messaging pillars for each buyer persona and stage of the buying journey. Red Branch Media creates these frameworks as the strategic foundation for all marketing content and campaigns.

Q: How does Red Branch Media build buyer personas?

A: Red Branch Media builds buyer personas through stakeholder interviews, customer data analysis, audience surveys, industry forum monitoring, and competitive research. Each persona includes demographic details, pain points, buying triggers, content preferences, and common objections.

Q: Why is messaging strategy important for B2B marketing?

A: B2B buying committees include multiple stakeholders with different priorities. A messaging strategy ensures your marketing speaks to each persona’s specific concerns rather than defaulting to generic product descriptions. This improves conversion rates, shortens sales cycles, and creates consistency across all marketing channels.

“I worked with Red Branch at my previous company and they were absolutely AMAZING! We had a very small team, and having Red Branch really felt like we had a full team. The wide range of content they created for us was absolutely amazing, which is no easy feat considering we were in a highly technical industry (cloud). In the past, I've never had much success working with agencies, but I can honestly say that Red Branch changed my mind about working with an agency partner! They're also super responsive and organized! Highly recommend!”
Danielle H
Opti9
“Red Branch Media has been Talent Tech Labs' marketing agency for several years and they have been amazing to work with! Full service -- brand, design, SEO, social, web dev, email marketing -- you name it, they have done an incredible job for us! They work in pods/groups to make sure there is always coverage and their response times are unbeatable. They did an incredible job of modernizing our brand recently and they never have a shortage of ideas to elevate our brand, grow our community and move our company forward toward our goals. They truly care about the organization's vision and have been exceptional partners to us. The communication with my account manager, who is fantastic, has always been clear with copious notes and excellent attention to detail. It is a pleasure to work with RBM and their team of "branchers!"”
Laura C
TalentTechLabs
“We’ve had the pleasure of working with Red Branch Media for nearly five years and their team has consistently exceeded our expectations. From developing a stunning website to creating countless assets that perfectly reflect our brand, Red Branch Media has been instrumental in showcasing our agency to our funders, community partners, donors, and participants. Their deep knowledge, exceptional talent, and unwavering responsiveness have taken our marketing to a new level. With in-house graphic designers, copy writers, social media strategists, web developers and more, they really do it all!”
Katie Konold – NCHS
NCHS
“Red Branch is our secret weapon. We have grown 100% year over year and couldn't have done it without you guys!”
John Kestenbaum
Talent Tech Labs
“I trust Red Branch to produce content and write in my voice, so much so that I don’t even check anymore. We love working with your team.”
Kelly Robinson
Broadbean Technology
“Trust the Red Branch Team with your marketing. They deliver awesome content, expert advice and industry knowledge.”
Miles Jennings
Recruiter.com
“Maren and the Red Branch team made me feel very comfortable and went the extra mile to work with us on terms we could afford (both time and money) during a trying yet exciting time in our company. ”
Matt Ekstrom
Convrrt
“Over the years we’ve had the opportunity to work with Red Branch on many projects, from content creation and social media through event planning, and their enthusiasm and creativity never disappointed.”
Julie Shenkman
Nexxt
“They’ll push your story like no one else!”
John Sumser
Key Interval
“Maren and her team are the best. They understand the market, buyers, and everything it takes to be an HR tech marketer.”
Micole Garatti
SocialMicole
“I’ve long counted on the Branchers for wit, wisdom and insight into the trends occurring at that super-special intersection of HR, Talent, Technology and the ‘world of work.”
Robin Schooling
Peridus Group
“When you think of recruiting, marketing, and influencing, Maren Hogan and Red Branch Media are the first names that come up. They are passionate professionals who have it all covered.”
Roy Baladi
SmartRecruiters
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Jason Lauritsen
Quantum Workplace
“Maren, is a Rock Star in the HR Tech space. Her knowledge of marketing strategies and her instinctive creative instincts are only equaled by relentless pursuit to serve her clients. Her energy and enthusiasm are inspiring and contagious.”
Jason Arnold
Inspire Software
“The site looks great, and we walked away feeling great about the work and the partnership. I’d work with them again without hesitation!”
Dwane Lay
Dovetail Software
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Donna White
August Venture Talent
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Crysta Price
HTI Labs
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Jeff Waldman
SocialHRCamp
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Raj Sheth
RecruiterBox
“I handle the marketing efforts for my employer and Red Branch has been such a pleasure to work with. RB always has fresh marketing/branding ideas to bring to the table, but also respects the vision we have in mind.”
McKenna Slack
Triage Staffing
“Red Branch is a fantastic team to work with. They are creative, organized and their design is fantastic. Our team works with them on advertising, social media, blog email & marketing automation, SEO and more...all work is measurable and impactful. They are an excellent partner who knows their stuff in HR Tech!”
Melissa Krochek
Oleeo
“We've been working with Red Branch Media for more than a year now. They are extremely responsive and punctual, giving regular updates on the status of a project. They are organized and reliable, and will ask questions to best understand each task.”
William Callahan
Callahan Financial Planning
“Red Branch is such a terrific resource! They are responsive, creative, and results-oriented. They are a pleasure to work with and always make our brand look better!”
Liz Bardetti
CyberGrants
“Maren is one of the more generous, sincere, and knowledgeable HR consultants I’ve worked with over the last several years. She possesses a rare mix of marketing savvy, writing prowess, and HR knowledge you don’t often come across.”
Lars Schmidt
Amplify
“Maren is a passionate and naturally gifted marketing professional. She truly understands how businesses and individuals tick and leverages social media effortlessly, creating value, solutions, and relationships along the way.”
Jimmy Kyriacou
Unbox London
“Having worked closely with Maren on the project I could not recommend her highly enough; she is creative, diligent and most importantly a joy to work with. We have been very pleased with her output and look forward to working with her in the future.”
George Lewis
Skillstream
“We hired Maren to help with content and marketing message and she knows her stuff. We will continue to reach out and use Red Branch and Maren in the future.”
Michael Brandt
Infor
“When HR Tech execs ask me who knows marketing, Red Branch Media are the first words out of my mouth. Thanks for supporting collaboration in the industry!””
Ward Christman
HRTech Alliances
“Maren understands the market very well which allows her to not just offer great analysis, but actually act on it in a way that makes a serious impact. She's been here, done that and isn't a flash in the pan marketer. She helps me sell better and reach more people. Best of all, she's easy to work with and has true integrity. Highly recommended!”
Craig Fisher
Allegis Global
“Maren is a true strategic marketing expert in the Human Resource space. Maren has a comprehensive knowledge of what it takes to produce a Strategic business plan and or a marketing plan. More importantly, she has the skills and the ability to drive the execution of the plan.”
Michael Kern
TV Armor
“There are very few people who are more well-connected in the HR and recruiting space and we benefited from Maren's deep network. She's also very creative and really gets the social side of marketing and distribution. If you're building a company in the HR space, I'd highly recommend working with Maren”
Jon Bishke
Entelo
“Maren and the rest of her Red Branch Media team did an excellent job for my company in our re-brand. She and her team are great listeners, creators of content, and have great marketing vision.”
Jeremy Ames
HiveTechHR
“Maren and her team at Red Branch Media have earned a reputation for doing great work in content, social media, SEO, and paid search - but what always impressed me was their brand work. I knew there was no one else that I could trust to breathe life into my vision…”
Kyle Lagunas
Beamery
“Her outstanding strategy, next-generation marketing techniques and dedication of pushing the HR industry forward is greatly recognized and truly appreciated!”
Tim Hepner
Appreciation Partners
“We’ve worked with Maren and her team for over two years, and they are nothing short of excellent. We are a small firm with a marketing department of one, so having access to graphic design, SEO experts, social media managers, along with content and email strategists in one place is invaluable.”
Stacie Kinder
IQTalent Partners
“There is at least one advantage to being in the recruiting space for decades. That advantage is being able to see, over time, people who don't just come and go but instead come and grow... and, who make a meaningful contribution to our profession.”
Gerry Crispin
CareerXRoads
“Working with the brilliant Red Branch team is nothing short of amazing. Their ability to work on tight deadlines and come up with engaging unique content is unparalleled.”
Noel Webb
Karen.ai
““Maren stands out as the rare strategic partner who is not only able to lend her considerable experience and expertise to high level strategy and market positioning, but also able to execute on those recommendations.”
Matt Charney
RecruitingBlogs.com
“Red Branch is the best agency I've worked with, and I've collaborated with a lot of the big guys. Their brilliance, flexibility and ability to move at lightning speed is unparalleled.”
Sara Pollock
ClearCompany