The Agents of Change Digital Marketing Podcast Creating Messages That Stick with Tamsen Webster
6 snips
Nov 5, 2025 
Tamsen Webster, a message designer and author, shares her insights on crafting effective marketing messages. She explains why messages often fail—by only addressing one part of the brain. Tamsen introduces her ITBA framework, illustrating how to create impactful messages using clear if-then logic. She emphasizes the importance of using familiar language and grounding messages in your organization's core rationale. Tamsen also encourages discussions to reveal messaging gaps and offers free resources to help listeners implement her strategies.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Two Brains Process Every Message
- People process messages with two simultaneous systems: an analytical brain and an automatic brain.
- Both systems must agree quickly or the message will be rejected before analysis can follow.
Lead With If → Then → Why
- Use a clear if/then structure so both brains see the cause and effect fast.
- Then explain 'why' in simple terms your audience already understands to make the claim plausible.
Choose Familiar Language Over Mystery
- Use audience language; avoid being mysterious or clever at the cost of clarity.
- If listeners don't understand immediately, research shows they become negatively curious and are repelled.
