Sometimes, despite our best efforts, our messages—no matter how carefully crafted or how important they are—just don’t land.
It might be something as small as a misunderstanding with a teammate. Or it might be something as big—and potentially damaging—as a campaign or initiative that falls flat in the marketplace.
When that happens, one of the first places to look isn’t your audience, your timing, or even your delivery. It’s your if/then.
The Primal Logic Behind Every Message
One of the most primal ways people make sense of anything, including your message, is through causality.
If. Then.
Cause and effect.
Stimulus and response.
We start understanding the world this way long before we ever learn to talk.
Think about babies. They learn that if they cry, then someone will come. Dogs learn that if they sit when asked, then they get a treat.
This “if/then” logic is how every sentient being—humans included—figures out what to do next (Sloman, 2005). That’s why, when your message isn’t working, it’s the first thing to check.
Where Most Messages Go Wrong
Whether internal announcements, external marketing, or public communications, a lot of messages get stuck because they only include one side of the equation.
Some messages are all then (what to do) and no if (why you’d want to):
“You need this product.”
Okay, but why? What will it do for me?
Pro tip: If someone’s response is “So what?”—that’s a missing if.
Other messages flip it. They’re all if and no real then:
“If you want to succeed, call us.”
“If you want to grow, buy this.”
That sounds like an if/then, but it’s not the kind that makes sense to your audience.
Why? Because the “then” isn’t a true approach or strategy. It’s just an action.
Your audience knows how to click a link or buy a thing—but they don’t know what that action represents, or why it would plausibly work action. They don’t see the cause-and-effect chain that makes it make sense—or worthwhile.
The Open Loop Problem
When your message doesn’t clearly connect the “if” to the “then,” your audience’s brain leaves the loop open.
And open loops feel uncomfortable—so people either fill in the blanks themselves (not ideal), or they move on (very not ideal!).
We like to think people will ask questions until they understand, but let’s be honest—they usually won’t. Unless the “if” is personally important to them, they won’t chase clarity. They’ll just check out.
How to Fix It
If your message isn’t landing, you can already guess that answer: Put it through the if/then tes.:
- The If: Is the outcome clear—and is it something your audience actually wants?
This shouldn’t be something you wish they wanted (or “know” they do, deep down), but something they’re already pursuing or desiring. - The Then: Is it more than just an action? Does it actually answer the “so what?”
Can they see how that action leads to the desired outcome?
When both sides of the equation make sense together—not just to you, but to your audience—you create understanding and the conditions for behavior change.
The Bonus: Your Core Claim
When your message has a clear if/then, you’ve also created something powerful: what we at the Message Design Institute call a core claim—your position on why and how a particular approach answers a particular question.
That’s not just useful for message clarity, it’s essential for positioning your organization, product, or idea against alternatives.
The Bottom Line
When your message has both a cause and an effect—an if and a then—you’re doing more than helping people understand. You’re helping them believe change is possible.
And that’s the foundation of every message that truly works.
So IF your message isn’t landing…
THEN check your if/then. (See what I did there? 😉 )
Until next time,
Tamsen