A Message and an Audience

The reading for this week from Strategic Communications for Nonprofits was from Chapters 3 and 4, and covered the essential basics of conducting research, targeting audiences, framing and developing messages. It was refreshing to establish these building blocks of communication. In order to effectively convey a message, you need to know who needs to be informed. Thus, the first main objective is to define the target audience. Information can then be tailored for that specific population by monitoring public opinion. This can be done by conducting original research using many different methods.

 After defining the target audience you must then decide how to develop messages that appeal to the values of those population segments. By getting on the same level of understanding as the audience, it is easier to identify their primary values and then support those with their secondary values. Clearly, it is necessary to understand where your target audience stands on key issues to reach them.

It was interesting to learn the  importance of focusing on big ideas when initially trying to get the attention of a large audience.  I initially thought that starting at the roots of a project with the specifics would procure attention, but it makes sense that big values resonate with big groups of people. After gaining support at level 1, you can then move down a more narrow path to level 2 of issues and  movements, and level three of specific policies and legislation. Simply put, rank the most important messages and then speak in a language that the audience understands.

A simple and effective tool discussed in the reading to develop messages is a concept called the message box. The spokesperson starts with the main message, and then presents the problem, the solution, the action to be taken by the audience, and the values that drive the media efforts. What stood out to me is how crucial it is to create messages that can be reinforced by the family members and close friends of the audience. In the circle of communication effectiveness, these relationships are the most trusted sources of information in decision making. Sometimes it pays to look beyond the obvious of the target audience.

Another highlight was the reminder that creative brainstorming can produce brilliant ideas in just a few hours. The case study  at the end of chapter 4 discussed how using positive new terms to describe a service gained support from a previously resistant audience that was now able to clearly understand what was being communicated.  Communication is not always complicated nor does it have to involve polls. If the audience is truly considered, messages can be developed that will appeal to them.