A Well Developed PR Approach Can Send the Right Message
Communicating a strong message that will resonate with audiences can be a challenge for even the most seasoned of PR pros.
Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville earlier this month probably thought he had a well-crafted message against Democrats, crime and reparations. But, that didn’t go over so well in the media or on social media – not at all. And when media called to respond, Tuberville went silent for more than a week and ignored media, until finally, he issued a statement to Alabama Daily News.
Crafting a message that shares information, calls people to action or gets folks to adjust their mindset is not easy. It requires condensing a lot of content into something that is digestible, and that can be hard.
Taking it one step at a time, PR messaging will answer the following:
- Who should pay attention?
- Why do people need to hear the message?
- What will they get from it?
- How will it affect them?
- Is there a call to action?
One such PR effort that incorporated these points into its messaging came from book publisher Penguin Random House this summer. The company published an unburnable copy of Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, which was created in response to schools banning and burning books. The campaign and messaging resonated globally with media and the public. When supporting a client’s PR campaigns and message developed, Xenophon takes several factors into consideration to provide the best possible outcome with all audiences.
Define Strategies and Goals
It’s essential to think before you construct; otherwise, your messaging can be disconnected from reality or misleading. The strategy or strategies you use will be determined by your audience’s makeup and perceived needs. What you have found out about your publics from prior research will dictate what strategies to utilize in your messaging approaches.
Different strategies will be used for different audiences: an emotional appeal, a logical appeal, or sometimes an attention-getting appeal will be needed. Depending on what the goal of the messaging is will determine what approach to take. Some goals are:
- Protect your brand’s image
- Manage reputation
- Recruit industry talent
- Attract investment
- Increase brand awareness
Keep it Short and Simple
To persuade in as few words as possible, you must have a clear understanding of your audience and how you want them to respond. This means conveying your message in the clearest possible way. One of the most important jobs of public relations is to explain complex issues in simple terms, and there are many times that is not achieved. Think back to our example of Sen. Tuberville.
Choose Best Distribution Method
Messages are often viewed by target publics as having a vested interest, but when the target publics see the same messaging via the media, it seems to gain credibility. Choosing the right distribution method to share your message is critical to reaching your intended publics.
Ask yourself what audience are you trying to reach and what are their media usage patterns? How quickly do you need the message to reach your audience? How much can you afford to spend getting the message out? Which medium has highest credibility? Which medium will deliver your message within the necessary time constraint? Should a single medium be used or a combination of complementary media? The more you know about your audience, the better you will be at selecting. Check out Xenophon’s blog on compiling a media list.
Ask For Help
It helps to be aware of the world around you and understand how your messaging will affect the world. However, with how constant change happens, staying up-to-date can be difficult. Sometimes seeking outside help avoids an unnecessary error.
If you are looking to get your messaging out to those who need to see it, contact Xenophon Strategies today to get help achieving your goals. Xenophon excels at crafting core narratives into interesting, credible and compelling issues. We provide message development, testing and council to all our clients. Click here to learn more on the strategies we deploy to get your messaging where it needs to be.