Messaging: The Essential Ingredient

©2010 Forge Communica2ons, LLC. All rights reserved. | PRESENTATION TO NC PRSA | 11.3.10| PAGE 1

Messaging The Essen,al Ingredient

Roger M. Friedensen, APR President | CEO [email protected] @ForgeComm | @RogerFriedensen

© 2010 Forge Communications LLC. All Rights Reserved.


Once upon a ,me . . .


“You must remember this . . .”

•  Effec2ve messages are developed through a planning process that can be learned.

•  Effec2ve messages are based on primary truths about who we are as humans.

•  Effec2ve messaging is the fundamental ingredient in successful marke2ng public rela2ons, regardless of the channel.

PRESENTATION TO CLIENT NAME | CONFIDENTIAL | PAGE 4

What is a message?


More specifically . . . •  Informa2on

»  Sent to »  Received by

•  Noun and verb »  Something we create

»  Something we do »  Both involve planning


Messages = Ideas (good and bad . . .)


All in all, though, a message is . . .


Messages


Messages are founda,on stones

•  “We are a good neighbor.” •  “We follow all environmental laws and regula2ons.” •  “You can trust us with your family’s investments.” •  “Using this body wash will get you chicks.” •  “I did not have sex with that woman.”


Why are messages important?


Messages


How do you tell good messages from bad ones?


Good messages are . . .

•  Clear •  Concise •  Connec2ng •  Compelling

•  Construc2ve



Okay, so that’s what a message is – now what? Like, what makes ‘em work?


Good messages answer these ques,ons

•  Rela2ve advantage »  Is it be9er than what I have now?

•  Compa2bility »  Does it fit with my world view?

•  Complexity »  Is it hard to use?

•  Trialability »  How easily can I give it a try?

•  Observability »  How visible are its benefits to others?

Adapted from Evere_ Rogers, Diffusion of Innova-on


What do we find persuasive?


What do we find persuasive?


”. . .the ability, in each par,cular case, to see the available means of persuasion."


Ethos

ACME Gizmotronics, the company you've trusted for over 100 years, has recently entered the World Wide Web! Now you can purchase our fine products through the Internet. Our quality gizmos, widgets and thingamabobs can be shipped to you within minutes. All come with the famous life,me guarantee that makes Acme the company that the world depends on for its gizmo needs.

Our spokesperson, Mr. Coyote says "I'm not really a coyote, but I play one on TV. I've used Acme products for years. Their slingshots, rocket launchers, crowbars, pogo s-cks and power pills are the best around. And don't forget their high-‐powered dynamite! I buy everything from Acme. They are the company that I trust the most.” ACME is currently suppor,ng research into a form of clean, ultra-‐efficient, cesium-‐based power that promises to usher in a new period of cheap, globally available power.


Logos

By combining cesium and dihydro-‐oxide in laboratory condi,ons and capturing the released energy, ACME has promised to lead the way into the future. Our energy source is clean, safe and powerful. No pollutants are released into the atmosphere. The world will soon have an excellent source of clean energy. ACME is currently working towards a patent on our process. Our scien2sts are exploring ways to use the process in cars, houses, airplanes and almost anything else that needs power. ACME ba[eries will be refi[ed with small dihydro-‐cesium reactors. Once the en2re world is powered by ACME's generators, we can all relax and enjoy a much easier life. Please examine more detailed informa2on about our cesium research by clicking here.


Pathos

A baby turtle breaks free from the leathery shell of its egg, catching its first glimpse of its first sunrise. It pauses a moment to rest, unaware of the danger that lies so close to it. As the 2de comes in, approaching the nest, it also approaches a small pile of metal -‐ cesium. The water draws closer and closer, the turtle unsuspec2ng of the danger. Finally, the water touches the cesium. The nest is torn to bits in the resul2ng explosion, killing one the young baby.

Why does this happen? One name: Acme.

Acme Gizmotronics is suppor2ng a dihydro-‐cesium reactor to squeeze energy out of such destruc2ve explosions. And they are dumping waste cesium onto the shores of their island, threatening the environment. Studies have shown the dihydro-‐cesium reactor will destroy Costa Rica’s ecosphere in less than four months! How can they get away with this?

Costa Rica has lax environmental laws, allowing Acme to do whatever they want. What can you do about this? Don't let them get away with it! Boyco[ Acme products! And call your representa2ves, and tell them you support stricter regula2ons.


Okay, so that’s how we’re persuaded – what mo3vates us?


Mo,va,ons

Pleasure

Pain

vs.


Hope

Fear

vs.

Mo,va,ons


Mo,va,ons

Acceptance

Rejec2on

vs.


Mo,va,ons

Pride

Shame

vs.


Feelings change aatudes/behavior

•  Pleasure – Pain •  Hope – Fear •  Acceptance – Rejec2on •  Pride – Shame


Tell me less about how it came to be and more what it means to me.


Crea,ng effec,ve messages: A 12-‐step program


Step 1: Be a student of humans

•  Study and be fascinated by people •  Study how we think and act as individuals/groups

»  Psychology »  Philosophy »  Poli2cal science »  Literature »  Sociology »  History »  Communica2on »  Persuasion


Step 2: Be a student of yourself


Step 3: Be an expert

•  Know: »  Situa2on »  Organiza2on »  Environment »  Issue/Product »  Compe2ng messages »  Past/present/future

•  Your business •  The truth


Step 4: Try on someone else’s shoes


Step 5: Appeal to basic human ins,ncts •  What happened? •  Are my family and I safe? •  Is this good or bad for me and

my family? My friends? •  Is this good or bad for the

environment? •  Who is responsible? •  Who should be rewarded or

punished? •  How and when are things going

to be fixed? •  What will this do for me? •  Is this the right thing to do?


Step 6: KISS

•  Brevity is the soul of wit – and effec2ve messages

•  If it’s easier to: » Write

•  Then it’s easier to: » Adapt

•  Which makes it easier to: » Remember


Step 7: Take it for a test drive


Step 8: Light a sparkler or two •  “ACME is a good neighbor.”

»  “We donate more than $1.5 million annually to organiza2ons that help make our community a be_er place to live and work.”

»  “Our 3,200 employees contributed more than 38,000 hours last year to build homes and collect food for the needy.”


Step 9: Be the ball, Danny


Step 10: Grab the remote


Step 11: Choose wisely

and adapt


Step 12: Go forth and conquer


Speaking of channels, some things have changed . . .


Communica,on then •  Way long ago . . .

»  Word of mouth »  Parchment »  Walls and rocks

•  Pre_y long ago . . . »  Speeches »  Town criers »  Handbills, posters »  Newspapers

•  Not too long ago . . . »  Newspapers, TV and radio »  Billboards


•  Newspapers, magazines •  Radio + satellite •  TV •  Websites/microsites/streams •  Phone, fax •  Wall, rocks •  Movies •  Brochures •  Planes, trains and automobiles •  Skywri2ng •  Bathroom urinals •  Point-‐of-‐purchase displays •  Leaflets •  Cereal boxes •  iPads

•  Guerilla marke2ng •  Billboards •  Blogs •  Posters and signs •  YouTube, U-‐Stream •  Direct mail •  E-‐mail •  Online chats •  Annual reports •  Newsgroups •  Posters •  Staged events •  SMS/MMS •  MP Games •  Sponsorships

•  Facebook •  Twi_er •  LinkedIn •  Tumblr/Posterous •  FriendFeed •  Ning •  Mee2ngs •  Mobile marke2ng •  Apps •  Sports events •  Taxi cabs •  Flash mobs •  Tweet-‐ups •  Coffee cups •  Oh yeah, speeches, too


But most things haven’t changed


Business hasn’t changed

“Benefits should be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste be9er.”

“It is be9er to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.”

“A wise ruler ought never to keep faith when by doing so it would be against his interests.”

“Poli-cs have no rela-on to morals.” “The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He must inflict them once and for all.”

“In the end, you're measured not by how much you undertake but by what you finally accomplish.”


And poli,cs certainly haven’t changed



Early tex2ng Boring guy blathering on precursor to C-‐Span

Opponent hamming it up for camera

Empty seats of senators who took off early for vaca2on.

Horse-‐trading in the gallery


Humans haven’t changed


Play,me


Why I love my job


The bo[om line?

•  New tools but same old basics •  It’s about strategy, not tac2cs •  It’s about benefits, not features •  The more things change, the more they stay the same


I hope you remember this . . .

•  Effec2ve messages are developed through a planning process that can be learned.

•  Effec2ve messages are based on primary truths about who we are as humans.

•  Effec2ve messaging is the fundamental ingredient in successful marke2ng public rela2ons, regardless of the channel.


(and may the Forge be with you)

Roger M. Friedensen, APR President | CEO

[email protected] @forgecomm | @RogerFriedensen www.forgecommunica-ons.com

Thank you!