Message MappingStep 4
Seven Stepsin Message Mapping
1. Identify stakeholders/target audiences2. Identify stakeholder questions or concerns3. Identify common sets of concerns4. Develop key messages5. Develop supporting information6. Conduct testing7. Plan for delivery
For a high-concern issue or scenario:
Developing key messages is the core of message mapping.
Templates
• Templates are organizing frameworks for putting messages together
• Three templates fundamental to message mapping are:
1. CCO
2. 27/9/3
3. 1N=3P
CCO Template
• CCO stands for:
– Compassion– Conviction– Optimism
• People in high-stress situations want to know that you care before they care what you know.
CCO Template
• First message is one of compassion, listening, and empathy
• Followed by a message of conviction or commitment
• Followed by a message of optimism or hope
CCO template buildstrust and credibility
27/9/3 (Rule of 3)Template
• People under stress have difficulty hearing, understanding, and remembering information
• People stop processing information after:
– 27 words– 9 seconds– 3 messages
27/9/3 (Rule of 3)Template
• Based on attention span research
– “The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information”George A. Miller (Department of Psychology, Princeton University)The Psychological Review, 1956, Vol. 63, pp. 81-97
– Low-stress situations: 7 is fundamental
27/9/3 (Rule of 3)Template
• In high-stress situations, the magic number drops from 7 to 3
• Rule of 3:
– Three key messages– Three supporting facts or three credible sources for
each key message– Repeat messages three times
1N=3P Template(Negative Dominance)
1N (Negative) = 3P (Positives)
• When people are stressed and upset, they typically focus more on the negative than the positive, often at a rate of 3:1
1N=3P Template(Negative Dominance)
• Provide three to four positive messages for each negative message
• Avoid unnecessary negatives
– (e.g., no, not, never, nothing, none)
• Avoid absolutes
– (e.g., never, always)
Template Application
• Brainstorm key messages
• Choose one of many templates to use, including:
– IDK (“I Don’t Know”)
– AGL-4 (refers to grade level)
• All key messages and supporting information should follow appropriate rules and guidelines