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Framing Your Message
There has been considerable discourse among
communication practioners and academicians, linguists
and sociologists about the ways in which information is
processed and understood. Indeed, the term
"framing" has became a popular term in the
communications field.
What is clear is that when information about an issue is
presented, the listener relates that to what he or she
already knows about the issue.
When it comes to social issues such as health care or
child abuse, dominant public attitudes, values and
beliefs impact how new information will be received. An
issue is often placed in context of something already
known.
Your
message is a platform for raising public awareness about
a subject, educating your audience, and motivating them
to take action. More than a slogan, an effective message
carries with it connotations and leaves behind
impressions that impact your audience. How you frame
your issue and the things with which you affiliate your
message play key roles in creating a message that your
audience will remember and act upon.
Audience
Focused
While framing your message so that it affects the most
people may be helpful for garnering media coverage, it
is important to recognize what resonates with your
audience and utilize that to create a motivating
message, rather than trying to target the "general
public." Tapping into individuals' strongly held
beliefs and values will ensure that the message
resonates with them.
Research
Based
Whether
through surveys, focus groups or other means, an
effective message is based on audience research. It is
critical to gauge the attitudes and beliefs of those in
your target audience on a certain topic, as well as
their level of motivation to change those beliefs to
improve their well being.
Audience
Research
Researching
your target audience's attitudes and beliefs prior to
developing your message and creating media materials is
a critical step for meeting your organization's
objectives or carrying out an effective campaign. Here
are a few quick tips:
-
Identify
your target audience
-
Segment
your audience, if necessary, by age, ethnicity,
gender, education, religion, region, political
party, household income, occupation, lifestyle, etc.
-
Examine
your budget and research needs
-
Investigate
various forms of research, such as surveys and focus
groups, to determine which best suits your needs and
budget constraints
-
Investigate
research firms and prices for services. The
Resource Center's Peer
Exchange Network can be a great place to
compare notes on effective services and competitive
prices
-
Formulate
research questions that are relevant to what you
want to identify about your audience
Appeals
Once
you have a grasp of what your audience values, you can
rely on both rational and emotional appeals as effective
modes of persuasion. The former requires presenting your
audience with claims backed by evidence (environmental
tests proving urban air pollution), while the latter
speaks to their inclination for love (advertising with
cute babies), virtue (altruism and justice), humor or
guilt. Consider how your audience feels about their
health, security, appearance or family, and create a
message that appeals to these things, or use compelling
evidence to stake your claim on an issue, as Ronald D.
Smith notes in "Strategic Planning for Public
Relations."
Tie
It All Together
Make
your message fit your audience's lifestyle rather than
attempt to mold their lifestyle to your message. For
example, if your organization is working to raise
awareness about osteoporosis and bone health among young
women, conducting focus groups to measure their
knowledge of the topic and current behaviors with regard
to healthy eating and exercise will prevent wasted time
when creating a message to target these individuals.
Once you have completed your research, create a message
that individuals can act on without drastically changing
their lifestyles.
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