Pugliese on PR: Develop your messages
By Tina L. Pugliese, APR, Pugliese Public Relations
Many people in public relations find the concept of key messages to be so basic that they do not think they need to devote time to them. But truly effective communication means developing key messages that must be a regular part of preparing for public presentations and media interviews.
The process does not need to take a long time, but the effort of developing key messages, writing them down, and then organizing your communication around them will pay huge public relations dividends in the end.
You need to be able to tell journalists and through them the general public what your organization stands for and does in no more than three lines, and in words that anybody can understand.
When beginning message development the first thing to consider is why you are creating this message and what you want to achieve with it. This information comes directly from your organization’s media strategy. The strategy will determine if your message advocates, explains, promotes or alarms. Depending on your strategy you may create a single message for your organization, or you also may create different messages for different programs or departments within your organization.
The most important preparation for making the news is to know the messages you want to deliver to your target audiences. For the sake of clarity, have one main message with two or three main points.
The best way to manage your message is to select one spokesperson to do all the talking. Sometimes this will not be feasible. If you decide to have more than one spokesperson, the key is to be clear about your messages. Be consistent. As much as possible, speak with one voice. The spokesperson will represent the campaign publicly, speaking at your events and to the media. It is the spokesperson’s name that will be quoted in the media.
Choose your spokesperson carefully. The person should be comfortable in front of a camera and in live interview situations, and should be thoroughly versed in the work of your organization. The spokesperson needs to know the key messages inside-out, always working them into discussions with the media. The spokesperson should be a credible voice in the community.
Tina Pugliese's columns on public relations appear in Palm Beach Business.com every other Monday. Her previous column can be found here.
Tina L. Pugliese, APR is an executive coach and counselor for Pugliese Public Relations, a communications firm in Boynton Beach, Florida. Pugliese is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America, and is the author of the book, Public Relations for Pharmacists, and e-books, Marketing Your Business for Success, How To Work With The Media, Public Relations Manual — A Guide for Entrepreneurs, and the PR Survival Kit. She can be reached at (561) 889-3575 and by email at Tina@PugliesePR.com. Her web site is www.PugliesePR.com.
Article excerpted from e-book, PR Survival Kit, by Tina L. Pugliese, APR.
