Message Development
Communications
The National Democratic Institute
INTRODUCTIONS/
GROUND RULES
• Introductions
• Ground rules
• Ice breaker exercise
Photo: Amy Hamelin, NDI
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT
OBJECTIVES
• Understand the characteristics and
importance of effective messages
• Practice developing and delivering a
message
TOPICS
Message: definition and importance
Setting goals
Effective messages
Target audience
Development tips and tools
Issues, messengers, and delivery
tools
• Staying on message
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KEY TERMS
• Message
• Other terms?
Photo: Amy Hamelin , NDI
WHAT IS A MESSAGE?
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Single idea/theme
Your values
What you repeat
What you want people to remember
How you connect with and persuade
people
Why am I asking for your support?
WHAT IS NOT A MESSAGE?
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Slogans
Ideologies
List of issues/policies
Negative attacks
Saying who you are not
WHAT IS NOT A MESSAGE?
Slogan
• Very Short
• Not much
information
• Targeted at the
general public
Message
• Short
• Substantive
• Tailored to
voters/target
audience
Platform
• Long
• Comprehensive
• Not widely
read
WHY DO MESSAGES MATTER?
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Defines who you are
Sets you apart
Helps control the debate
Builds support
Ensures consistent communication
WHAT IS YOUR GOAL?
• What are you trying to achieve?
• How will you know if you’ve
reached your goal?
DEVELOP YOUR MESSAGE
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Problem/need
Why care?
What will I do?
Call to action
Photo: NDI
EXERCISE:
DEVELOP YOUR MESSAGE
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Problem/need
Why care?
What will I do?
Call to action
CHARACTERISTICS OF AN
EFFECTIVE MESSAGE
• Clear and concise
• Compelling
• Contrasting
• Connected
• Consistently delivered
CHARACTERISTICS OF AN
EFFECTIVE MESSAGE
• Truthful and credible
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Uses clear language
Speaks to the heart
Targeted
Repeated
MESSAGE EXAMPLE
New Democratic Party (NDP)
After years of Liberal corruption, it’s
time for a change that puts ordinary
people first. But the Conservatives
want to bring in tax cuts for banks and
oil companies, while raising taxes for
ordinary people and cutting health
care and education. This time, voting
for the NDP is the best way to put
working families first.
MESSAGE EXAMPLE
Liberal Party Message
Building on the strong foundation of
more than a decade of being in
government, the Liberals have been able
to promote initiatives that will benefit
Canadians from all walks of life. By
protecting our environment, promoting
fiscal policies that grow our economy
and showing leadership on the global
stage, the Liberal government is working
for the Canada that Canadians want.
MESSAGE PYRAMID
1% Directly
involved
11% Engaged
generally in
Politics
15% Informed Public
73% Mass Audience
MESSAGE PYRAMID CORRECTED
73% Mass Audience
15% Informed Public
11% Engaged
generally in
Politics
1% Directly
involved
TARGET AUDIENCE
Choosing the right target audience
means aiming for the middle
Target Audience
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Firmly Opposed
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3
“persuadables”
Disinterested or Neutral/mildly
Mildly interested
supportive
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Supporter
5
True Believer
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT TIPS
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Reflect shared values
Identify benefits to supporters
Use the right language
Test message
EXERCISE:
DEVELOPING A MESSAGE
Photo: NDI
EXERCISE: MESSAGE BOX
What we say about us
What we say about them
What they say about themselves
What they say about us
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT
TOOLS
• Use a triangle as a visual aid
• Decide on 3 main points
• Support points with key words,
phrases, facts
EXAMPLE: MESSAGE TRIANGLE
Health Care
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It is a right, not luxury; the top concern of every parent.
43 million Americans do not have health insurance.
I learned much of what I know at the side of my 93 year old
grandmother’s hospital bed.
Woman
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Mothers, sisters, daughters, including young niece Jennifer.
On average women get paid 76% of what men do.
There has never been a woman elected from this district.
Different
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Health Care
Unique, new, uncommon.
Not more of the same.
Offer new perspectives and solutions.
Woman
Different
DETERMING ISSUE IMPORTANCE
AND POSITION
• Tying issues to your message
• Example: Clinton - “Change or
more of the same?”
EXERCISE: DETERMINING ISSUE
IMPORTANCE AND POSITION
• Issue selection
– How important is the issue?
– Who has the better position?
IDENTIFYING MESSENGERS
• Use real, relatable people
• Use credible people
• Trustworthiness and sincerity are key
IDENTIFYING DELIVERY TOOLS
• Door-to-door
canvassing
• Newsletter or
other mailings
• Campaign posters
• Public forums
• Emails/website
• Newspaper
columns
• Weekly radio
programs
• Individual
meetings
• Television ad
• Press release
• Phone calls
IDENTIFYING DELIVERY TOOLS
• Which delivery tools?
• “Medium is the message”
• Find your audience where they
already ‘live’
Photo: Amy Hamelin, NDI
STAYING ON MESSAGE
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Practice, practice, practice
Always return to message
Keep it simple
Repeat, repeat, repeat
STAYING ON MESSAGE
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Have a brief, simple message
Memorize it
Give it to everyone
Relate ALL issues to message
Answer all questions with message
SPEECH OUTLINE
• Introduction
• Define the problem
• Share your solution
• Call to action
• Conclusion
Photo: NDI
EXERCISE: PRACTICE SPEECH
Prepare a 30-60 second speech based on
your message
Photo: Caroline Hubbard, NDI
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT
REVIEW
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Set goals
Identify target audience
Develop message
Select messengers and delivery tools
Practice and stay “on message”
MESSAGE EXAMPLE
MESSAGE EXAMPLE
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MESSAGE EXAMPLE
Name card with voting instruction
MESSAGE EXAMPLE
Indonesia – name card