This document provides guidance on developing effective messages for public relations. It discusses: - The communicative nature of PR and importance of understanding the communication process. - Developing messages using both science (adhering to grammar rules) and art (manipulative and innovative language). - Creating a fact file and making the message a means to an end, driven by skillful wording for mutual intelligibility. - Addressing issues like information overload, objective cognitive limits, and subjective interest limits through distinctive, concise, clear, simple, consistent, interesting, relevant and personal messaging. - Tips for hitting the target audience effectively by considering preferences, tone, calls to action, conciseness, and

1. Message Development Strategies
in Public Relations (II)
Bisi Olawuyi, PhD
Research and Strategy Unit
The Quadrant Company

2. Matters Arising
• Complexities in defining PR
• The thrust of PR tasks is communicative in nature
• Message as AN element in the communication
process
• PR practitioners will improve on their
communication competence if they understand
the communication process, and avoid the
different pitfalls associated with them.

4. Underlying assumptions about
message
Self-
evident
Sender-
Receiver
About the
sender
Content
Value-
free
Not an
end

5. Message Development: The What?
• Both SCIENCE and ART
• Science: strict adherence to the rules of
grammar
• Art: manipulative and innovative use of
language that evoke beauty and emotional
bonding with targets
• The ingenious blend of both elevates users of
language to the rank of a wordsmith—
obviously in short supply

6. Message Development-Fact file
A means to an end—communicative
Stimulus-Response
Conscious effort driven by skilful and ingenious stringing of words for mutual intelligibility

7. Critical Issues in Message
Development
• People are inundated with more
messages than they can handle
Information
overload
• People can only take on a limited
amount of information once
Objective
limits
• people take on new information when
they are interested or motivated
Subjective
limits

8. Addressing these issues...
Information
overload
• Distinctive
• Minimal
Objective
limits
• Clear
• Concise
• Simple
• Consistent
Subjective
limits
• Interesting
• Relevant
• Personal

9. Style... Hallmark of true
professionalism

10. Hitting the Bull’s Eye
• Audience
– Who do you want to reach? Who really needs
your message? Be as specific as possible.
– When you know who you are targeting, figure out
what method of communication they prefer?
What is the best place or method you could use to
reach them?

11. Hitting the Bull’s Eye (II)
• Tone/Style
– What tone or style might be appropriate for the
message you're trying to communicate?
Humorous? Serious? Sacred? Urgent? Is there a
tone or style that might be inappropriate for this
kind of message?
– What tone or style would connect the most with
the particular audience you're trying to reach?
– Is the style of language and imagery in harmony
with acceptable standards and principles?

12. Hitting the Bull’s Eye (III)
• Good Communication
– What do you want people to do as a result of your
communication? Is that crystal clear in the marketing?
– Have you described why someone would want to do
this? What is going to make people want to do what
you're asking them to do?
– You will want to make things as concise as possible. Is
there anything you can cut out or is there information
you are providing that people can get elsewhere?
– Would you take the time to read this message if
someone else had written it?

13. Hitting the Bull’s Eye (IV)
• Miscellaneous
– Have you clearly provided details such as dates, times
and locations about any specific events? Do
participants need to bring anything?
– Is your message intended to educate about an
ongoing project, campaign or initiative? If so, will your
message work as a series of different activities with
common ties?
– Is everything spelt correctly? Is the grammar correct?
– Have you asked someone else to proofread your
message?

14. Landmines
Aim for Brevity
Plain words
Watch out for tautology
Use active verbs
Avoid contractions
Avoid foreign words or phrases
Be careful of Double negatives

15. Top 10 Tips for Writers
Brevity
• Restrict sentences to 25 to 30 words, three per paragraph
maximum
REPETITION
• Never repeat a word in a single passage. Look for synonyms
CLICHÉS
• Kill stale, overused words and phrases. Consult a thesaurus
JARGON
• Cut out mumbo-jumbo. Will the reader understand?
FACTS, FACT-
• Give facts, not waffle or comment, unless it’s a quote

16. Top 10 Tips for Writers (cont.)
QUALIFIERS
• Write with verbs and nouns, not adjectives and adverbs
ACCURACY
• Ensure the accuracy of everything. Watch for non sequiturs
PUNCTUATION
• The full stop is your best friend. Use it liberally.
READABILITY
• Make sure your copy is easy to read; does it look boring.
CONSISTENCY
• Keep style consistent throughout.

17. Final Word!!!
• “For messages to be properly communicated
and understood, clarity ...is essential...” (John
Foster)