Shoot the right message – not the messenger!

Which hat goes with my message?

Wearing the jaunty little cap of a JOURNALIST, the message is all about public interest – and the interests of the editor, the publisher, the key advertisers and so on…

With the floral confection, as worn by a PR CONSULTANT, the message is often about the client’s viewpoint, prettily disguised as public interest so the journo will bite & use the press release. But of course, freedom of the press dictates that they use it at their discretion to and your carefully crafted 700-word release may end up being a random, often misquoted, quote.

With a marketing or advertising COPYWRITER, sporting an arty little creation straight from the runway, the message is clearly targeted and you – as the client – can completely control the message. What you can’t control, is how your target audience will interpret the message…

THE WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN & HOW OF GETTING IT RIGHT

And yes, you COULD blame the crafter of the message – be they journalist, spin doctor or copywriter – when the message blows up in your face. But, if you follow these simple steps, you will not only shoot the RIGHT message to the RIGHT target audience but eliminate the need to shoot the messenger (as you never know when you might need them again….)

Decide on WHAT to communicate.
Ask yourself, WHAT is your main objective? Is it to maintain or boost mindshare? Or to launch a new product/service?

Focus WHO you want to reach.
Do you want to go directly to the consumer or to the reseller or the whole channel?

Do your homework on WHERE to reach them.
Once your target audience has been decided on, you’ll need to research the best ways to reach them – your budget will also play a large role in this. Sure, you can splash out in all the big newspapers, on TV & radio – but do you have the budget and/or the time? Or will the immediacy of online /mobile or in-store work better for you?

Go straight to the HOW.
Okay, so you’ve decided on the medium – the where – of the message but what form will it take? Will it be in the form of a competition, a launch event or simply a radio or e-mail campaign?

That will give you a clearer idea of the deliverables.

Brief it right!
Now, you can compile a simple, straightforward brief to your designated messenger – the copywriter. If your brief contains all the above simple, but essential elements, he/she will have a clearer idea of what you want to achieve, who to target the message at and what the main message should be, such as for e.g. an event invitation, aimed at resellers, focusing on a new product.

If the copywriter is worth their salt, they will do their homework on your brand & product, the kind of messaging that will work well for the target audience, current social and reference trends and based that on, and other key elements, will craft the perfect communication that delivers the message succinctly, powerfully & hits the right note with the audience so that they answer your call to action.

If not, well then they deserve to be shot!