1. Lesson 4 Message Development
By the end of this lesson, participants should be able to:
Understand elements of a well-developed messaging strategy
Articulate the 5 key principles of key message development
Develop messaging strategy and key messages for each target audience
Lesson 4
Learning Objectives:
List all required elements in a well-developed message
Articulate strengths and weaknesses in message strategies
Incorporating recommended guidelines, develop a messaging strategy for each target audience
Develop a benefits statement (product positioning statement) from an initial draft statement to a final draft of a messaging strategy
Module 3, Unit 3

2. Qualitative and Quantitative Research
Simplified
objectives
Messaging Strategy
Key Messages
Supporting Points
Message Framework
Results
Chain 3 1 4
Target
Audience
Venn
Diagrams
Slogans & Call-to-Actions 2
4P’s B C
Benefits Exchange

3. Lesson Structure Activities and Lectures Agenda Time Activity Type
Identify elements of effective minutes Discovery
messaging strategy
How to develop a messaging 15 minutes Lecture strategy
Developing a messaging 45 minutes Individual activity strategy for your site
Key messages & slogans 30 minutes Lecture
Brainstorm key messages 1 hour Group activity & report out
To Instructor
This should always come after the lesson objective slide that introduces the lesson. Make sure each row comes in at the same time.
Module 3, Unit 3

4. Activity: Identifying Elements of Effective Message Strategy
Purpose: Practice identifying and articulating an effective message strategy
Review advertising examples
Indicate how 5 critical elements were address
Target audience
Desired action
Promise
Support
Message Strategy
To Instructor
Because this is a discovery activity, it is important that the participants do this activity before you present material. Once they have discovered a lot of the information you can quickly review it with slides, or you can skip the slides—they already know it.
Follow instructions provided in instructor manual
Module 3, Unit 3

5. Message Strategy
To Instructor:
Ask participants for a definition of a message strategy
Message strategy helps you articulate your campaign’s value proposition and serves as a consistent starting place for developing campaign messages.
Module 3, Unit 3

6. Example: Serena Island
Module 3, Unit 3

7. Questions to Answer Who is the target audience the ad is speaking to?
What is the desired action of the target audience?
What reward(s) is the message promising?
What makes this promise credible?
What do you think is the messaging strategy?
Module 3, Unit 3

8. 1. Who is the target audience? Local Fishers
Question
Answer
1. Who is the target audience?
Local Fishers
2. What is the desired action of the target audience?
Get free rat traps and set traps on boat daily
3. What reward(s) is being promised?
Protection of nets and tackle
Savings on fishing licenses ($100)
Health of Serena Island
4. What makes promise credible?
Fact that rats pose a problem to health and environment
Specific mention of how much money will save on fishing license
5. What is the messaging strategy?
If I take the time to set rat traps on my boat every day, then I will be saving money by keeping my gear damage-free and receiving a $100 discount on my license.
Module 3, Unit 3

9. Module 3, Unit 3

10. Questions to Answer Who is the target audience the ad is speaking to?
What is the desired action of the target audience?
What reward(s) is the message promising?
What makes this promise credible?
What do you think is the messaging strategy?
Module 3, Unit 3

11. How to develop a Messaging Strategy
Key point
The idea should be expressed in a couple of sentences. If it require a paragraph, keep working on it.
Linking SMART objectives to your messaging strategy in order to produce key messages
Module 3, Unit 3

12. 3 1 Key Message Ideas 2 Messaging Strategy Support Points
(draft ideas, not final)
Overview of SMART Objectives
(For X Audience)
Main messages stemming from your strategy should go here. There can be more than one key message, but they should be the most important points the campaign will communicate. 2
Include very general versions of your SMART objectives from K through BC, not including BR in this box.
Messaging Strategy
Write your one sentence messaging strategy here.
Support Points
(draft points, not final)
These are the factual support points that will back up your key messages. You can also include non-critical information that your campaign will communicate in longer forms of media.
Module 3, Unit 3

13. Example from Onon River, Mongolia Pride campaign 31
Key Message Ideas
(draft ideas, not final)
Overview of SMART Objectives
(For local fishers)
Catch and release our taimen
If you release taimen, your friends can try to catch same fish
Catch fish other than taimen
There are other ways of showing your big catch to friends
Maintain pristine and beauty of Onon River. Chinggis Khan’s birthplace is at risk and needs your help.
Enjoy other kinds of local recreation. 2
Aware of fishing laws and fines/ penalties
Aware that taimen are illegal to catch
Aware of CMAs in their soum
Belief that taimen should always be released back into the river and it’s easy to do so.
Belief that taimen are important to the river ecosystem
Agree that establishing CMAs is important to stop illegal fishing
Discuss releasing taimen with others
Discuss joining a CMA with others
Catch and release taimen every time they fish
Join a CMA
Messaging Strategy
It is important to release taimen back into the river to protect the ecosystem and avoid fines/penalties
Support Points
(draft points, not final)
Taimen are disappearing from Onon River
Releasing taimen will help save longest living fish
Catch and keep taimen is illegal
Establishing CMAs means you will have your own wealth and tourism attraction, and can protect river from illegal fishers.
Work with your neighbors to establish a CMA in your area. It’s easy to do.
MUST include action and benefit
CAN also include support and competing behavior

14. Example from Onon River, Mongolia Pride campaign 31
Key Message Ideas
(draft ideas, not final)
Overview of SMART Objectives
(For local fishers)
Catch and release our taimen
If you release taimen, your friends can try to catch same fish
Catch fish other than taimen
There are other ways of showing your big catch to friends
Maintain pristine and beauty of Onon River. Chinggis Khan’s birthplace is at risk and needs your help.
Enjoy other kinds of local recreation. 2
Aware of fishing laws and fines/ penalties
Aware that taimen are illegal to catch
Aware of CMAs in their soum
Belief that taimen should always be released back into the river and it’s easy to do so.
Belief that taimen are important to the river ecosystem
Agree that establishing CMAs is important to stop illegal fishing
Discuss releasing taimen with others
Discuss joining a CMA with others
Catch and release taimen every time they fish
Join a CMA
Messaging Strategy
It is important to release taimen back into the river to protect the ecosystem and avoid fines/penalties
Support Points
(draft points, not final)
Taimen are disappearing from Onon River
Releasing taimen will help save longest living fish
Catch and keep taimen is illegal
Establishing CMAs means you will have your own wealth and tourism attraction, and can protect river from illegal fishers.
Work with your neighbors to establish a CMA in your area. It’s easy to do.
Slogan
Taimen are unique to the Onon.
Brothers, if you catch taimen, let us release them!

15. Headline: Set our Taimen free!
Body Copy includes text on importance of catch-and-release fishing, and the fun you can have by taking pictures of your catch and competing with friends for the biggest catch (even catching the same fish now that it’s back in the river).
Small picture reinforces the releasing behavior which ties to the call-to-action “if we catch taimen, let us release it.”

16. Try for your site – only to Messaging Strategy1
Overview of SMART Objectives
(For X Audience) 2
Include very general versions of your SMART objectives from K through BC, not including BR in this box.
Messaging Strategy
Write your one sentence messaging strategy here.
Module 3, Unit 3

17. Key Messages
A key message is a phrase summarizing the concept or the principal idea that you are communicating.
Module 3, Unit 3

18. Principles of Message Development
1. Simple
2. “On strategy”
3. Communicate benefit exchange
To Instructor:
At this point participants should be able to deduce some of the principles that lie behind good message development. Before showing this set of slides, see how many principles the group can come up with on their own. Discuss each to the level needed. In the end, though, everyone should agree (basically) on the key principles.
4. Audience-focused
5. Actionable
Module 3, Unit 3

19. Key point
The idea should be expressed in a couple of sentences. If it require a paragraph, keep working on it.
PRINCIPLE 1: SIMPLE
It should be an idea that can be expressed and understood quickly and easily.
Module 3, Unit 3

20. PRINCIPLE 2: ON STRATEGY
Key point
The idea should be expressed in a couple of sentences. If it require a paragraph, keep working on it.
PRINCIPLE 2: ON STRATEGY
Messages should support campaign strategy focused on behavioral objectives
Module 3, Unit 3

21. PRINCIPLE 3: BE MEMORABLE
Key point
The idea should be expressed in a couple of sentences. If it require a paragraph, keep working on it.
PRINCIPLE 3: BE MEMORABLE
Messages are memorable if they are specific, contain a human element, and are personal
Module 3, Unit 3

22. ? ? PRINCIPLE 4: BENEFIT EXCHANGE What’s in it for me? Key point
The idea should be expressed in a couple of sentences. If it require a paragraph, keep working on it.
PRINCIPLE 4: BENEFIT EXCHANGE
What’s in it for me?
Module 3, Unit 3

23. PRINCIPLE 5: AUDIENCE FOCUSED
Key point
The idea should be expressed in a couple of sentences. If it require a paragraph, keep working on it.
PRINCIPLE 5: AUDIENCE FOCUSED
Identify issues that the audience cares about
Module 3, Unit 3

24. PRINCIPLE 6: ACTIONABLE Ask the Audience to do something specific
Key point
The idea should be expressed in a couple of sentences. If it require a paragraph, keep working on it.
PRINCIPLE 6: ACTIONABLE
Ask the Audience to do something specific
Module 3, Unit 3

25. More Rare Principles Scientifically accurate
Integrated with Barrier Removal Plans
Appropriate for specific Stage of Behavior Change
Ethical
Do not “preach”
Use statistics in compelling ways only
Appeal to both heart and mind
Pay attention to tone
Key Points
Messages should be scientifically accurate
Messages should be integrated with Barrier Removal Plans
Messages should be appropriate for specific Stage of Behavior Change
Messages should be ethical
Messages should match the channels (be sure they know what ‘channels’ mean)
Module 3, Unit 3

26. Slogan
Key Points:
It is a phrase that is repeated. It is an expression, or a favorite line; easy to remember and with attractive words. It is always positive.
In terms of a Pride campaign, the slogan represents the brand of your campaign. This brand will be in all your products.
A slogan is a phrase that summarizes the main idea of a campaign in a few memorable words.
Module 3, Unit 3

27. Campaign Slogan Examples
Manatee Matters to Me
I Du love my Dugong, Du you?
Flying for Generations
Keep Our Kite in Flight
To Instructor
Ask the students to point out some differences between key messages and slogans, write on the table on the board
Module 3, Unit 3

28. Commercial Slogans "Finger lickin' good.” “Just Do It” “I’m Lovin’ It“
"Don't leave home without it."
To Instructor:
Ask the students to see if they know these product slogans
Module 3, Unit 3

29. Activity: Brainstorming Key Messages
Purpose: Practicing key message principles and how they apply to your sites
Find group with most similar messaging strategies – no more than 3 to a group.
Brainstorm 3-5 key messages that could apply across all your sites
Report out to group
To Instructor:
All activities should follow this format, with no timing. Any images you need to add in please do so on a separate slide.
Follow instructions provided in instructor manual
Module 3, Unit 3

30. 3 1 Key Message Ideas 2 Messaging Strategy Support Points
(draft ideas, not final)
Overview of SMART Objectives
(For X Audience)
Main messages stemming from your strategy should go here. There can be more than one key message, but they should be the most important points the campaign will communicate. 2
Include very general versions of your SMART objectives from K through BC, not including BR in this box.
Messaging Strategy
Write your one sentence messaging strategy here.
Support Points
(draft points, not final)
These are the factual support points that will back up your key messages. You can also include non-critical information that your campaign will communicate in longer forms of media.
Module 3, Unit 3