Creating Messages: Principles and a Template

Creating messages: principles and a template

Introduction

The concept of distilling detailed and complex research into a set of key messages can be challenging on many levels. There is the functional question of how: how can you distil all of that work into such a short summary? Then there may be concerns about simplifying the research to such a degree that subtleties and nuances are lost, which may lead to findings being misinterpreted.

In research communications, messages are your headlines. They are the summary that helps an audience decide whether what you have is relevant or of interest to them.

Just as with traditional news headlines, your messages must sum up, in language that will appeal to your audiences, the aspects of your study that:

a.are likely to be of most interest to youraudiences

b.mirrorthe main findingsaccurately.

Key messages are your means of initiating engagement. Detail, nuances and data can follow, but if you cannot catch and keep your audience’s attention in the first instance then you cannot engage with them on a deeper level. That is why developing and maintaining a set of key messages is one of the most important communications tasks you will undertake.

Some principles of effective message creation

•Effective messages link to your communications objectives (what do we need our audiences to do with this information?) but are written to appeal to your audiences’ interests andconcerns.

•Keep it simple. Effective messages are able to distil the key points and phrase them in a way that your audiences can understand quickly. Even complex issues can often be broken down into smaller, easier-to-understandparts.

•You may need to vary your messages to appeal to differentaudiences.

•Use the language that your audiencesuse.

•Different stages of your research study may require different messaging.

•Revisit and refresh your messages over time and keep them up todate.

How to use your messages

•Use messaging to guide your communications around the study’s findings. Messagingdoesnothavetobeusedverbatimbutitcanhelptoprovidefocusand consistency tocommunications.

•You may also wish to capture your messaging in the communications strategy template.

It’s important to note: the templates are not intended to be public documents, because they are not presented in a form that is likely to appeal to audiences. Instead, they

aredesigned to act as a guide for you and your colleagues as you communicate your findings during the project.

Message creation templates

It is often the case that research studies require two kinds of messaging. The first is around the study itself: how to describe it, and its potential impact, in a concise,

engagingway. The second is for messages that summarise findings and that may need to be adapted to appeal to different audiences’ interests.

The following templates can assist in both forms of message creation.

Messaging around the research study

Use this template to think about and distil some messages for your study.

Who are you (the research team)?

What is the focus of the study?

Whose practice, policymaking or behaviour might this inform or influence?

What is the context?

Why is this study different? What will it add to the body of knowledge on this subject?

How could this research make things better?

How could this study add value or improve efficiency?

Who are your supporters and partners?

Messaging around findings

The template that follows provides a framework for the creation of some audience messages.Notallsectionsmayfeelrelevant–youcanadaptanythatdonot.The principle is to go through the process of distilling and capturing your messages and setting them out so that they can be used clearly and consistently in your communications.

Output

•Hone this messaging until you feel that it is clear, concise and accurately represents your study and its potentialcontribution.

•Setthemessagingoutanddistributeit–asaninternaldocumentonly–to relevant members of the researchteam.