Message MappingStep 4

Seven Stepsin Message Mapping

1. Identify stakeholders/target audiences2. Identify stakeholder questions or concerns3. Identify common sets of concerns4. Develop key messages5. Develop supporting information6. Conduct testing7. Plan for delivery

For a high-concern issue or scenario:

Developing key messages is the core of message mapping.

Templates

• Templates are organizing frameworks for putting messages together

• Three templates fundamental to message mapping are:

1. CCO

2. 27/9/3

3. 1N=3P

CCO Template

• CCO stands for:

– Compassion– Conviction– Optimism

• People in high-stress situations want to know that you care before they care what you know.

CCO Template

• First message is one of compassion, listening, and empathy

• Followed by a message of conviction or commitment

• Followed by a message of optimism or hope

CCO template buildstrust and credibility

27/9/3 (Rule of 3)Template

• People under stress have difficulty hearing, understanding, and remembering information

• People stop processing information after:

– 27 words– 9 seconds– 3 messages

27/9/3 (Rule of 3)Template

• Based on attention span research

– “The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information”George A. Miller (Department of Psychology, Princeton University)The Psychological Review, 1956, Vol. 63, pp. 81-97

– Low-stress situations: 7 is fundamental

27/9/3 (Rule of 3)Template

• In high-stress situations, the magic number drops from 7 to 3

• Rule of 3:

– Three key messages– Three supporting facts or three credible sources for

each key message– Repeat messages three times

1N=3P Template(Negative Dominance)

1N (Negative) = 3P (Positives)

• When people are stressed and upset, they typically focus more on the negative than the positive, often at a rate of 3:1

1N=3P Template(Negative Dominance)

• Provide three to four positive messages for each negative message

• Avoid unnecessary negatives

– (e.g., no, not, never, nothing, none)

• Avoid absolutes

– (e.g., never, always)

Template Application

• Brainstorm key messages

• Choose one of many templates to use, including:

– IDK (“I Don’t Know”)

– AGL-4 (refers to grade level)

• All key messages and supporting information should follow appropriate rules and guidelines