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The Message House is a long-established part of the PR toolbox. Its attractiveness for communicators is in its central purpose – to focus communications on simple, effective and structured messages. After first encountering the technique, I was immediately sold on it – so much so, it became the name of my business! Yet whilst still a much valued tool, I think there are ways the Message House method could be improved to ensure communications are even more effective.
I often get asked to provide guidance to people looking for a career in PR and communications and many of their queries focus on how to handle job interviews.
Despite recruiting for very different organisations and roles, I find most interviewers tend to have a very similar approach to asking questions. Job interviews are a bit like exam papers – the same topics are always there, just sometimes dressed up in different ways.
I find there’s something very therapeutic about attending focus groups.
Not because everything the respondents say is nice. On the contrary, in my experience, they often attack the client’s brand with vehemence and venom and occasionally rip apart much-treasured campaign ideas in front of their creator’s eyes.
Awkward.
Why every good message needs a mate
Firstly, a disclaimer. When I say cheerleaders and communications, I’m not about to recommend adding some pom-poms and razzamatazz to the launch of your next Annual Report, although of course that might be a good idea anyway. Instead I’m interested in the Cheerleader Effect and its impact on how we communicate our messages.
The story that McDonald’s is to stop serving Heinz ketchup has been massive this week. In the UK, where we love our red sauce, the story was all over the media and must have caused some real headaches for the Heinz brand team.
In these circumstances, you would be forgiven for expecting our favourite ketchup company to come out fighting. In fact, their response has been to say nothing.
Do you really put customers at the heart of everything you do?
I was watching an old edition of Undercover Boss yesterday. Earnest and hard-working CEO of a large manufacturing company is shocked to discover his positive messages aren’t being well received by his staff and customers, for whom things are much tougher and more difficult than he realised. Who would have thought?
