Targeted Messages more Important than Ever

by Roger Pynn

Communicators – marketers, advertising folks and public relations people – talk a lot about target audiences, and as Brian Reich points out in a blog entry at the Public Relations Society of America’s blog ComPRehension, new media and new technology may be causing static between message sender and message receiver.

Communications models have long taught us that the responsibility for a message being received lies with the sender, because static and noise can interrupt even the most carefully crafted message on its way to the receiver.

Reich, author of Media Rules!, offers an important precaution: don’t let the toys and the new technology become your new static.

He’s so right. Far too much of the dialogue among public relations people today is about the medium … not the message … which brings us way too close to proving Marshall “the medium is the message” McLuhan right. It isn’t about Twitter and it isn’t about your iPhone.

Message is always first. Without a message you have no reason to communicate. Whether we choose some old fashioned form of delivery (like a postcard or a newspaper) or instead create a viral pathway through a social network, we ought to be more concerned with targeted messages.

Let’s not leave the target audience asking “WHAT?”

Power is in the Hands of the Beholder…

by Dionne Aiken

Stefan Bucher is a Graphic Illustrator, Designer, and Writer, who runs 344design studio out of L.A.  He’s done work for notable clients such as David Hockney, Roxio, and Tarsem and his work has graced many design publications.  One day, he took time out from his busy schedule and he challenged himself to what began as a personal experiment.  For 100 days, he would create a drawing of a monster/creature beginning with just one blotch of blown ink.  Then he would film himself doing so each day for 100 days.  This spawned what is now known as the Daily Monster.

Toward the beginning of this project, people started to inquire about the story behind each creature.  The catch was that there was no story; the story was for the viewers to create.  After the first story was posted, this became viral and people from all over the world began writing in and posting stories on the Daily Monster.  What began as a personal experiment grew into a “monster” of its own.

This is a great example of how social media can be used to create a buzz, encourage participation, conversation, and a network of loyal participants.  And isn’t this the major goal of most businesses? How do we build consumer awareness? How do we build a buzz and excitement around a brand?  How do we gain and keep consumer interest?  Stefan Bucher was able to achieve all this and more without promoting  or “selling” his blog.  He put the power in the hands of the users by giving them a sense of ownership, getting them involved and providing an environment/platform for them to thrive.