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Message and Materials Development

Module D3

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Module objectives

By the end of this module you should be able to

1. Describe the process involved in the development of messages that will resonate with the target audiences

2. Demonstrate the use communication approaches that will best enable audiences to remember the messages

3. Describe ways to conduct message testing to ensure messages are understood and can be acted upon

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Ask yourself before developing a product

● What do we need to take into consideration before developing a product?

● Why do we need to develop a product?

● What is the best product for our target audiences?

● How can we know that our product (message) resonates with our audiences?

Photo : WHO /Aphaluck Bhatiasevi

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The basics of messaging 3 Cs

● Content – Explicit information

– Accuracy is key

● Context – Culture, beliefs, and previously received

information shape understanding of messages

● Connection (relationship) – respect and caring

– power

– relationship about working together Image: http://www.nap.edu/cover/12187/450

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Checklist: developing messages

1. Are the messages understandable? – Avoid jargon and technical language

2. Are the messages complete, honest and open? – Acknowledge uncertainty – Acknowledge mistakes – Acknowledge what you don't know – Don't speculate

3. Are the messages respectful of concerns? – Concerns about their health – Concerns about fairness – Concerns about the future

Photo: WHO/A.Bhatiasevi

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Checklist: developing messages

4. Are the messages sensitive to cultural practices?

5. Do the messages express empathy for victims and those affected?

6. Are they short and to the point?

7. Do they avoid negative terms (not, never, no…)?

8. Do they avoid absolute terms (always, never, absolutely certain…)?

Photo: WHO/A.Bhatiasevi

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ACCA Model Russel H Colley, 1961

●Awareness (informed)

●Comprehension (understand)

●Conviction (belief)

●Action (adopt)

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Memorable messages: communicate from inside out

Always start

with WHY

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A new information age

Today a person is subjected to more information in a day than a person in the middle ages was in an entire life!

Image:

http://blogs.ischool.utexas.edu/perspectives/files/2013/04/informationoverloadcartoon.jpg

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Psychology of memory: we are wired to forget

Image: https://krystaljem.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/the-forgetting-curve.jpg

Retention can be increased by multisensory learning

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The psychology of memory – memory is increased by engaging multiple senses

30% Hear

20% Read

40% See

50% Say

60% Do

90% Multisensory combination

Image: http://www.cliparthut.com/clip-arts/351/sensory-system-351346.jpeg

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The psychology of memory – people remember the beginning and the end

Primacy and Recency:

Advertisers, writers, entertainers and teachers know this secret.

Beginning End

Vast cognitive wasteland

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The Fluency Effect – the fonts we use help or hinder reading and retention

1. Wash your hands

2. Wash Your hands

3. Wash your hands

4. WASH YOUR HANDS

5. Wash your hands

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Brain facts – processing time

● Speaking - 125-150 words per minute

● Listening -125 -250 words per minute

– (audio books are 150-160)

● Reading - 250 -300 words per minute

● Thinking - 1 000 to 3 000 words per minute

Image: http://www.headsmatter.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/brain.jpg

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Always test messages

● Intercept interviews

● Focus groups

● Key Informant interviews

● Public opinion polling

● The first three are best for when you do not have a lot of time, and these methods will be the focus of this session

Photo: WHO/A.Bhatiasevi

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Intercept interviews

● Interviews conducted in central locations with access to target population

● Interviews are oral, mainly close-ended questions

● Participant’s responses to questions are recorded on interview forms

● Interviews last ~10 - 20 minutes

● Recommended that researchers complete enough interviews to establish a pattern of response

Photo: WHO/A.Bhatiasevi

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● You can connect with harder-to-reach respondents in locations convenient and comfortable for them

● It’s quick - the interview should be no longer than 10-20 minutes

● Cost-effective

Intercept interviews – positives

Image: http://c8.alamy.com/comp/ANG89C/africa-kenya-kwali-heifer-project-international-

co-ordinator-interviews-ANG89C.jpg

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● You must train interviewers

● Your results are not representative or generalizable

● Not appropriate for sensitive issues or potentially threatening questions

Intercept interviews – negatives

Photo: WHO/A.Bhatiasevi

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● A group of people • Average size between 6-8

people

– Research method

– Focused efforts at data gathering

– Group discussions

– Recruitment through a variety of ways

Focus groups

Image: http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/figures/1472-6963-11-S2-S1-6.jpg

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● Helps to identify problems that need to be addressed

● Good for assessing the outcome of a program or intervention

● Helps understand complex behaviours and motivation

● A way to receive feedback on materials, plans or policies and to inform survey design

Focus groups – pros

Image: http://www.ucd.ie/research/images/2013/detail/781x518-MALAWI.jpg

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● Focus groups are inappropriate if topic is

– Private or sensitive

– Diverse or broad enough to have unpredictable responses

– Quantitative and requires statistical data

● Focus groups must be moderated

● Focus groups require some data analysis

Focus groups – cons

Image: http://qdatraining.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Focus-Group.jpg

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Reminder

● Before developing a product, find out why you need to develop the product and who are the target audiences

● Keep in mind the 3C's of communication – content, context, connection

● Test the products to make sure they resonate with your audiences before finalising and distributing them

● Evaluate and assess the impact of the product

● Adapt and update the product according to the feedback from the audiences

Photo: Fernando Ravilla