Developing Key Messages. Next, think about the key messages you need the consumer to take from your communications. What is the most compelling message that you could tell your audience? What will convince the target audience to take the desired action? You should test your messages up front, to check they are relevant and compelling to your target audience. This can be done through the Prototyping process described later in this section or more formal research. A key message: • Is the idea or belief that the target consumer should retain after she is exposed to the communication piece, • Is not necessarily the actual text that will appear in the communication piece, but a summary of what that text should convey, • Will be used again in the creative brief to describe the core idea upon which the advertising agency (or internal creative department) will build their concepts, • Should be single-minded and focused. Remember, the audience may not have a long time to digest the message (depending on the channel), so it is important to create a key message that is easily understood and immediately compelling. Apply the insights you gained from researching your intended user / target audience to develop your key message. Examples of possible HIVST messages might include: • HIVST is convenient and can be used anywhere • HIVST is private and confidential • HIVST lets you know your status, and knowing your status protects the people you love • [For providers] HIVST should be offered as an additional approach to conventional HIV testing • With proper treatment, millions of people live long and fulfilling lives with HIV • U=U, People infected with HIV who are virally suppressed cannot sexually transmit the virus to others. • Practicing safer sex can dramatically reduce risk of HIV infection • VMMC is a highly effective way to lower your risk of HIV acquisition • PrEP is a highly effective way to lower your risk of HIV acquisition Branded vs. Generic Communications: Communications and promotion campaigns can be branded or generic (i.e., promoting HIVST in general, without any reference to a particular brand). This choice will depend both on the program objectives and the brand’s credibility with the audience.
Developing Key Messages. Key messages encapsulate the essence of vaccination related issues, trigger dialogue and promote knowledge transfer among partners, stakeholders, policy makers and the general public. The key messages revolve around the general subject matters of the importance of collaboration, knowledge transfer, forecasting needs and vaccine demand, informed decision making, building capacity and sustainability. It is important that all of the stakeholders understand what EU-JAV is and does, thus the messaging needs always to link back to the Joint Action’s work packages key objectives and target audiences.
Developing Key Messages. Progress and key results from iAtlantic are formally recorded and reported via project deliverables and scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals. Whilst these are suitable for recording project progress and for communicating results within the scientific community, these outputs often require a level of ‘translation’ to enable the information to be used by wider audiences. To address this, more digestible summaries of key deliverables will be produced by the WP6 team in collaboration with the relevant science teams, with key messages distilled for delivery at identified stakeholder events (see Table 3). Key messages on specific topics may also be developed for stakeholders with particular agendas and interests, as well as public-facing messages in accessible language for non-specialists. The communication tools to convey these messages to different audiences are outlined in tables 1 and 2. Towards the end of the project, overarching messages and conclusions will be summarised in Deliverable 6.6, iAtlantic Research Highlights – a publication that showcases the project’s main achievements, outcomes and recommendations in an accessible and informative style that is accessible to the widest possible range of audiences.
