1. Getting it right, internally.
Message Mapping
Getting it right, internally.

2. Who’s your audience. What are their priorities
Who’s your audience? What are their priorities? What is their current mindset? What are their key behaviours? What is their expectation of the union?

3. Align your strategy with your actual work.
Be clear, credible and compelling. Build trust along the way.

4. Worksite and public communications
Air versus Ground
Worksite and public communications

5. View from the Ground Embedded in ground Figure out your role
Establish relationships with key spokespeople and community supporters
Trust on both sides
Regular meetings
Message testing

6. Figuring it out, internally
Campaign timeline
Message Mapping
Establishing roles and deadlines
Building the frame
Expecting challenges

7. Building a catalog of stories
Who gathers the stories?
Who takes the photos?
Who identifies and fosters spokespersons?

8. Ground: How often? Timeline of communications ‘deliverables’
What are the conversations?

9. Air: Being smart about it
What’s the public ‘frame’ for our work?
When do we go public, and how?
Following benchmarks/key moments (both)

10. Arrange a messaging session.
- Forum with clear goals
- Gather all pertinent information
- The right people around the table
- Diversify (not only leaders)
- “Manufacturers” and “deliverers” should be there
- Name a “producer”

11. The session provides an opportunity to talk through any issues together so that when everyone walks out of the room, they’re all in agreement on “what we’re trying to accomplish” and “how we’re going to tell that story”.

12. Learn from our mistakes. Amplify our victories.
What’s the union’s history in the workplace?
Who can help us amplify our message?
Who will point out our mistakes?
Where have we had major success before?
What messages absolutely will not work?

13. Principles of persuasion
1 Alignment: When everything lines up, there are no contradictions to cause disagreement.
2 Amplification: Make the important bits bigger and other bits smaller.
3 Consistency: We must maintain consistency between what we think, say and do.
4 Contrast: We notice and decide by difference between two things, not absolute measures.
5 Evidence: I cannot deny what I see with my own eyes.
6 Framing: Meaning depends on context. So control the context.

14. 7 Interest: If I am interested then I will pay attention.
8 Logic: What makes sense must be true.
9 Objectivity: Standing back decreases emotion and increases logic.
10 Repetition: If something happens often enough, I will eventually be persuaded.
11 Specificity: People fill in the gaps in vague statements.
12 Trust: If I trust you, I will accept your truth and expose my vulnerabilities.
13 Understanding: If I understand you, then I can interact more accurately with you.

15. Gathering stories

16. IDENTIFY THE ISSUES Common worksite concerns
Find best examples, prove them
What are they not saying?
Find workers who can speak consistently
Those with natural confidence

17. How do we get the good stories?
Once identified, spend LOTS of time talking
Be patient and understanding
Repeat the stories back to them
EMPOWER (“We can’t do this without you”)
Dig a little deeper if you must

19. Core Messages
What, Why, and How

20. What are core messages?
Connect with the public interest and core values.
Are short and easy to remember and repeat.
Provide frame and context, not just facts.
Anticipate and neutralize the opposition’s messages.
Generally are about outcomes, not process.
Have to be true.
Work with all audiences – workers, public, politicians, etc.
Have some emotional punch.
Are likely to hold up throughout the campaign.

22. GOAL A pay increase and a reduction in health insurance costs for commercial cleaners.

23. “MESSAGE” THAT IS REALLY SUPPORTING FACTS OR SPECIAL INTEREST ARGUMENT
Example one.
These building service workers make only $7 an hour. Even though they clean 30 offices in four hours every night, their paychecks are below the federal poverty line for a family of four. They can’t afford hundreds of dollars per month for health coverage for themselves and their families.
“MESSAGE” THAT IS REALLY SUPPORTING FACTS OR SPECIAL INTEREST ARGUMENT

24. CORE MESSAGE WITH PUBLIC INTEREST FRAME & VALUES
Spot on.
If you work hard to provide important services in our city, you shouldn’t have to choose between food on the table or medicine for your children.
For our city, our communities, and our families, there’s no future in poverty pay.
CORE MESSAGE WITH PUBLIC INTEREST FRAME & VALUES

25. A simple formula: Build a foundation
(Positive statement—about workers, industry)…..BUT….(problems, current situation, issues).
IF…(we do something/something happens)…WE CAN…(achieve goal).

26. Then add your support…
Supporting messages are true, flexible, statistics-driven, and specific
Try one on for size
Leaflet fodder
List grows as campaign moves forward

27. Role of the organiser in communications
STORIES, QUOTES, PICTURES
Inform communicators of changes on the ground. Is a message working or not?
Help identify workers who could be campaign spokespersons
Work with communicators on message training and development
Notify communicators of the needs for new or modified material