1. Message Mapping Step 4

2. Seven Steps in Message Mapping 1.Identify stakeholders/target audiences 2.Identify stakeholder questions or concerns 3.Identify common sets of concerns 4.Develop key messages 5.Develop supporting information 6.Conduct testing 7.Plan for delivery For a high-concern issue or scenario:

3. Developing key messages is the core of message mapping.

4. Templates Templates are organizing frameworks for putting messages together Three templates fundamental to message mapping are: 1.CCO 2.27/9/3 3.1N=3P

5. CCO Template CCO stands for: – C ompassion – C onviction – O ptimism People in high-stress situations want to know that you care before they care what you know.

6. CCO Template First message is one of compassion, listening, and empathy Followed by a message of conviction or commitment Followed by a message of optimism or hope CCO template builds trust and credibility

7. 27/9/3 (Rule of 3) Template People under stress have difficulty hearing, understanding, and remembering information People stop processing information after: – 27 words – 9 seconds – 3 messages

8. 27/9/3 (Rule of 3) Template Based on attention span research – “The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information” George A. Miller (Department of Psychology, Princeton University) The Psychological Review, 1956, Vol. 63, pp. 81-97 – Low-stress situations: 7 is fundamental

9. 27/9/3 (Rule of 3) Template In high-stress situations, the magic number drops from 7 to 3 Rule of 3: – Three key messages – Three supporting facts or three credible sources for each key message – Repeat messages three times

10. 1N=3P Template (Negative Dominance) 1N (Negative) = 3P (Positives) When people are stressed and upset, they typically focus more on the negative than the positive, often at a rate of 3:1

11. 1N=3P Template (Negative Dominance) Provide three to four positive messages for each negative message Avoid unnecessary negatives – (e.g., no, not, never, nothing, none) Avoid absolutes – (e.g., never, always)

12. Template Application Brainstorm key messages Choose one of many templates to use, including: – IDK (“I Don’t Know”) – AGL-4 (refers to grade level) All key messages and supporting information should follow appropriate rules and guidelines