PR Capstone: OG&E Message Branding & Strategy

Information, Persuasion & Dialogue

As Sivanathan speaks on failing strategies, a difference in shared opinion, or speaking truth to power, the most vital resource is courage. As such, even with the right information and the perfect dialogue, it is the ability to persuade and influence that is paramount to a message's branding, strategy and effectiveness.

How we craft our messages as communicators relies heavily on molding and the impact we desire to have to our target audiences. For example, Sivanathan speaks on the dilution effect. A human communicative quirk that brings down our strongest cases.

In this diagram, our minds' use information to average and leverage our opinion, no matter the case in point.

So...how do we remedy this?

As an example, Sivanathan talks about a pharmaceutical ad that features a happy couple but ends with a brief listing of a drugs' side effects. Applying this to this research, they created two ads with side effects listed, the latter of the ads' had 4 words extracted from it.

The result?

Participants that knew of the major and minor side effects rated the overall severity lower.

But what does this mean for communicators with message strategies?

Brevity.

In the world of communication, for the purpose of influence

Quality trumps quantity.

Strategic Spokesperson

So how do we apply this to spokesperson?

When dealing with a situation that requires transparency and truth of an internal situation, it is best to deliver information through a company spokesperson. A person who emulates the quality of the company and can speak with influence.

If the situation is lighter (ie. product promotion, endorsement, etc.) then you may entertain a celebrity endorsement. In this case, the quality is associated with sensationalism rather than transparency. The best from of delivery is the quality and publicity of a sensational person.

For our client, being that our campaign is rooted in education and community, it is best to consider students and employees of OG&E. This can be attuned to the values and quality of our message which are rooted in Oklahoma's education and energy development.