What are Key Messages?

There are so many tactics that we as public relations folks use to effectively do our jobs.

We’ve been taking time each month to share these tactics with our readers as well as client and prospective clients as a means to help all of us understand the inner workings (or as Abbie calls it, “The Secret Sauce”) of how we do our jobs.

If you’ve missed any of the posts, we provide them below.

Today, we tackle key messages.

Key messages are the one to (sometimes) 100 statements you and your client or organization agree are the most important things the target audience need hear, see and understand about said brand or business. They are the heart and soul of what we do. Creating them in partnership with clients is an art and science that requires true study, competitive analysis, creativity, jargon avoidance and a deep understanding of the end goals.

Effectively communicating one or more brand key messages in any public relations effort, to me, is the measure of the effort itself. If you don’t paint the picture – be it with words or photos – of the brand in the effort, then why do it at all?

Full Series to Date – The PR Toolbox
What is a story pitch?
What is a segment sheet?
What is a media advisory?
What is a news release?
What is a photo caption?
What is a deskside media tour?
What is a press conference?
What is an informal media meeting?