https://roughhousemedia.co.uk

Making the Media Work for You

Making the Media Work for You

020 8332 6200
info@roughhouse.co.uk

  • Our Services
    • Training courses
    • Video production services
    • Crisis communications consultancy
  • Our Team
  • Our Clients
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

What’s all the fuss about Key Messages?

by Ann Wright, June 28, 2011

People in PR, and people like me who do media training, talk about key messages all the time.

‘What are your key messages?’

‘Make sure you deliver your key messages.’

‘Can we just work on your key messages?’

But, big question, what on earth is a key message?

And do they really matter?

Well, let me ask you to do a little exercise.

Watch or listen to any live interview in any news bulletin.

At the end, what was the most memorable thing the interviewee said?

Do you think that was the point he or she would like you have taken away from their
pearls of wisdom.

If not, then he or she has missed a huge opportunity. He or she hasn’t delivered their ‘key messages’.

The ‘key messages’ are the most important points the interviewee would like to make about the issue under discussion during the interview.

If someone was interviewing me about Rough House’s media training courses, the key
messages I would want to deliver would be:

  1. All our trainers are still working at the very highest level of their industry – in national newspapers, on the BBC, Sky and ITV. Which means that when we tell you about how the media operates, we really know what we’re talking about.
  2. All our courses are bespoke, tailor made for each client so that they meet their precise needs.
  3. We provide excellent customer service and our services are all of the highest quality.

And my task, going into the interview, would not be to answer the questions posed by
the reporter or presenter, but to ‘deliver’ these messages.

We’d generally advise anyone to have no more than three messages, to keep them simple, and to be ruthless during the interview in making sure that those messages are delivered loud and clear.

Of course – that’s as easy as it seems, which is why it’s important to:

Firstly: work out what they should be before the interview,

Secondly:  test them out in realistic situations (for example during a media training session),

and

Thirdly: prepare very carefully for each and every interview, so you know what the
questions posed might be and you’ve got a gameplan about how to make sure you
are about to deliver your messages effectively.

Don’t forget, if you need help with working out and testing your key messages, Rough House can help.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby feather

You might also be interested in:

  1. How to identify interview questions
  2. Newsnight grilling offers two key lessons on media interviews
  3. Media training: key phrases to avoid in interviews
  4. Memorable presentations: five key elements

Filed Under: All posts, Media Training, Public Relations Tagged With: Key Messages, Media Training, Public Relations

Trackbacks

  1. Six Golden Rules of Media Relations | says:
    September 8, 2013 at 4:08 pm

    […] 3. Have consistent key messages […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

"Professional approach and service. Professional journalists and crew - just professional"
Hudson Rose Communications

What are you looking for?

Stay in touch: our newsletter

* = required field

We offer a 15% discount to charities

CharityComms Partner
West London Business Awards Finalist 2020

Menu

  • Our Services
  • Our Team
  • Our Clients
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Rough House Ltd

Oriel House
26 The Quadrant
Richmond
TW9 1DL

020 8332 6200
info@roughhouse.co.uk

Terms of use

Registered Office

2 Dukes Court
Bognor Road
Chichester
PO19 8FX

Registered in England No.03647107

© Rough House Ltd 2020

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Epik on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in