What are your key messages?

Relating closely to your vision are your key messages, but they should not simply rephrase or elaborate the vision.

In an information saturated world, even people who are really interested in what you do, are unlikely to grasp

Instead, your key messages could be a mixture of the following:

• Key facts or figures that underpin your campaign
• Things that you are doing to achieve your vision
• Things that you want others (e.g. the Government, a company) to do to tackle the problem you’ve set out

There is no rule book on how many key messages you should have, but presenting more than five is probably too many.

However, you may want to promote different (or different versions of) key messages to appeal to diverse audiences. In which case you may well want to have a slightly larger bank of key messages.

Let’s contrast two different sets of key messages:

NothingButNets

• Malaria Kills. Nets save lives. Send a net. Save a life. Visit www.NothingButNets.net to donate and learn more.
• Nothing But Nets – a global, grassroots campaign to save lives by delivering long-lasting insecticide-treated nets to prevent malaria – has engaged over 70,000 individuals, raised more than $20 million; and distributed over 700,000 nets to date.
• Every 30 seconds a child dies from malaria. And every day 25 million pregnant African women risk severe illness and harm to their unborn children from a malaria infection.

The It Doesn't Have to Happen campaign messages are:

For young people

1. Most young people don't carry knives.
2. Say ‘no' to knives.
3. If you carry a knife, you're more likely to get stabbed yourself.Most people who carry a knife don't think they'll use it.
4. It is illegal to carry a knife - the maximum penalty is four years in prison and a £5,000 fine. It Doesn't Have to Happen - even if a knife wound isn't fatal it can still cause serious harm.
5. The effects of knife crime are devastating - for young people, their families, friends and community.
6. Get involved in It Doesn't Have to Happen and take a stand against knife crime.
7. It Doesn't Have to Happen has been created by young people like you.
8. Tell your friends about www.Itdoesnthavetohappen.co.uk - the more people you tell, the stronger we become.

For parents and carers

1. It's time to take a stand together against knife crime.
2. Most young people do not carry knives but it's better to talk to your children earlier on to prevent them from the possibility of getting to this stage.
3. You have a role to play in helping your child make the right choice. If there is one person your child will listen to, it's you. They respect you more than you think.
4. Understand the legal consequences of carrying a knife.
5. Talk to your child and talk to other mothers - you can make a difference.
6. Work together with other parents, teachers and support groups, this is not an issue you have to face on your own.
7. Keep a close eye on your kids, and look out for signs that something might be wrong.
8. Use the help and guidance set out in the website to launch and run your own campaign.
9. Tell us what you're doing and what's going on in your area by emailing info@itdoesnthavetohappen.co.uk.

Both campaigns have very powerful and clear messages – the first has three, the second has 19!

Nothing But Nets essentially communicates three things – that malaria kills, that malaria nets can save lives, and that they provide these nets. Even if you don’t remember the statistics the key messages provide, it is quite easy to absorb and retain these three points.

With the ‘It Doesn’t Have to Happen’ campaign, arguably, there are too many messages for each to be considered key messages. That is not to say that all 19 are not clear and important messages. But could you recount all 19? The chances are you will only be able to recall 3-5 of these messages – while this is the same as the first campaign, you may not be recalling the 3-5 messages that the campaign would most want you to remember!

So, do think carefully about what all your messages are, and then deciding what are the ones that you most want to be understood by others.