A message is a piece of information or intended meaning that PR practitioners want their publics to know of. They can use channels such as the mass media, word of mouth or face-to-face communication in order to get this information out. Large scale planning and management is used to decide the angle to take with the campaign which makes up a strategy, and specific tactics form a plan as to how to achieve the desired outcome- in this case being a change in behaviour. We can now look at the theories applying to each step of the domino model.
MESSAGE.
The Message-learning or Learning theory has been worked on by many theorists, but in particular Katz and Hovland. It is based on the concept that we "learn" a new attitude depending on the way messages are constructed. This depends on four factors relating to the message. Firstly, the source must have one of the following qualities; credibility, trustworthiness, expertise, power or attractiveness. Next, the message itself can be complex, yet simple enough for the average person to interpret. It may use emotions such as humour, love and sadness, and it may instil fear into the receiver.
How these messages are interpreted also depends on the receiver - their intelligence and past experiences will alter how they perceive things. It has been shown that intelligent individuals are more likely to be persuaded to form a strong attitude about something than those with lesser intelligence. (Manstead and Hewstone, 1995, p.36) Finally, the channel also contributes to the messages strength. Complex of largely informative ideas are often best communicated in written form where a person may re-read it to fully understand. Simpler issues however are best when communicated through an audio-visual format that may entertain or distract at the same time as informing. However, some say face-to-face contact is more effective than any other channel where appropriate, as people tend to believe a person they can question and speak with more than they would a television or brochure.