Who are you trying to reach, and what do you want them to do?
The first rule of rhetoric is, "Know your audience."
Audience analysis is a fundamental issue that often gets overlooked. It's hard enough to come up with a short message that's catchy and persuasive, and to have the discipline to stay on that message week after week and month after month.
Audience analysis, though, is fundamental.
Who Are You Trying to Reach?
Every public figure or organization has more than one audience. In fact, you typically have five different audiences:
1) Customers
Whether you're a U.S. senator, the coach of the New York Giants or the manager of a rock band, you've got customers.
2) Potential customers
Anyone who's not a current customer is a potential customer. You want to reach them.
3) Stakeholders
These are people with a common interest and shared stake in what you do. Your boss (or bosses) and coworkers, your suppliers and vendors -- it's a long list.
4) The competition
The message you send to any audience doesn't live in a vacuum. You've got competition. There's a natural opposition to whatever you're trying to do. If you're a U.S. senator, you've got a candidate from the other party running against you.
If you're the coach of the New York Giants, you want to stop your free agents from signing with another team and keep fans in their seats instead of buying tickets to see the Jets games -- or go to the movies. If you're a rock band, you want people buying tickets to your concerts instead of buying a book ... or going to the Giants game.
5) The mass media
Reporters, editors, bloggers, TV producers, radio hosts -- these people are typically how you reach all of your audiences.
You have at least five audiences. That doesn't mean you need five separate slogans or PR campaigns. It means reaching those audiences in different ways and trying to persuade them to do different things.