Modeling the role of Communications

Is it possible to model the role Messaging plays in a campaign? Are there visualization techniques we can use to better explain the relevancy of communications strategy thinking?

Little did I know that a quick lunch with Ryan Coleman would go a long way towards answering these questions. We discussed Mind States and Needs as it relates to Messaging/Ideas.  I thought that was the end of it.  But Ryan emailed me the next day to inform me he had taken a stab at modeling what we spoke of.

The following week would see the model dancing back and forth with a number of conversations, tweaks and questions.

Today I'm happy to announce that Ryan has published the results of our conversations.

[full size version]

I've had a number of client discussions and have even incorporated versions of the above model into presentations and team briefs.  Below I present a simplified version and some of the reasons I find it so remarkable.

Reason Number One:  Simplicity.

If I simplify the relationship into a one-way wheel, as shown to the left, I can speak to the role of Mind State in the individual being engaged and how these are often remarkably different or easily overlooked when we focus only on the Needs we are attempting to reach.  And clients (and creative teams) appear to get the relationship.

Reason Number Two:  Relationship to Product.

It's been spoken of a lot in books, blogs, podcasts and even traditional media.  Marketers have to begin to have influence over the features of a product (where features are everything from customer service to how the product functions.)  And this chart actually provides a compelling 360 degree argument for this.  How it's features that meet the needs.  And that it's features that drive the Messaging.  And if the features don't map, then we have a problem that needs to be solved in order to drive growth, sales and loyalty.

Reason Number Three: Contextual Planning.

This model allows us to explore how we map, measure and deploy communications planning.  I'm interested in how it evolves to interact with this concept of context that is ruling my world at present.  People are choosing how to interact with content and channels on a emotional, personal and intuitive level.  We choose to read a paper, SMS a friend, visit a website, IM an associate and then have a conversation all without much thought or consideration.  We just select the most appropriate channel.  How does our mindstate (and even our needs) shift as a result of these choices? 

Because, while they may shift on a whim, we tend to have selected specific channels for specific messages.

The role of Rational

Now, there is one thing that Ryan and I are still going back and forth on and that is the role of "rational" in the model.  Ryan has removed it from this version as I don't believe rational thought exists outside of language games or scientific exploration.  The real world is about as free from somatic influence as the pope is free from catholicism.  That said, I've found this to be a very small point and not one that necessarily impacts the model, only the labeling.

And his idea that there are one-to-one and one-to-many relationships between some Mind States and Needs has proven most insightful to me on a number of new engagements.

Vertical Channel Management

One of the things that I really loved was how Ryan used the connection between Needs and Features/Benefits to discuss this model from a Product Management point of view.   (He is CTO of a pretty awesome online translation product/service.)

The image to the right illustrates this thinking in true Ryan style.  Scale corresponds to the strength of the item in question.  So when we begin mapping the audience needs to the product features and benefits, we can begin to look for mismatches.  For example, a strong need with a tiny feature means that we may have a weakness in our product in this specific context.

Ryan has simplified the view quite a bit here for illustration purposes. We are not attempting to suggest a one-to-one relationship by any means.

What I love is that this thinking equally applies if we look at either side of the model (the vertical relationships.)

The link between Messaging and Mind States can be thought of as Messaging Management.  How well are we coordinating our messaging strategy to be contextual, relevant and worthy of "breaking through the clutter"?

In Summary

Be sure to check out Ryan's description of the model as well.

I concur with Ryan that this is certainly not a finished model by any means.  So wade in.  Try it out.  Build your own version.  Just be sure to continue the conversation and let us know where you get to, what works or what doesn't.

Shout Out

I  must say that the discussions around this model actually pre-date the lunch Ryan and I had.  And actually began over dinner with the lovely and amazing (read: smarter than me) Renee Quan.  But she doesn't have a blog, so you will all have to find her and take her out to dinner if you want to gain access to her thinking.