Bridging the Communication Gap - Crafting Messages that Cross Cultural, Generational, and Political Boundaries
Bridging the Communication Gap - Crafting Messages that Cross Cultural, Generational, and Political Boundaries
Chances are, you live and work in a fairly diverse community. Of course, diversity comes in many forms, be it people of different ages, ethnicities, income brackets, education levels, political beliefs, etc. As public communicators, it is our job to be able to craft messages that reach across all of these boundaries and speak to our communities as a whole. Sometimes, however, we are tasked with constructing a message around one particular group or issue. How do we balance these needs? Perhaps your economic development team needs help attracting new millennial-oriented businesses to your town? Maybe local law enforcement wants to find a way to foster relationships with minority groups in the community? What if discussion about a tight budget has devolved from discourse into diatribe? Is there internal confusion about what the organization’s brand really represents? Each of these questions can only be answered by communications professionals who are equipped and understand how to stand back and look at each problem through an array of lenses as diverse as the communities and organizations they serve. In this session, participants will take a quick dip in the pool of communication theories to break down how effective messages are constructed and why people respond to them the way they do. A fresh look will be taken at exactly how communication is defined and what it’s supposed to accomplish. Then, practical tactics will be explored for how to identify, communicate to, and connect with diverse audience segments and interest groups inside and outside of our own communities. Lastly, approaches for continually monitoring and responding to the ever-shifting media and communications landscape will be explored. Spoiler alert: In the time it’s taken to read this description, the best approaches for bridging the communication boundaries in your own community have already changed.