Principle 5: Channel Selection
There are several media channels such as TV, radio, newspaper, social media, and oral media which can be used in Strategic Communications. Selecting the right channels to use in a given campaign and for a given audience is key to the success of every campaign (Davis, 2016).
However, it is always difficult, especially for inexperienced and untrained communicators, to be able to select the appropriate channels. Similarly, many Publicity and Public Affairs personnel, who have become addicted to the traditional mass media, finds it difficult to appropriately select the right channel, away from the traditional media such as radio and TV which they have become accustomed to.
There is no almighty channel of communication because every channel has its strengths and weaknesses. However, Rice and Atkin (2000) suggest that, when selecting channels of communication, factors that must be considered are audience reach and the suitability of the channel(s) to support the audience’s level of comprehension.
Similarly, the WHO (2017) suggests that before selecting a given channel, Strategic Communicators need to analyze the audience’s access to different media resources and preferences. Though there is a growing belief that the multi-media approach remains the best, it is important to note that the choice of channel for Strategic Communication is determined by the nature of the target audience and the target goals for the communication purpose.
Principle 6: Message Timing and Control
In Strategic Communication, having good message content and suitable channels to deliver the content is not the end but the means to the end. The communicator must understand that the audience can miss the messages as well as the content, may be if the wrong timing is used in the delivery.
Therefore, it is expedient that the communicator proactively ensures that only appropriate information is sent out at the appropriate time (Sheer & Ling, 2004). For instance, a radio campaign program that targets farmers should be aired in the evening after the farmers are back from their farms and are resting; doing otherwise will lead to a waste of resources, as the farmers might not get the message.
Also, the communicator must ensure that only the intended audience is exposed to the messages with sufficient frequency to exceed some threshold for effectiveness (Elder, Shults, Sleet, Nichols, Thompson & Rajab, 2004).
Principle 7: Measurement
The process of Strategic Communication never ends because the audience has received the purposeful packaged information. The communicator needs to measure if the set goals have been achieved and if the resources expended for the whole campaign can be justified.
Therefore, the Performance Matrix or Indicators must be clearly defined before the actual communication campaign begins. As Musa (2016) asserts, when well-defined performance measurement indicators are put in place, it will help the communicator to identify gaps and fix such gaps subsequently.
Principle 8: Feedback Mechanisms
Feedback is defined as the audience’s response to communication content received. Feedback helps the communicator to evaluate whether the purpose of the communication has been achieved and what could be the impediment to the whole process.
According to Berry and Parasuraman (2007), feedback can either be unsolicited or solicited. However, it is important to stress that Strategic Communication, being intentional communication, requires the practitioners to solicit feedback from their target audiences.
Right in the campaign plan, the approaches to adopt in soliciting feedback must be clearly stated. Some of these approaches include observation, a survey of the target audience, and content analysis of social media comments regarding the campaign and the organization, to gauge opinion.
*The general principle is that Strategic Communication is guided by a Strategic Communication Plan (SCP). SCP is a formal document that spells out all the principles discussed above and many other key elements that inform the communication approach.
