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NEW FOR 2024-2025: We provide this opportunity for our chapter sponsors to share PR-related content with our members.

 

Family Life Radio Presents

Unlocking Audience Engagement: The Power of Communication Theories in PR

 

By Laura Kruszewski

Marketing and Public Relations Manager, Family Life Radio

 

Enhance your public relations plan by implementing a communication model or

theory to shape how you engage with your target audience and craft relevant messaging. Whether you're trying to change behavior or opinion, or simply create awareness, these theories are valuable tools you can use.

 

When crafting your strategy, it’s important to understand how people will process and react to your campaign. We’ll explore two theories that can be particularly valuable when launching a new product or service: Diffusion of Innovations and Rhetoric.

 

Diffusion of Innovations theory targets various types of audiences through tailored messaging using different channels, depending upon which stage of the diffusion process they are in. It starts with innovation - for example, rolling out your product in a new market. According to this theory, there are five types of audiences, each varying in how quickly they adopt your innovation:

• Innovators: The first to try something new, willing to take risks.

• Early Adopters: Influential and often opinion leaders. They follow the innovators and may write reviews or post about your innovation.

• Early Majority: adopt the innovation before the average person.

• Late Majority: skeptical and tend to wait until most people have adopted the innovation.

• Laggards: last to adopt the new idea, resistant to change.

 

Once you understand your audiences, you can craft your messaging and decide upon communication channels for each of them, considering where they are in the adoption process. This theory also suggests identifying leaders (influencers, community leaders, experts) who can advocate for your innovation. Adjust your messaging and communication channels based on feedback and adoption rates to maximize impact.

 

Rhetoric theory dates back to the ancient Greece philosopher Aristotle, and still proves to be an effective way of reaching audiences today. Aristotle explained three ways to persuade or influence others through ethos, pathos, and logos:

• Ethos: Establish credibility by sharing your company’s expertise and credentials.

• Pathos: Use emotion to appeal to how your audience needs, thinks, and feels, tapping into their fears, beliefs, hopes, and goals.

• Logos: Present facts, logical arguments, and good reasoning clearly to persuade your audience. Incorporate metaphors, analogies and imagery to make your message more memorable and impactful.

 

These are just two of the many theories that can help guide you through the journey of understanding, reaching and engaging with your target audience(s) as they are receiving and interpreting your messaging. Along with other communication theories, they can aid in understanding how your audience receives and interprets your messaging.