What To Do

Identify and/or develop, pretest, and select materials needed to support your channel-specific communication activities.

Materials: tangible items that support the communication message or activities.

Select Materials from among many options that support communication messages, settings, message channels, and activities:

• Pamphlets
  
• Press kits
  
• Billboards
  
• Leaflets
  
• Movies
  
• Letters to the editor
  
• Web pages
  
• Posters
  
• Newsletters
  
• Magazine articles or advertisements
  
• Thank-you notes
  
• Payroll inserts
  
• Bookmarks (PDF 124K)
  
• Comic books
  
• Opinion-related (Op-ed) articles
  
• Fact sheets
  
• SOHCOs (Single, Overriding Health Communication Objectives)
  
• Audio/video news releases (ANR/VNR)
  
• Talking points for public appearances or media personalities
  
• Print materials that use pictures and entertaining story lines
• Displays
• Kiosks

How To Do It

Identify and /or develop materials

Identifying appropriate materials should depend on the channel activity you selected in the previous step.

For example, if you plan to use an individual channel activity like HIV counseling, you may need to develop a brochure or select an existing one to give to the client as a reminder of the issues you have discussed. On the other hand, if you plan to use a societal-level channel like television, you may need to develop a public service announcement or select an existing one to convey your message.

Using Pre-existing Materials

Before developing new materials, you may want to search for existing materials that already present a message that fits your program's objectives. Using pre-existing materials can save time and resources. However, ask some important questions as you consider using materials already in existence:

• Do the messages presented fit your communication concept and objectives?
  
• Do the materials offer accurate, complete, and relevant information?
  
• Are the materials appropriate for your target audience in format, style, and readability level?
  
• Can the materials be modified to become appropriate?

To help decide if existing materials are appropriate for your communication concepts, you should explore the following issues:

• How the messages were developed
  
• Were the materials tested
  
• How the materials have been used
  
• Have the materials been effective
  
• What changes the producer would recommend based on lessons learned when the materials were used
  
• Can you receive permission to modify or use parts of the materials (especially important if the materials are copyrighted)

Developing New Materials

If existing messages and materials are inadequate, develop new messages and materials to test with your target audience. Base them on the concepts you have already pre-tested. As you develop messages to test, consider the following issues:

• All messages in all activities should reinforce each other and fit your communication concept and objectives.
  
• Illustrations should gain attention and aid to understanding and recall and therefore, reinforce your message.
  
• Prepare materials tailored to the target audience in content, layout, use of visuals, and readability, including appropriate language.
  
• Pay attention to the special needs of your target audience, including literacy level, language, cultural appropriateness, vision/hearing needs, and other physical disabilities.

Tips for Common Communication Activities

Listed below are some development tips for the most common communication activities:

Print Materials

• Write in the active voice.
  
• Clarify with examples.
  
• Use graphics that are immediately identifiable and relevant.
  
• Use graphics that reinforce the text, not compete with it.
  
• Avoid right-justified margins.
  
• Avoid small type (less than 10-point) and large blocks of print.
  
• Use short sentences or short paragraphs.
  
• Break up text with visuals and bullets to emphasize important points.
  
• Explain, if necessary, with a glossary.
  
• Avoid jargon and technical terms.
  
• Avoid abbreviations and acronyms.
  
• Avoid unprofessional drawings and technical diagrams.
  
• Summarize at the end for review.

Video and/or Audio Public Service Announcements

• Keep messages short and simple, focusing on one or two main points.
  
• Be sure that every word counts in conveying your message.
  
• Repeat the main message as often as possible.
  
• Identify the main issue in the first ten seconds.
  
• Summarize or repeat the main message at the end.
  
• Recommend a specific action.
  
• Provide new, accurate, straightforward information.
  
• Use a memorable slogan, theme, music, or sound effects.
  
• Be sure that the presenter is seen as a credible source of information (as an authority, target audience representative, or celebrity associated with the topic).
  
• Use positive rather than negative appeals.
  
• Emphasize the results of behavior modification, not just the problem.
  
• Use appeal, language, and style relevant to the target audience.

Oral presentations - Talking Points/Tips

• Introduce the topic and state the purpose at the outset.
  
• Repeat the main message throughout the presentation.
  
• Use audiovisual materials to reinforce the main points.
  
• Clarify with examples.
  
• Demonstrate the health problem behavior or skills, if relevant.
  
• Present the facts in a straightforward manner.
  
• Use an appropriate tone (for example: a humorous or straightforward tone).
  
• Use language and style appropriate to the target audience.
  
• Allow time for personal interaction with the audience (such as: questions and answers).
  
• Distribute supporting materials that participants can take with them as reminders of the message.

Pre-test materials

As in the previous steps, for pre-testing, you will need to assemble a representative group of your target audience and test the effectiveness of your materials. Some possible questions to find the answers to are:

• How does your test audience feel about or respond to the materials presented?
  
• Are the materials aimed at your intended message channel?
  
• Are the materials conveying your intended message?
  
• Are there competing and therefore, unwanted, messages conveyed?

Select materials

Selection of communication materials should be based on the results of your pre-testing and should reflect the message channel previously identified.

When you have completed this step, you should have the materials for your intervention developed, pre-tested, and selected.