Link Messages to the SBCC Strategy

The key benefit or benefits identified through Worksheet 8.2 below should be pretested with representatives of the audience groups to ensure that they resonate with and appeal to them. The most persuasive key benefit should be selected and used to summarize the essence of the whole SBCC strategy. All communication activities will be framed around the key benefit and therefore serve as a constant reminder of the advantages that can be reaped by engaging in the desired behaviors.

Key messages are important vehicles for promoting the key benefit while conveying essential information. Effective key messages should include two essential elements:

• A call to action: Explain the exact desired behavior that the audience should engage in.
• The key benefit: State the advantages that the audience can expect to reap if they perform the desired behavior.

The rapid needs assessment, audience analysis, segmentation and profiling, and the message-mapping exercises discussed throughout this I-Kit should help identify the content for key benefit messages. Messages need to be matched to specific audiences, taking into consideration the following questions:

• What are the audience’s needs, motivations and barriers to change?
• What actions does the program want the audience to take?
• Why should the audience take the desired actions?

For each audience segment, the answers to the above questions need to be matched with the communication objectives, the key benefit, supporting information and the call to action in order to create the full message.