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1-Minute Insight: Strategic Communications
As a Public Relations professional, I am amused when I hear people pillorying the outrageous things Trump says which people cannot possibly believe, or how Shou Chew failed miserably when he was berated by members of the US Congress, or even how Leong Mun Wai is a fool for all the ridiculous things he is saying.
The truth of the matter is that they are not talking to you.
In communications, there are four categories of target audiences — apparent, ultimate, intermediate, and unintended. The apparent target audience is the direct recipient of the message; the ultimate target audience is the actual person or group the communicator wants to influence; the intermediate target audience is the conduit to get the message to the ultimate target audience; and the unintended target audience is anybody that may come across the message. Understanding and identifying the ultimate target audience is critical to understanding what is going on and, if so desired, deriving the appropriate counter-message.
In the examples I shared at the beginning of this post, none of us are the ultimate target audience. By getting upset and repeating their “false” message as we lambast them, we unwittingly become their intermediate target audience helping amplify their messages to their ultimate target audience. This is the exact opposite of what we are intending to do by getting angry and rubbishing their message.
So the next time you find yourself getting riled up, pause. Remember, they are not talking to you.
