An executive I worked with used to challenge the marketing and public relations teams to find the “red thread” that ties multiple communications vehicles together. While I’m quite sure she still issues that challenge and that it is used to describe a universal concept, I love the visual the metaphor it immediately creates.
Tie everything together…
Even when I use the term, in my mind’s eye I see a thin, but unmistakable line of braided fibre strands in a deep scarlet hue stitching together two pieces of dark-coloured leather.
It’s this visualize I keep as I work through communications plans, speeches, launch events, press conferences, and more. I use it as a helpful reminder that every communications touch-point needs to feel like it’s coming from a single source.
With an ever-growing list of channels for external (social media, advertising, speeches, press releases, digital content) and internal (intranet, all employee emails, town halls) communications mediums, it’s easy to let some level of inconsistency slip into the content without even realizing it.
For me, that’s word choice. When I’m writing a communications plan that will be deployed across multiple channels to a variety of audiences, the creative juices can start to flow and some liberties are taken, such as with the internal email versus the external blog post.
But, I also do that on purpose. I want the variation because I inevitably land on a better way to articulate a concept. Then, before the proposal goes through the vetting and approval process, I refine. I take the best language from each communications vehicle and then sprinkle it across all of the materials to help ensure that red thread can be found.
That’s my process. What works for you?
Have a communications campaign that could use some help? Contact me for a free consultation.