Developing and Pretesting Concepts and Messages

Review existing materials

When developing a new campaign, it is essential to review existing materials. You should ask yourself the following questions while reviewing the materials: 

• Has someone already solved your problem?
• Is there something you can build on?
• Were there any missteps in the past that you can learn from?
• Is there a campaign in a different health context which does something you really like and think might be effective?

It is also helpful to include members of your intended audience in this step to learn about materials they know already exist and which resonate with them. Ask what they're already doing to address the issue (if anything) or if they have ideas on what will and more importantly, what will not work with their community.

Develop and test message concepts 

Use the information you’ve gathered in collaboration with your intended audience to develop and test preliminary concepts. This step may reveal "competing" concepts or uncertainty about what will work. Knowing what is and isn't working early is better. Adopt an inclusive mindset and include community representatives in message development and testing.

Communicate Health’s A Framework for Equity-Centered Health Communication guide, recommends considering the following when drafting and testing message concepts.

Drafting concepts:

• Lead with empathy. Ensure you are addressing what people are feeling and the challenges they face.
• Modify the message voice and tone to match the content of your message and the audience’s likely emotional state. 
• Use familiar language. It is imperative to use language that is familiar to and will resonate with the intended audience. 
• Counter stigma and shame by ensuring the normalization of the diverse range of human experiences and acknowledging barriers to behavior change.

Testing concept:

• Focus groups and on-on-one interviews work well for testing concepts. Consider the topic you’re discussing and the literacy skills of participants when deciding what format is most appropriate. 
• Choose a location that is familiar and accessible to participants. 
• Test items with diverse members of the target audience. Ensure participants with limited health literacy skills, limited broadband internet access, or situational/permanent disabilities are represented in testing groups. 
• Ask questions related to cultural appropriateness and responsiveness, comprehension, usefulness, credibility, and relatability. 
• Moderators should be familiar with the audience’s preferred language and culture. 

Decide what materials to develop

After thorough pretesting, you should have a clearer understanding of the appropriate strategy and messages. At this point, there should be an understanding of the specific tactics that make sense for the campaign and intended audience.

Develop messages and materials

Consider all the information you have gathered up to this point and imagine what the campaign will look like in the “real world.” Start creating campaign materials that are accessible, understandable, and useful.^1,2 Below are some tips to develop accessible communication products.

• Use plain, everyday language and avoid using complex terms and phrases. Lead with the most essential information to allow users to decide whether to read further for more details. 
• Account for broadband access by developing lightweight, accessible digital products that don’t require a lot of data to use. 
• Design materials for the edge cases. Consider the continuum from temporary to permanent disability. Go beyond Section 508 compliance and design products that center on the needs and preferences of people living with disabilities, older adults, and others with limited literacy and technology experience. This will lead to the development of more accessible products for everyone to use and understand. 
• Review the Design and Equity page and the CHC style guide.

Pretest fully developed messages and materials

Before mass producing or distributing campaign materials, complete a final round of testing of all messages and products. This is an opportunity to confirm that the campaign will have the desired effect and will resonate with the intended audience. Include community representatives in message and materials testing. Refer to the Develop and Test Message Concepts section to learn about important testing considerations. 

Information on this webpage was sourced from the CDC's Making Health Communication Programs Work Guide (CDC), CDCynergy, A Framework for Equity-Centered Health Communication, and Mackert, M. S., Lazard, A. J., & Love, B. (2017). Designing effective health messages. Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.