The Message and the Meta-MessageHow to Assess and Control the “Body Language” of Your Communications

PLAIN 2013, Vancouver BC September 26, 2013

Josiah Fisk President, More Carrot LLC Boston

Sounds Great, But What Exactly

Are We Talking About?

EXAMPLE

Message with Conflicting Meta-Message from Actions

Please stay on the line.

Your call is ver y important to us.

Your call is ver y important to us.

Your call is ver y important to us.

Your call is ver y important to us.

Your call is ver y important to us.

Your call is ver y important to us.

un

Your call

Your questions

Your problems

Your time

You

All totally unimportant to us.

Now what was it you were calling about?

EXAMPLE

Message with Conflicting Meta-Message from Environment

EXAMPLE

Message with Strong Meta-Message Shift over Time

EXAMPLE

Message with its Own Conflicting Meta-Message

Message and meta-message aligned.

Message and meta-message misaligned.

Worse than no message at all.

META-MA XIM #1

The meta-message is context’s commentary

on the message.

META-MA XIM #2

A bad meta-message doesn’t just cancel out the message:

it can re-aim it in the wrong direction

META-MA XIM #3

If you don’t control the meta-message,

you don’t control the message.

Message Sent vs.

Message Received

EXAMPLE

Self-Introduction with Desired Message Articulated

Who is this nutjob and

how can I get rid of him?

Hello. I am a nice guy. You will like me!

EXAMPLE

Self-Introduction with Desired Message as a Reaction Goal

Hello. I really liked your

presentation!Hey, he seems

like a really nice guy!

META-MA XIM #4

To get the meta-message right, sometimes you have to change the message.

META-MA XIM #5

You already know how to manage your personal

meta-message. Borrow those skills.

Learning From The Masters

Recognize this guy?

How about this guy?

The Marlboro Man

The Marlboro Man 1957

1965

Brand name

Headline

Feature list

Product in use

PackagingBody copy

Brand imagery

Headline (2-part, includes

brand name)

Product in use

Packaging

Body copy (shorter)

Brand imagery (bigger, in color)

Headline (shorter)

Product in use

Packaging (only mention of brand name)

Brand imagery

Package and brand name barely visible

Brand name big, no headline; surgeon general’s warning added

Brand name tilted and partly obscured.

Image, brand name, product in use.

Image, brand name.

No headline, no features, no body copy. No packaging, no product in use.

And yet no lack of communication.

Ankara

% of 2nd - 5th graders who recognize Marlboro brand:

92%

Ankara

Source: Tobacco Control, 1998

Q: How well has this worked?

A: We’ll never know for sure.

. . . but we can do some message analysis.

• Sterile• All text• Logic-based• Clunky

• Human• Visually rich• Emotion-based• Enticing

You bet I’m bad.What you are doing is bad.

Factual Reality

Life Death

Death Life

Emotional Reality

Stealing From The Masters

Meta-messaging that hijacks rational thought processes.

Messaging that hijacks Marlboro’s meta-messaging.

Created by an ad agency.

Created by an ad agency.

Created by a bureaucracy. . .

• Sterile• All text• Logic-based• Clunky

• Human• Visually rich• Emotion-based• Enticing

Look and feel dictated by tobacco companies

META-MA XIM #6

When you’re up against the manipulative

power of emotions, manipulate back.

Fixing the Meta-Message

EXAMPLE

Consumer Disclosure (TSA)

Boarding Pass Kiosk — TSA Screen

“Redress Number”

“privacy impact assessment”

“published system of records notice”

. . . 49 U.S.C. section 114 and 49

C.F.R. parts 1540 and 1560 . . .

I sure hope I don’t miss my plane!

“TSA requires you”

“under the authority of ”

“Not providing the information will discontinue your check-in.”

We’re totally absorbed in our own reality. We don’t care if you understand or not.

You’re probably a terrorist anyway.

The meta-messages.

We hold the power here.

The most important meta-message.

Original Screen

Simplified Screen* *Hypothetical

Asking for your help

To help keep air travel safe, the federal government requires that you tell us your full name, date of birth, and gender.

Questions? Go to tsa.gov.

OK

Cancel Check-In

Goal we all support (and citation is credible)

To help keep air travel safe, the federal government requires that you tell us your full name, date of birth, and gender.

Questions? Go to tsa.gov.

OK

Cancel Check-In

Hey, it’s not our idea

To help keep air travel safe, the federal government requires that you tell us your full name, date of birth, and gender.

Questions? Go to tsa.gov.

OK

Cancel Check-In

To help keep air travel safe, the federal government requires that you tell us your full name, date of birth, and gender.

Questions? Go to tsa.gov.

OK

Cancel Check-In

No big deal

To help keep air travel safe, the federal government requires that you tell us your full name, date of birth, and gender.

Questions? Go to tsa.gov.

OK

Cancel Check-In

Same choices, non-threatening presentation

To help keep air travel safe, the federal government requires that you tell us your full name, date of birth, and gender.

Questions? Go to tsa.gov.

OK

Cancel Check-In

Helpful tone (vs. “if you don’t believe us” tone)

To help keep air travel safe, the federal government requires that you tell us your full name, date of birth, and gender.

Questions? Go to tsa.gov.

OK

Cancel Check-In

Design gives visual prominence to key elements, for speed

To help keep air travel safe, the federal government requires that you tell us your full name, date of birth, and gender.

Questions? Go to tsa.gov.

OK

Cancel Check-In

Design gives visual prominence to key elements, for speed

We know you’re in a hurry so we’ll be brief. Yes, you have to. But security benefits us all.

. . . unless you’re a terrorist, which we assume you’re not.

The new meta-messages.

We recognize your concerns.

The most important meta-message.

META-MA XIM #8

Nobody ever likes to be reminded

that you have more power than they do.

EXAMPLE

Icon-Style Highway Sign

MESSAGE: Picnic area with trees, turn right.

MESSAGE: Picnic area with trees, turn right.

META-MESSAGE: Now doesn’t that look lovely and fun!

OTHER META-MESSAGES:

Maybe you’d like a little break from driving.

OTHER META-MESSAGES:

Wholesome place to bring the family.

OTHER META-MESSAGES:

See, we haven’t completely wasted your tax dollars.

META-MESSAGES UNCLEAR:

Bent trees?

META-MESSAGES UNCLEAR:

High wind area?

META-MESSAGES UNCLEAR:

We don’t know how to draw a tree?

META-MESSAGES UNCLEAR:

Beware of falling trees — enjoy your picnic?

Positive/unambiguous meta-messages.

Negative/unclear meta-messages.

Actual sign

META-MA XIM #9

It’s very easy to miss the flaws in your communications.

Unfortunately, you may be the only one who does.

Live Discussion of Examples

How special is this supposed to make me feel?

EXAMPLE

Coverage Update Letter from Health Insurance Provider

“Quickest and easiest way” for whom? (requires typing 43-character url)

EXAMPLE

Pharmacy Benefits Change Mailer from Health Insurance Provider

Why are you trying to sell me when you’ve already told me

you’re forcing me to buy?

META-MA XIM #10

Overdoing the meta-message isn’t as bad as underdoing it.

It’s worse.

Takeaways

• Can change the direction of your message.

• Are never neutral: either they’re helping you, hurting you, or letting you down.

• Are always there – you cannot turn them off.

• But you can manage them: - Assess, anticipate, monitor - Control the ones you can control - Plan around the rest

Meta-messages:

• Never promise more than you can deliver - in communications - in actions and follow-through

• Show that you care, show that you understand - show, don’t tell - don’t patronize

• Work hard on your meta-messages and they will hard for you.

Meta-message management:

Thank you!

Questions?

less stick

www.morecarrot.com

@MoreCarrotLLC