Government and institutional communicators often find themselves dealing with a large number of issues at the same time. For example, dealing with issues such as poverty, race, class, jobs, education simultaneously can become overwhelming.
Sometimes, however, it can be possible to group issues such as these under a general category? For example, the issues listed above could be grouped under a category such as “equal opportunity,” and then a communication campaign can be designed for that category. Simple category themes have a better chance of getting through to multiple audiences, and then compelling stories about those issues can be effective examples.
Experience teaches that effective communication requires simple primary themes or messages. Here’s another example. Issues such as water, hunger, food, global warming, etc. could be clustered under a simple theme such as “saving the planet.” Priority audiences, and the media preferences for each one, can then be identified for that theme. The key is to repeat the theme or category over and over, and to use compelling examples based on the underlying issues.
This approach may not fit every situation. But it can be an effective strategy for institutions and governments finding themselves overwhelmed with too many complex issues all at once.
Larry D. Lauer 
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