5 Acronyms Good for any Communication

5 ACRONYMS WORTH CONSIDERING IN YOUR NEXT COMMS BRIEF NICK WARREN

When I think of the people that use acronyms in their everyday dialogue, I recall those guys in the 90s who had holsters for their mobile phones.

The same guys used to be "key chuckers”.

They had a set of important looking keys on a rope or a thong or a chain and they’d swing the keys in a tight arc and catch them in the palm of their hand with a cocky snap.

They might also have had a tiny compass in the heel of their shoe and they a Swiss Army Knife or some other form of multitool in the cargo pocket of their pants, if not in another holster on their belt.

Nice guys – don’t get me wrong, useful people to have in a crisis, but somewhat nerdy, pedantic, morally superior and socially awkward. The guys you’d never want to be sat next to in a lively bar when fun was being had by those around you.

Move it up thirty years later and these same types have apps for everything.

They know the fuel output of their vehicles at different speeds and in different weather, and they probably know a guy who knows a guy who can get you N95 medical grade facemasks for a special price.

Anyway, enough about Nigel Evans.

Acronyms can be a useful shorthand for leveraging important concepts, and especially so when compiling a communications campaign brief that will be more than just another generic version of every other brief you’ve ever written, or tried to respond to.

So here goes.

1. USP. The Unique Selling Proposition.

This shouldn’t be the usual thing that the marketing department has rolled out and cast in concrete for your brand, product or service. It should be what is unique about the particular communication you’re planning on sharing with your audience.

2. CVP. Customer Value Proposition.

Again, in writing a brief for a comm, the value proposition is not what they have taught your generic customer to expect from your brand, product or service. It’s about the value of this communication.

3. EVP. Employee Value Proposition.

You guessed it – not how and why they are so lucky to work with or for your particular company. Here, what is the value of the communication you are planning to this audience?

4. ROI. Return On Investment.

In comms terms this means the money you are putting into the budget to develop the strategy, or concept, copy, design and production of the communication in whatever media – and how prudent or proportionate is it? A great mailer or video could cost thousands of "dollars", but if it will reach thousands of people, you can divide the investment by the impact.

5 . RO E. Return On Engagement.

So, you’ve reached thousands of people with that awesome mailer or beautiful video or whatever, but what is the response you expect?

How do you want people to engage with it, and how are you going to measure that engagement?

And if the answer is that no, you just need people to know something – (an FYI) - then you might miss a great opportunity to create some behavioural change.

And Now? If you’re a client writing the brief go back to the top of the list and try again, you’ll get a better creative solution.

If you’re a creative responding to the brief go to the top of the list and dig a little deeper, you’ll deliver a more meaningful piece of work.

If you’d like help with either, contact me at nick@creativeclarity.co.za and I’ll RSVP just ASAP.

P.S. Nigel, I miss you and that tiny screwdriver you had on your penknife that could put the screw back in the hinge of my glasses.

Clearly Communicate Anything to Anyone www.creativeclarity.co.za