Key Messages: Cool Data Capsules

Key messages are are short, concise, power-packed capsules of information – bite-sized chunks of data, often referred to as "soundbites." They are most effective when formatted into a structure that is like a mini-sandwich (surprise, surprise - see the Bull's Eye Model™). 

The "sandwich" starts with a headline, and is filled with some or all of the following:

1. proof of of why the headline statement is true
2. examples of how the headline is true
3. benefits that will ensue from the headline

Key message are the most effective way for organizations and individuals to communicate essential information to the media, and through them to a wider audience.

This key message was delivered by the then White House  spokesman Ari Fleischer, just as the US began its bombing campaign in Afghanistan in 2001: