The 1-Hour Message House

Plus, the missing step that makes your Message House campaign-ready

Welcome to the Power Shifts newsletter. I’m Joseph Lavoie, a partner at Crestview, a global public affairs agency. Each week I share frameworks, playbooks, and case studies on designing effective public affairs strategies. I also explore my longstanding theory that every business is in the business of politics.

Free members can read a portion of each article, while paid members can read the whole thing. For some, part of the article satiates. But if you’re hungry for more, I’d love you to consider becoming a paid member!

I’m continuing to explore what it takes to launch regulatory/public affairs campaigns quickly. Over the last few weeks, I’ve explored new frameworks and concepts I’m stitching together that would let me launch a campaign within 72 hours, not 72 days. If you have skipped over my recent posts on the topic, let me get you caught up in three bullets. To launch a minimum viable campaign, you need:

1. The Win Theory (Define the win and how you’ll get there)

2. The Arena Map (Assess which game you’re playing, how to get in, and how to win)

3. The Yes Math. (A person-by-person accounting of who you need to win over)

What comes next? The case. The message. Here, a well-known framework works very well when you have little time: The Message House. You’ll want to scroll down to step four to see what I add to this common framework.

The Message House

I’ve written about the Message House before, when I laid out a series of prompts you could use with AI to develop your message house quickly. But in the spirit of building on this series and keeping things in good order, allow me to revisit this concept for newer subscribers.

Your campaign always needs a crisp, repeatable story that makes your ask as easy as possible to say yes to. A message house is a simple framework you can use to ensure your messaging is clear, consistent, and effective across all campaign channels. It has three components:

1. Roof: one sentence that captures what you want + why it helps the public + why it’s workable now.

2. Walls: three to four short, proof-backed pillars a decision-maker can repeat.

3. Foundation: three to five auditable proofs (numbers, examples, pilots) that sit under the walls.

Developing your Message House

Time Needed: 1 hour

Step 1: Write the Roof

A great roof is specific, public-minded, and operational. It’s tempting to sell your company, but avoid that temptation, as it will turn decision-makers and the public away. Instead, you need the roof to make the decision-maker’s job easy. Aim for 15-25 words. Kill any adjectives you can’t prove.

Formula:

Ask + Public benefit + Workable now

“Adopt [exact change] so [group] gets [clear benefit], and do it [in a way that’s feasible now].”

As you build out the roof, stress test your draft with the echo test:

• A skeptic can restate it accurately

• No jargon, no hedge words

• One concrete public benefit

• Specific action and timeline

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How this would look if you’re in the hypothetical hot seat of the food and beverage company:

“Phase the ‘High in Sugar’ warning from 12 to 10g/100ml over 24 months, and allow a 10mm icon on bottles of 350ml and smaller, so families see a clear warning and small retailers can relabel without waste.”

This passes the echo test because it:

• Is specific and clear about what's being requested (changing sugar warning threshold from 12 to 10g/100ml over a specific timeframe).

• Avoids jargon and uses straightforward language

• Includes the public benefit (families see clear warnings)

• Addresses workability (allows 24 months for transition and accommodates small retailers)

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Step 2: Erect the Walls

Walls are the three or four reasons your ask is sensible. Each wall is a single, short sentence that pairs a claim with a proof you can show on a chart. Good walls should be easy to quote or recite by decision-makers. And while you can spend time designing your own walls, you can save time by using one of these reliable, pre-fabricated walls:

1. Clarity/Outcomes: This wall focuses on the tangible results your proposal will achieve. Use specific metrics when possible: "Our plan will reduce sugar consumption by 15% among children under 12, preventing an estimated 2,000 cases of childhood diabetes annually."

2. Feasibility/Execution: This wall addresses how realistic and implementable your proposal is: "The 24-month phase-in period gives manufacturers sufficient time to adjust labels and reformulate products, with 92% of companies reporting they can meet this timeline based on our industry survey."

3. Fairness/Proportionality: This wall emphasizes how your proposal distributes benefits and burdens equitably: "The adjusted warning threshold creates a level playing field for all manufacturers while giving smaller businesses flexibility with the 10mm icon option for products under 350ml."

4. Accountability/Proof: This wall showcases your commitment to measuring progress and making adjustments as needed: "We will publish quarterly compliance reports showing adoption rates across the industry and collect consumer feedback to ensure warnings are having the intended educational impact."

5. Consistency/Precedent: This wall highlights similar successful implementations or examples that support your approach: "The 10g/100ml warning threshold has already been successfully implemented in three neighbouring markets, with manufacturers reporting minimal disruption to their production processes and distribution chains."