Communication Strategy

You’re walking through a clinic lobby or skimming through a public bulletin board when a flyer catches your eye—but something about it feels off. The title reads: Do You Suffer From Mental Illness? Beneath it, a short sentence invites you to participate in a study so researchers can “assess your symptoms.” No explanation of what the study involves. No details about who’s running it, aside from a university logo in the corner that’s barely visible. The language feels medicalized. Blunt. Almost accusatory. If the goal was to encourage people to engage in the research study, it falls flat. If anything, it might deepen the very stigma the study hopes to understand.

Now imagine a different version. This one has brightly colored letters in a large, clear font. The opening line asks, Do you sometimes struggle with feeling down or anxious?  The message is phrased gently, like someone checking in rather than diagnosing. The next line explains that researchers at a local university are studying a new talk therapy to support people managing stress and anxiety. No jargon. Just an open invitation to engage in research that can shape something meaningful for others. The contact details are impossible to miss: a phone number, an email, and a QR code that leads directly to the study site. It’s clear. Warm. Respectful.

Both posters are about the same study. However, they each tell very different stories. One signals discomfort—even risk—like signing up might come with judgment. The other signals agency, centering the participant as a collaborator, not a subject. The difference between the two recruitment flyers isn’t luck—it’s the result of two distinct communication choices. From tone to layout, every element either invites participation or makes it harder to imagine stepping in.

This is what a communication strategy does: it goes beyond the content itself and focuses on the thinking that shapes it. It influences how a message feels, who it reaches, what assumptions it carries, and how likely it is to spark engagement. Every choice, from phrasing to format to visuals, can change how the message is understood.

Whether it’s a research flyer, a public health initiative, or a fashion campaign launching a new collection, communication strategy influences what people hear, how they feel about it, and what they choose to do next.