Earlier today, as I moderated a panel discussion with five Fellows of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), one of the panelists asked our opinion about the utility of a “message house” when providing counsel to leaders.

I have been a professional communicator for 46 years and either a department leader or strategic consultant for about 40 of them. I have read more books on communication theory, attended more workshops and seminars and conferences, read more journals and PR textbooks, consumed more articles in business publications, and browsed more online content than I could ever quantify. I even developed a model of my own (“A Framework for Internal Communications”). Yet I had never heard of a message house. I waited for any of my colleagues to answer. Clearly, the term was new to them, too.

I quickly Googled “message house.” (If I had access to the new Bing, I confess I would have used it instead, asking the natural-language question in expectation of a natural-language response.) I found a website, messagehouse.org, dedicated to the concept, which turns out to be fairly simple. In answer to the question, “What is a Message House?” the site explains…

A Message House is a method for increasing messaging discipline within your team. A Message House consists of an outline of a house with messages inside. Simply tell your internal stakeholders (salespersons, fundraisers, etc.) to “stay inside the Message House” when communicating about their project or organization.

I couldn’t resist asking ChatGPT since I don’t yet have access to the new Bing. Clearly, ChatGPT’s training data knew more about the message house model than I did, although—demonstrating its shortcomings—its answer was not consistent with anything else I read. (It added a floor to the house and shifted the sequence. To be fair, though, at least one resource I found offers optional elements to the house, such as framing (where additional value proposition statements can be added if they can support each core message) and a subroof (a general statement that describes the opportunity/problem the message is designed to address). I have included ChatGPT’s response at the end of this post.

I admit to some embarrassment since the search I conducted as my colleagues continued their discussion produced 613,000 results. (An image search delivered dozens of relatively similar diagrams, such as the one shown here.) I wonder how many other communication models I have missed?

Nothing in the message house model is inconsistent with any communication strategy I have learned or employed. When counseling leaders, it is fundamental to make sure they know the primary statement they want stakeholders to understand, the core messages surrounding that statement, and the evidence, facts, and proof points that support the statement and build confidence in the organization’s commitment to it. The fact that a house has walls is right in line with the admonition to leaders not to stray beyond the core messages and the proof points to which everyone has agreed.

Still, seeing the model for the first time—and knowing that it has been around for a long time and many people are already familiar with it—is a stark reminder that nobody knows anything, no matter how long they’ve been in their profession. Stay curious!

By the way, you can watch or listen to our conversation about the crossroads of communication counsel and ethics here.

ChatGPT’s answer to the prompt, “What is a message house and why would companies want to use it?”

A message house is a communication tool that helps organizations develop and organize their key messages clearly and concisely. It’s a framework that helps them to articulate their key messages and ensure that their communications are consistent, coherent, and effective.

The message house is typically structured like a house, with different levels corresponding to different aspects of the message. The foundation level includes the underlying values, beliefs, and principles that support the organization’s message. The first floor includes the key messages that the organization wants to convey, while the second floor includes the supporting evidence and examples that back up those messages. Finally, the roof level includes the call-to-action or the next steps that the organization wants its audience to take.

Companies use message houses for several reasons. First, a message house can help organizations to clarify their core messages and ensure that they are communicating them effectively to their stakeholders. Having a clear and concise message can avoid confusion and ensure that everyone in the organization is on the same page.

Second, message houses can help organizations to communicate more effectively with their external audiences, such as customers, investors, and the media. By having a consistent message across all communication channels, they can build trust and credibility with their stakeholders.

Overall, a message house is a valuable tool for any organization that wants to communicate its key messages effectively and build a strong brand.

Banner image of a message house by Midjourney.