A Singing Message

I am one of millions over the past few days who viewed the surprising and moving performance of Susan Boyle on a recent installment of the "American Idol series. This unknown songstress literally blew everyone away with the quality and strength of her singing No question, it was a rare, genuine moment of magic on television. But talent aside, why and how did this seemingly ordinary person resonate so profoundly with so many people? The answer can be found, at least in part, in one of the key ingredients of successful communication: identifying with an audience.

A message, no matter how slick or polished, will fall flat on its face if it does not speak to something of relevance to the audience to which it is directed. If people can not readily understand or see "what's in it for me," then they will very likely not tune into the words or power point presentation before them. To connect with others, communication efforts need to be formulated in ways that speak to the needs, wishes and/or interests of others. One reason I feel reality television continues to maintain such a high level of popularity is that it places ordinary people in not-so-ordinary situations. Then, regular folk like me have a chance to tune in to see how some one "just like me" will do. I will never sing or dance in public, have a chance to become a super model, go to a deserted island and live off grubs, or be pursued by a dozen beautiful women because they think I am a millionaire. But it is fun to see how a person with whom I can relate will do. Thus, as the communicators in this scenario, the producers of these programs are able to connect with their audience.

This, then, takes us back to Susan Boyle. Whether she will ever become as famous as she wishes, is anyone's guess. Personally, I hope she does. The program's producers used her as a message and it was a bull's-eye because this lady is exactly the kind of person with whom the rest of us, on a gut level, can relate. It is a communicator's dream. It is also entertainment. And what's better than communication that enlightens as well as entertains?