Since 1984, David Berman has helped organizations on four continents fulfill their business needs through creative communications strategy, followed up with efficient and innovative deployment of the indicated tactics and technologies.
“… love working with you guys! Can count on quality of your work and meeting deadlines.”
– Sheila Whyte, Inter Pares
We provide public and private sector clients with design, marketing, training and information technology solutions that work. Whether in traditional media or online, our expertise will complement your existing skills and talents.
David’s specific areas of expertise include communications strategy, Web process, e-government, accessibility, information architecture, and ethics.
Coaching and Facilitation
Consulting Areas of Expertise
Strategy Glossary
COMPOSITE PROFILE OR PERSONA
A composite profile (or persona) is a shorthand tool to help define an audience in the development of effective messaging. It is often used when formal research is unavailable or not affordable. Instead, a fictional person who exemplifies the audience (or sometimes the audience segment whose behaviour is most easily influenced) is described. A message tailored to a composite profile can be effective on an entire audience, especially if the audience is relatively homogenous.
DIRECT AUDIENCE
A direct audience is a population to which messages are sent directly and purposefully, with the intention of effecting behavioral change in a target audience. Often, an audience can be both a target audience and a direct audience.
DIRECT COMPETITION
Direct competition consists of organizations perceived by any audience to be similar to our organization, and who compete for the attention of the same direct audiences. For example, Canada Post directly competes with UPS: by choosing one product, the consumer is rejecting the other.
EVERGREENING
Evergreening is a continuous improvement technique used to keep a process current, relevant, and accurate. Content is evergreened by ensuring that each portion of the Web content is evaluated for these properties on a defined schedule, as part of someone’s job description . . . often with the help of a content management system. The strategy is evergreened in a similar way.
INDIRECT AUDIENCE
Indirect audiences are people who are not directly targeted by the Agency’s messages, but for whom there is concern as to how they will react to the delivery of a certain message to a direct audience.
INFORMATION DESIGN PLAN
The information design plan is a document that describes, in words, every element to be included on each page type (for example, the splash page, the home page, typical content pages) including all persistent navigation (sections and utilities).
NAVIGATION ARCHITECTURE DIAGRAM
A navigation architecture diagram should show:
- Hierarchical paths visitors take to get to each page
- How many page types will be graphic designed
- What links are common to all pages
- What is secure
- What is data-driven or uses advanced functionality
- What pages will pop up in new browser windows (if any)
- Which elements will be launched on which dates
- Position of optional future content
- Where the presence meets the rest of the Web
TARGET AUDIENCE
A target audience is a population whose behavioural change (or continued desired behaviour) can fulfill an objective.
Reviewed July 26, 2011