Ok there's a lot of chat about this #StayAlert thing today, and yes it's dire.

But there's a few lessons for org's involved in health or science comms.

So here's my thoughts on Reasons Why Shit Like This Sometimes Happens:

you're more interested in making a "catchy slogan" than in useful, clear, and memorable advice.

your comms/messaging process doesn't involve consultation, but instead is more about making the boss happy

You make incorrect assumptions about what your audience knows, and the language they use.

You make incorrect assumptions about what they need.

You're assuming that your audience will actively seek more information if they don't understand your message (they probably won't).

Or you think there's absolutely no risks associated with that (you're wrong)

Or even worse, you believe that if someone doesn't understand your "clear" message, then that's not your problem, it's theirs.

You haven't considered the context of what they already know about the subject, and the messages they've already received, and how this new message fits into that.

You think there's a real need to change the content of the message, when maybe there isn't. (Perhaps you can refresh it in a different way?)