{"id":470,"date":"2025-05-26T16:57:46","date_gmt":"2025-05-26T16:57:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=470"},"modified":"2025-09-04T13:40:47","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T13:40:47","slug":"adapting-to-your-audience","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/chapter\/adapting-to-your-audience\/","title":{"raw":"Adapting to Your Audience","rendered":"Adapting to Your Audience"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Chapter Objectives<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<p class=\"import-pf\">Students will:<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Adapt specific elements of a speech for an audience.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Construct a vision of who the audience can become as they strive with the speaker to create a better future together.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 0pt;\">The previous chapter established audience analysis as the practice of assessing factors that are likely to influence an audience\u2019s reception of a message. So what do you do with all the insights and information you gain about your audience?<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">This chapter answers that question by considering <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">audience adaptation<\/strong><\/span>, or the ways you alter your speech, using audience analysis cues, to better achieve your speaking goals. We begin by establishing the importance of adapting your speech to your audience. We follow with specific strategies you can use to connect with and engage your audience. We end by addressing how rhetoric allows you, as a speaker, to work with your audience in imagining a more productive future together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h1 class=\"import-ah\">The Importance of Audience Adaptation<\/h1>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Too often, student speakers make one of two mistakes when drafting and presenting their speeches. One mistake is that they don\u2019t think enough about delivering it <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">to an audience<\/em><\/span>. They approach their speech similarly to writing an essay they will submit only to the instructor. A second mistake is that speakers assume their audience is just like themselves. They deliver a speech they personally find compelling and assume their classmates will too.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Both mistakes result in similar consequences: speeches that fail to connect with the audience. They center the needs and interests of the speaker rather than their audience. You might even call these speeches selfish or self-focused. Accordingly, they do not create a sense of community or compel the audience to address communal issues.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Adaptation corrects both mistakes. It approaches a speech as <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">public address<\/em><\/span>\u2014that is, as communication with and to a public audience. The audience is critical to a speech. Without an audience, there is no speech! Adaptation also recognizes that your audience is not the same as you, the speaker. Your and your audience\u2019s demographic and psychological factors (explored in the previous chapter) may overlap, but they also likely differ. Audience adaptation, then, prompts you to adjust, or adapt, your speech to center the audience\u2019s needs. We next offer strategies for making such adaptations.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h1 class=\"import-ah\">Audience Adaptation Strategies<\/h1>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">What do we mean by adapting your speech? We offer seven specific strategies you can (and should) utilize in crafting your speech: own your message, find common ground with your audience, use appropriate language, adjust the depth and complexity of the content, appeal to deeply held values, use compelling supporting appeals, and select credible and familiar sources.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">As we explore each strategy, we assume you will use these strategies mostly for your direct and target audiences. Recall from the previous chapter that your direct audience are the people who are exposed to and attend to your speech. Your target audience includes specific members of the direct audience who are more likely to be influenced by your appeals and\/or more likely to act on them. When appropriate, however, we note ways your adaptation efforts should also be mindful of your implied audience (a group that is represented in your message) and your implicated audience (those affected by your message if it succeeds).<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n\r\n<strong>Box 11.1 Strategies for Adapting to Your Audience<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Own the message.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Find common ground.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Use appropriate language.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Adjust the depth and complexity of content.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Appeal to deeply held values.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Use compelling supporting appeals.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Select credible and familiar sources.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2 class=\"import-bh\"><em>Own Your Message<\/em><\/h2>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Though it may seem counterintuitive, one of the first strategies to remember when adapting to your audience is that you, as the speaker, must continue to own the message. That is, your efforts at audience adaptation must not compromise your voice and vision. Your intent is not to tell the audience what they want to hear or what is popular. Instead, maintain your authenticity as you connect with the audience and make your message relevant to them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"import-bh\"><em>Find Common Ground<\/em><\/h2>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_144\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"500\"]<img class=\"wp-image-144\" src=\"http:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image104.png\" alt=\"Two women dressed the same and looking at each other\" width=\"500\" height=\"548\" \/> <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/two-smiling-women-while-holding-their-hands-at-daytime-Etn6hTxRqLU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Image<\/a> by Felipe Bustillo via Unsplash, <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/license\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Unsplash License<\/a>.[\/caption]\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">At the center of audience adaptation is the effort to find common ground or, as literary critic Kenneth Burke says, to develop identification.[footnote]Kenneth Burke, <em>A Rhetoric of Motives<\/em> (1950; Berkeley, University of California Press, 1969), 55.[\/footnote] <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">Identification<\/strong><\/span> is the degree to which individuals or groups find themselves joined or linked. For Burke, identification is the primary means of persuasion and occurs when audience members feel a connection with the speaker. When we identify with someone, we also can share a view of life, demonstrate similar values, or develop a sense of trust.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">In terms of audience adaptation, the speaker can cultivate identification in several ways. You may explicitly reference what you hold in common, such as demographic factors (your shared age, geographic region, political affiliation, etc.) or psychological factors (your shared personal stakes, knowledge about the topic, or enthusiasm for the occasion). Alternatively, you can foster identification more implicitly through your verbal style (chapter 16), vocal and nonverbal delivery (chapter 18), use of visual aids (chapters 28 and 29), and the other adaptation strategies we will offer.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">You have undoubtedly experienced several means of identification in everyday life. Perhaps you\u2019ve talked with a stranger wearing the hat of your favorite sports team or your college\u2019s T-shirt. The connection and sudden comfort you felt came from identification. As a speaker, you hope to make adaptations, based on information gleaned from analysis, that create a connection. Your adaptations should be authentic, though, or they could backfire. For instance, a group of ranchers probably won\u2019t take seriously a city slicker who shows up wearing a cowboy hat and suddenly starts talking with a drawl.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Identification also occurs through <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">division<\/em><\/span>. In chapter 2, we discussed division as a quality of unproductive discourse when speakers highlight and accentuate differences with other participants and their positions. We can also think about division, however, more positively as a tool you can use to adapt to your audience. People might identify with each other through their shared distaste for (division from) a rival sports team or college, for instance. You might build an audience through your joint frustration with the local school board.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Be careful with using division to foster identification with your direct or target audience, however. Division is often built on the rejection of an absent implied or implicated audience. Calls to \u201cstrengthen\u201d or \u201cclose\u201d the US\/Mexico border, for instance, attempt to form identification among North American citizens by dividing them from migrants. In this case, migrants (and others) form the implied and implicated audiences, because they will be impacted by these policies and are being indirectly represented in the discourse, but they are not typically part of the direct audience. Unethical speakers may capitalize on that absence, oversimplifying or even dehumanizing implied and implicated audiences to connect with their target audience.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Ethical speakers, in contrast, recognize the power of their speech and adjust it to also account for the humanity, experiences, motives, and actions of the implied and implicated audiences. They may still advocate for a more stringent immigration policy (that is, they can still own their message), but they will find alternative ways to identify with their direct audience. They may also recognize and offer ideas for how we can aid immigrants who are escaping violence, exploitation, and abuse.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"import-bh\"><em>Use Appropriate Language<\/em><\/h2>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Another way to adapt to your audience is to use appropriate language for your direct and target audiences. Think for a moment about our common expectation that our teachers, doctors, lawyers, and religious leaders adjust what they teach or say to our level and specific needs and interests. We would be frustrated with a professor who spoke to a college class with the same vocabulary with which they write a journal article for specialists. In speaking situations, you should adjust your language based on audience characteristics such as age, education, and knowledge. This means altering the complexity of your language\u2014the amount of technical language you use and even the possible use of popular slang terms\u2014depending on the audience and situation. If you don\u2019t, the audience is likely to tune you out.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Using appropriate language also regards your implied and implicated audiences.[footnote]This section is adapted from an excerpt of the original chapter 2, \u201cCentering Audiences,\u201d in Meggie Mapes, <em>Speak Out, Call In: Public Speaking as Advocacy, <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/opentext.ku.edu\/speakupcallin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/opentext.ku.edu\/speakupcallin\/<\/a>. Author information: <a href=\"https:\/\/coms.ku.edu\/people\/meggie-mapes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/coms.ku.edu\/people\/meggie-mapes<\/a>. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/about\/cclicenses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/about\/cclicenses\/<\/a>.[\/footnote] Asking yourself to be accountable to these audiences encourages you to use ethical communication, pay attention to power, and reduce stereotypes. For example, if a speaker advocated to intervene in a country through military means, they might argue, \u201cThe United States needs to intervene because, right now, the other country is exhibiting barbaric tendencies.\u201d First, ask, Who are the implied and implicated audiences in this example? A clear implied and implicated audience includes the non-US population or cultural group\u2014that is, \u201cthe other country.\u201d Second, ask, How have these groups been represented? What kind of talk is being used to describe these implied and implicated audiences? You\u2019ll notice that \u201cbarbaric\u201d was used to describe individuals in this culture. In this instance, \u201cbarbaric\u201d seems to imply that the United States\u2019 intervention is justified; barbaric seems bad, and alternatively, the United States does not exhibit those \u201cbarbaric tendencies,\u201d so the US may be best suited to intervene. However, this explanation is using <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">ethnocentrism<\/strong><\/span>\u2014or the belief that one\u2019s own culture is superior\u2014as part of the argument. This type of talk should be avoided because it often represents other cultures in unethical, stereotypical, or unjust ways.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"import-bh\"><em>Adjust the Depth and Complexity of Content<\/em><\/h2>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Audience adaptation also means adjusting the depth of information presented on a topic and its complexity. Consider your direct and target audiences\u2019 familiarity with, or knowledge of, a topic as you assess how much background information is needed. Likewise, adjust the depth and complexity of your content based on situational factors such as the time available to speak and the purpose of the occasion.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">It is frustrating when a speaker spends significant time explaining an idea or event that the audience already knows about. In that case, the speaker squandered an opportunity to address what attracted the audience to the presentation by rehashing common knowledge. Adapting to the needs and knowledge of the audience ensures your presentation will be relevant and timely.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"import-bh\"><em>Appeal to Deeply Held Values<\/em><\/h2>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Another way to adapt to your direct and target audiences is by appealing to values they identify as important. Demonstrating in a speech how a problem violates or jeopardizes a deeply held value motivates an audience. Similarly, explaining how a particular action or decision will advance an important value makes an audience more likely to lend their support. Common values that work in such a fashion in the American context are freedom, justice, and equality. Value appeals are explored in more depth in chapter 21\u2019s discussion of deliberation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"import-bh\"><em>Use Compelling Supporting Appeals<\/em><\/h2>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">One of the most effective ways to employ audience adaptation is through supporting appeals. In general, you want to use diverse forms of evidence as discussed in chapter 26: examples, statistics, and testimony. However, you don\u2019t have to use them in equal amounts. You might, for example, employ more numerical data if most of your direct audience\u2014classmates in this case\u2014are pursuing studies in the natural or social sciences. If you are speaking at a protest rally, however, your direct audience might find quotes by several eloquent leaders about your cause to be more compelling.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Whomever your direct or target audiences are, examples can be impactful if they reverberate with your listeners. As defined in chapter 26, an example is a concrete instance that supports a broader point or conclusion. However, if a selected example is unfamiliar to the audience or too obscure, it is unlikely to be effective. Similarly, an <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">anecdote<\/strong><\/span>\u2014a story or extended example in narrative form\u2014can nicely draw an audience in, but only if it\u2019s an already familiar story or features values esteemed by the audience. Box 11.2 extends this logic to your use of metaphors.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n\r\n<strong>Box 11.2 Using Sports Metaphors to Support Your Message<\/strong>\r\n\r\nMetaphors compare two items or situations. Because of their popularity, sports are frequently drawn on to make comparisons:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>A heroic effort is characterized as \u201cswinging for the fences.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li>A successful effort is a \u201ctouchdown.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li>An intense effort is described as a \u201cfull-court press.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li>A desperate effort is labeled a \u201cHail Mary.\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Sports metaphors can be very effective for some audiences <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">but not all<\/em><\/span>. Think about your audience\u2019s interests and the relevance particular metaphors may or may not have for them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2 class=\"import-bh\"><em>Select Credible and Familiar Sources<\/em><\/h2>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Finally, even your sources can be adapted to your direct and target audiences. As discussed in chapter 8, you should set the evaluative standard, or bar, high when choosing research materials by judging each source by its BAARR: potential bias, accuracy, authority, recency, and relevance.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">However, you should also consider which sources your audience likely holds in high esteem. It is one thing if you use a source to support your claim, and it is quite another (and very helpful) if your audience knows and respects that source. Don\u2019t assume all groups value the same sources. Quoting the Bible or Koran, for example, may help sway fellow members of your church or mosque, but these sources are less likely to compel classmates at a nonreligiously associated university.<\/p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n\r\n<strong>Box 11.3 Sample Audience Analysis and Adaptation<\/strong>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_145\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"375\"]<img class=\"wp-image-145\" src=\"http:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image105.png\" alt=\"A basket filled with fresh vegetables\" width=\"375\" height=\"257\" \/> <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/photos\/vegetables-basket-vegetable-basket-752153\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Image<\/a> by congerdesign via Pixabay, <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/service\/license-summary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pixabay Content License<\/a>.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nLisa wanted to prepare a speech for class on the benefits of community supported agriculture (CSA) as a valuable source of local, organic food.\r\n\r\n<strong>Audience Analysis<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">Demographic <\/em><em class=\"import-i\">f<\/em><em class=\"import-i\">actors:<\/em><\/span> Lisa realized most of her audience members were eighteen to twenty-three years old, lived in campus housing and were on a school dining plan, and had minimal disposable income. Many were also athletes and did not own cars. She concluded that they valued economic responsibility, proximity, and health.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">Psychological <\/em><em class=\"import-i\">f<\/em><em class=\"import-i\">actors:<\/em><\/span> Through a class survey, Lisa also learned most of her classmates were from urban areas and thus were likely unfamiliar with either growing their own food or CSAs.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">Environmental <\/em><em class=\"import-i\">f<\/em><em class=\"import-i\">actors:<\/em><\/span> Lisa knew her class met right before lunch, when her classmates would be hungry.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong>Audience Adaptation<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">Find <\/em><em class=\"import-i\">common ground<\/em><em class=\"import-i\">:<\/em><\/span> Lisa referred to herself as a fellow student living in the residence halls who shared a desire for more healthy options on or near campus.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">Adjust the <\/em><em class=\"import-i\">depth <\/em><em class=\"import-i\">of the <\/em><em class=\"import-i\">content<\/em><em class=\"import-i\">:<\/em><\/span> She gave a brief explanation of how CSAs work and why they got started before advocating that their college offer CSA shares to students as part of their meal plans.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">Use<\/em><em class=\"import-i\"> compelling supporting appeals<\/em><em class=\"import-i\">:<\/em><\/span> Lisa handed out several fresh fruits and vegetables she had purchased from the local farmers\u2019 market. She used them as examples of the kinds of produce available through a CSA.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Lisa crafted specific appeals that engaged her peers and centered their needs and values. She practiced audience adaptation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2 class=\"import-bh\"><em>Adaptation, Not Manipulation<\/em><\/h2>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\"><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image106.png\" alt=\"image\" width=\"172.933333333333px\" height=\"172.933333333333px\" \/>Before leaving the strategies, we offer a final warning. Adaptation does not mean saying what the audience wants to hear or what is popular. Nor does it mean manipulating the audience to achieve your desired response. Ethical speakers do not mislead or prey upon their audience, whether by magnifying fears or promising the fulfillment of personal desires.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Instead, we adjust our speech to help make messages more meaningful to our audience, centering their needs, stakes, and interests. As a speaker, you are speaking \u201cwith\u201d an audience, not \u201cto\u201d or \u201cat\u201d them. Ideally, adaptations enable you to talk to and work with the audience to address issues together and improve your communities. The point is that speakers need to examine the ethics of their alterations and be mindful that adaptation and manipulation are not the same, nor are they equally acceptable.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h1 class=\"import-ah\">Imagining the Future Together<\/h1>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">So far we have concentrated on adapting to an audience based on your analysis of who they are. Before closing, however, there is another dimension of audience adaptation to consider, one that is particularly important in efforts at civic engagement: who your audience <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">wants<\/em><\/span> to be and how you can all work together to accomplish that vision.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">That is, in considering your direct or target audience, you are not restricted to who they are now. Rather, you can offer a vision of who they can become as they strive with you to create a better future together. The ideas you address in your speech can be framed as opportunities for your audience to grow and thrive, thus making them more attractive to subscribe to.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n\r\n<strong>Box 11.4 Public Figures Who Help Us Imagine the Future<\/strong>\r\n<div class=\"mceTemp\"><\/div>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_147\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"396\"]<img class=\"wp-image-147 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image107-e1750364766274.png\" alt=\"A picture of Laverne Cox\" width=\"396\" height=\"304\" \/> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/politicalpulse\/29779795925\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Laverne Cox<\/a> by WEBN-TV via Flickr, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/2.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CC BY ND<\/a>.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nWe can look to popular speakers and figures for examples of people who help audiences imagine the future together:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><a class=\"rId203\" href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/6FG5-LUBU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"import-url\">Dr. Martin Luther King<\/span><span class=\"import-url\"> Jr.<\/span><\/a><\/span> famously shared his \u201cdream\u201d of racial equality to help motivate Americans to support civil rights legislation.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><a class=\"rId204\" href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/PF98-H3AV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"import-url\">Greta Thunberg<\/span><\/a><\/span> offers contrasting visions of the environment\u2014one where climate change has continued unimpeded and one in which we have curbed rising global temperatures\u2014to advocate for conservation and stewardship of our planet.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><a class=\"rId206\" href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/T8FE-HC7D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"import-url\">Laverne Cox<\/span><\/a><\/span> advocates for transgender rights by acting in fictional films and television shows where her gender is normalized and by hosting talk shows and documentaries that feature transgender people.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">These public figures don\u2019t just take audiences as they are; instead, they present a vision that imagines what we can become by working and dreaming together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_148\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"375\"]<img class=\"wp-image-148\" style=\"color: #373d3f; font-weight: bold; font-size: 1em;\" src=\"http:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image108.png\" alt=\"A picture of the constituion with the phrase &quot;We the People&quot; written in large letters.\" width=\"375\" height=\"248\" \/> <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:We_the_people_~.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">We the people<\/a> by Navyatha123 via Wikimedia Commons, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CC BY<\/a>.[\/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">In his essay \u201cIn Search of \u2018the People\u2019: A Rhetorical Alternative,\u201d Michael Calvin McGee theorized \u201c<span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">the people<\/strong><\/span>\u201d as a rhetorical construct that is called into being by an advocate.[footnote]Michael Calvin McGee, \u201cIn Search of \u2018the People\u2019: A Rhetorical Alternative,\u201d <em>Quarterly Journal of Speech<\/em> 61 (1976): 235\u201349.[\/footnote] In other words, a speaker can use rhetoric to transform an audience from a mass of individuals into a collective\u2014\u201cthe people\u201d\u2014with a defined purpose. As McGee explains, the people \u201care conjured into objective reality, remain so long as the rhetoric which defined them has force, and in the end wilt away, becoming once again merely a collection of individuals.\u201d[footnote]McGee, \u201cIn Search of \u2018the People,\u2019\u201d 242.[\/footnote]<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Your local community already exists. But it is through rhetorical advocacy that its members might envision themselves as united together in brainstorming, problem-solving, and imagining a better future. Through speech, your community can envision themselves as \u201cthe people\u201d or similarly, as we defined in chapter 2, a public: a collection of people who are joined together in a cause of common concern.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Imagine, for instance, that your hometown wants to build a new school. To pay for it, the city needs to increase property taxes, which requires local citizens to vote in approval. If you advocate for that cause, you will, of course, appeal to parents of schoolchildren. However, to rhetorically activate \u201cthe people\u201d to support the measure, your vision should be broader. You can appeal to lifelong residents of the city, grandparents of schoolchildren, small-business owners, and others by imagining what a new school might mean for their future: It could attract people to the town, help produce engaged citizens and productive workers, lower crime rates, and so on.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">If effectively drawn together during your persuasive campaign, volunteers would form a people\u2014a collective working on behalf of their common cause through phone calls, placement of yard signs, development of campaign literature, door-to-door canvassing of neighborhoods, and other activities. Once the vote was complete, this collective would disperse, as the rhetoric that drew this diverse set of individuals together would cease to be a unifying force. As a speaker, you too can lead your audience by offering a collective vision of their existence and future potential.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Summary<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">This chapter explored how you can adapt your speech to your audience to better achieve your speaking goals. Adjusting your message makes your speech more meaningful to your audience, so they can work with you to improve your community.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Audience adaptation ensures that you center the needs and interests of your audience rather than yourself as a speaker.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Common audience adaptation strategies include owning your message, finding common ground, using appropriate language, adjusting the depth and complexity of material, appealing to deeply held values, using compelling supporting appeals, and selecting credible and familiar sources.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>When working with an audience, you are not restricted to who they are in the present. Rather, by engaging in brainstorming, problem-solving, and dreaming, you can work with an audience to imagine a better future together. Through rhetoric, a speaker can bring a people\u2014a community\u2014together in the service of a cause.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Key Terms<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\nanecdote\r\naudience adaptation\r\nethnocentrism\r\nidentification\r\nthe people\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Review Questions<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Why is it important to adapt your speech to the audience?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>What kinds of adaptations can you make to your speech based on what you learn through audience analysis?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Who are \u201cthe people,\u201d and how can the concept help speakers and audiences improve their communities?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Discussion Questions<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>When do you know you have crossed the line from audience adaptation to manipulation?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Imagine you are asked to deliver a two-minute pitch about the greatness of your college or university. What exact changes would you make to your message if delivering your pitch to local high school students versus their grandparents? To people who live in another region of the United States? To immigrants who work in your community? Are there any ethical concerns involved in adapting your speech?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Which aspects of audience adaptation seem most important when using a teleconference platform (such as Zoom) to deliver your speech?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Chapter Objectives<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p class=\"import-pf\">Students will:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Adapt specific elements of a speech for an audience.<\/li>\n<li>Construct a vision of who the audience can become as they strive with the speaker to create a better future together.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 0pt;\">The previous chapter established audience analysis as the practice of assessing factors that are likely to influence an audience\u2019s reception of a message. So what do you do with all the insights and information you gain about your audience?<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">This chapter answers that question by considering <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">audience adaptation<\/strong><\/span>, or the ways you alter your speech, using audience analysis cues, to better achieve your speaking goals. We begin by establishing the importance of adapting your speech to your audience. We follow with specific strategies you can use to connect with and engage your audience. We end by addressing how rhetoric allows you, as a speaker, to work with your audience in imagining a more productive future together.<\/p>\n<h1 class=\"import-ah\">The Importance of Audience Adaptation<\/h1>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Too often, student speakers make one of two mistakes when drafting and presenting their speeches. One mistake is that they don\u2019t think enough about delivering it <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">to an audience<\/em><\/span>. They approach their speech similarly to writing an essay they will submit only to the instructor. A second mistake is that speakers assume their audience is just like themselves. They deliver a speech they personally find compelling and assume their classmates will too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Both mistakes result in similar consequences: speeches that fail to connect with the audience. They center the needs and interests of the speaker rather than their audience. You might even call these speeches selfish or self-focused. Accordingly, they do not create a sense of community or compel the audience to address communal issues.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Adaptation corrects both mistakes. It approaches a speech as <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">public address<\/em><\/span>\u2014that is, as communication with and to a public audience. The audience is critical to a speech. Without an audience, there is no speech! Adaptation also recognizes that your audience is not the same as you, the speaker. Your and your audience\u2019s demographic and psychological factors (explored in the previous chapter) may overlap, but they also likely differ. Audience adaptation, then, prompts you to adjust, or adapt, your speech to center the audience\u2019s needs. We next offer strategies for making such adaptations.<\/p>\n<h1 class=\"import-ah\">Audience Adaptation Strategies<\/h1>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">What do we mean by adapting your speech? We offer seven specific strategies you can (and should) utilize in crafting your speech: own your message, find common ground with your audience, use appropriate language, adjust the depth and complexity of the content, appeal to deeply held values, use compelling supporting appeals, and select credible and familiar sources.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">As we explore each strategy, we assume you will use these strategies mostly for your direct and target audiences. Recall from the previous chapter that your direct audience are the people who are exposed to and attend to your speech. Your target audience includes specific members of the direct audience who are more likely to be influenced by your appeals and\/or more likely to act on them. When appropriate, however, we note ways your adaptation efforts should also be mindful of your implied audience (a group that is represented in your message) and your implicated audience (those affected by your message if it succeeds).<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p><strong>Box 11.1 Strategies for Adapting to Your Audience<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Own the message.<\/li>\n<li>Find common ground.<\/li>\n<li>Use appropriate language.<\/li>\n<li>Adjust the depth and complexity of content.<\/li>\n<li>Appeal to deeply held values.<\/li>\n<li>Use compelling supporting appeals.<\/li>\n<li>Select credible and familiar sources.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"import-bh\"><em>Own Your Message<\/em><\/h2>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Though it may seem counterintuitive, one of the first strategies to remember when adapting to your audience is that you, as the speaker, must continue to own the message. That is, your efforts at audience adaptation must not compromise your voice and vision. Your intent is not to tell the audience what they want to hear or what is popular. Instead, maintain your authenticity as you connect with the audience and make your message relevant to them.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"import-bh\"><em>Find Common Ground<\/em><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_144\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-144\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img class=\"wp-image-144\" src=\"http:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image104.png\" alt=\"Two women dressed the same and looking at each other\" width=\"500\" height=\"548\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image104.png 555w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image104-274x300.png 274w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image104-65x71.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image104-225x246.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image104-350x383.png 350w\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-144\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/two-smiling-women-while-holding-their-hands-at-daytime-Etn6hTxRqLU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Image<\/a> by Felipe Bustillo via Unsplash, <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/license\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Unsplash License<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">At the center of audience adaptation is the effort to find common ground or, as literary critic Kenneth Burke says, to develop identification.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Kenneth Burke, A Rhetoric of Motives (1950; Berkeley, University of California Press, 1969), 55.\" id=\"return-footnote-470-1\" href=\"#footnote-470-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a> <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">Identification<\/strong><\/span> is the degree to which individuals or groups find themselves joined or linked. For Burke, identification is the primary means of persuasion and occurs when audience members feel a connection with the speaker. When we identify with someone, we also can share a view of life, demonstrate similar values, or develop a sense of trust.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">In terms of audience adaptation, the speaker can cultivate identification in several ways. You may explicitly reference what you hold in common, such as demographic factors (your shared age, geographic region, political affiliation, etc.) or psychological factors (your shared personal stakes, knowledge about the topic, or enthusiasm for the occasion). Alternatively, you can foster identification more implicitly through your verbal style (chapter 16), vocal and nonverbal delivery (chapter 18), use of visual aids (chapters 28 and 29), and the other adaptation strategies we will offer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">You have undoubtedly experienced several means of identification in everyday life. Perhaps you\u2019ve talked with a stranger wearing the hat of your favorite sports team or your college\u2019s T-shirt. The connection and sudden comfort you felt came from identification. As a speaker, you hope to make adaptations, based on information gleaned from analysis, that create a connection. Your adaptations should be authentic, though, or they could backfire. For instance, a group of ranchers probably won\u2019t take seriously a city slicker who shows up wearing a cowboy hat and suddenly starts talking with a drawl.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Identification also occurs through <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">division<\/em><\/span>. In chapter 2, we discussed division as a quality of unproductive discourse when speakers highlight and accentuate differences with other participants and their positions. We can also think about division, however, more positively as a tool you can use to adapt to your audience. People might identify with each other through their shared distaste for (division from) a rival sports team or college, for instance. You might build an audience through your joint frustration with the local school board.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Be careful with using division to foster identification with your direct or target audience, however. Division is often built on the rejection of an absent implied or implicated audience. Calls to \u201cstrengthen\u201d or \u201cclose\u201d the US\/Mexico border, for instance, attempt to form identification among North American citizens by dividing them from migrants. In this case, migrants (and others) form the implied and implicated audiences, because they will be impacted by these policies and are being indirectly represented in the discourse, but they are not typically part of the direct audience. Unethical speakers may capitalize on that absence, oversimplifying or even dehumanizing implied and implicated audiences to connect with their target audience.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Ethical speakers, in contrast, recognize the power of their speech and adjust it to also account for the humanity, experiences, motives, and actions of the implied and implicated audiences. They may still advocate for a more stringent immigration policy (that is, they can still own their message), but they will find alternative ways to identify with their direct audience. They may also recognize and offer ideas for how we can aid immigrants who are escaping violence, exploitation, and abuse.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"import-bh\"><em>Use Appropriate Language<\/em><\/h2>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Another way to adapt to your audience is to use appropriate language for your direct and target audiences. Think for a moment about our common expectation that our teachers, doctors, lawyers, and religious leaders adjust what they teach or say to our level and specific needs and interests. We would be frustrated with a professor who spoke to a college class with the same vocabulary with which they write a journal article for specialists. In speaking situations, you should adjust your language based on audience characteristics such as age, education, and knowledge. This means altering the complexity of your language\u2014the amount of technical language you use and even the possible use of popular slang terms\u2014depending on the audience and situation. If you don\u2019t, the audience is likely to tune you out.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Using appropriate language also regards your implied and implicated audiences.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"This section is adapted from an excerpt of the original chapter 2, \u201cCentering Audiences,\u201d in Meggie Mapes, Speak Out, Call In: Public Speaking as Advocacy, https:\/\/opentext.ku.edu\/speakupcallin\/. Author information: https:\/\/coms.ku.edu\/people\/meggie-mapes. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA, https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/about\/cclicenses\/.\" id=\"return-footnote-470-2\" href=\"#footnote-470-2\" aria-label=\"Footnote 2\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[2]<\/sup><\/a> Asking yourself to be accountable to these audiences encourages you to use ethical communication, pay attention to power, and reduce stereotypes. For example, if a speaker advocated to intervene in a country through military means, they might argue, \u201cThe United States needs to intervene because, right now, the other country is exhibiting barbaric tendencies.\u201d First, ask, Who are the implied and implicated audiences in this example? A clear implied and implicated audience includes the non-US population or cultural group\u2014that is, \u201cthe other country.\u201d Second, ask, How have these groups been represented? What kind of talk is being used to describe these implied and implicated audiences? You\u2019ll notice that \u201cbarbaric\u201d was used to describe individuals in this culture. In this instance, \u201cbarbaric\u201d seems to imply that the United States\u2019 intervention is justified; barbaric seems bad, and alternatively, the United States does not exhibit those \u201cbarbaric tendencies,\u201d so the US may be best suited to intervene. However, this explanation is using <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">ethnocentrism<\/strong><\/span>\u2014or the belief that one\u2019s own culture is superior\u2014as part of the argument. This type of talk should be avoided because it often represents other cultures in unethical, stereotypical, or unjust ways.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"import-bh\"><em>Adjust the Depth and Complexity of Content<\/em><\/h2>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Audience adaptation also means adjusting the depth of information presented on a topic and its complexity. Consider your direct and target audiences\u2019 familiarity with, or knowledge of, a topic as you assess how much background information is needed. Likewise, adjust the depth and complexity of your content based on situational factors such as the time available to speak and the purpose of the occasion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">It is frustrating when a speaker spends significant time explaining an idea or event that the audience already knows about. In that case, the speaker squandered an opportunity to address what attracted the audience to the presentation by rehashing common knowledge. Adapting to the needs and knowledge of the audience ensures your presentation will be relevant and timely.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"import-bh\"><em>Appeal to Deeply Held Values<\/em><\/h2>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Another way to adapt to your direct and target audiences is by appealing to values they identify as important. Demonstrating in a speech how a problem violates or jeopardizes a deeply held value motivates an audience. Similarly, explaining how a particular action or decision will advance an important value makes an audience more likely to lend their support. Common values that work in such a fashion in the American context are freedom, justice, and equality. Value appeals are explored in more depth in chapter 21\u2019s discussion of deliberation.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"import-bh\"><em>Use Compelling Supporting Appeals<\/em><\/h2>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">One of the most effective ways to employ audience adaptation is through supporting appeals. In general, you want to use diverse forms of evidence as discussed in chapter 26: examples, statistics, and testimony. However, you don\u2019t have to use them in equal amounts. You might, for example, employ more numerical data if most of your direct audience\u2014classmates in this case\u2014are pursuing studies in the natural or social sciences. If you are speaking at a protest rally, however, your direct audience might find quotes by several eloquent leaders about your cause to be more compelling.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Whomever your direct or target audiences are, examples can be impactful if they reverberate with your listeners. As defined in chapter 26, an example is a concrete instance that supports a broader point or conclusion. However, if a selected example is unfamiliar to the audience or too obscure, it is unlikely to be effective. Similarly, an <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">anecdote<\/strong><\/span>\u2014a story or extended example in narrative form\u2014can nicely draw an audience in, but only if it\u2019s an already familiar story or features values esteemed by the audience. Box 11.2 extends this logic to your use of metaphors.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p><strong>Box 11.2 Using Sports Metaphors to Support Your Message<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Metaphors compare two items or situations. Because of their popularity, sports are frequently drawn on to make comparisons:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A heroic effort is characterized as \u201cswinging for the fences.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>A successful effort is a \u201ctouchdown.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>An intense effort is described as a \u201cfull-court press.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>A desperate effort is labeled a \u201cHail Mary.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Sports metaphors can be very effective for some audiences <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">but not all<\/em><\/span>. Think about your audience\u2019s interests and the relevance particular metaphors may or may not have for them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"import-bh\"><em>Select Credible and Familiar Sources<\/em><\/h2>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Finally, even your sources can be adapted to your direct and target audiences. As discussed in chapter 8, you should set the evaluative standard, or bar, high when choosing research materials by judging each source by its BAARR: potential bias, accuracy, authority, recency, and relevance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">However, you should also consider which sources your audience likely holds in high esteem. It is one thing if you use a source to support your claim, and it is quite another (and very helpful) if your audience knows and respects that source. Don\u2019t assume all groups value the same sources. Quoting the Bible or Koran, for example, may help sway fellow members of your church or mosque, but these sources are less likely to compel classmates at a nonreligiously associated university.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p><strong>Box 11.3 Sample Audience Analysis and Adaptation<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_145\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145\" style=\"width: 375px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img class=\"wp-image-145\" src=\"http:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image105.png\" alt=\"A basket filled with fresh vegetables\" width=\"375\" height=\"257\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image105.png 542w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image105-300x205.png 300w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image105-65x44.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image105-225x154.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image105-350x240.png 350w\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-145\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/photos\/vegetables-basket-vegetable-basket-752153\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Image<\/a> by congerdesign via Pixabay, <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/service\/license-summary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pixabay Content License<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Lisa wanted to prepare a speech for class on the benefits of community supported agriculture (CSA) as a valuable source of local, organic food.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Audience Analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">Demographic <\/em><em class=\"import-i\">f<\/em><em class=\"import-i\">actors:<\/em><\/span> Lisa realized most of her audience members were eighteen to twenty-three years old, lived in campus housing and were on a school dining plan, and had minimal disposable income. Many were also athletes and did not own cars. She concluded that they valued economic responsibility, proximity, and health.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">Psychological <\/em><em class=\"import-i\">f<\/em><em class=\"import-i\">actors:<\/em><\/span> Through a class survey, Lisa also learned most of her classmates were from urban areas and thus were likely unfamiliar with either growing their own food or CSAs.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">Environmental <\/em><em class=\"import-i\">f<\/em><em class=\"import-i\">actors:<\/em><\/span> Lisa knew her class met right before lunch, when her classmates would be hungry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Audience Adaptation<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">Find <\/em><em class=\"import-i\">common ground<\/em><em class=\"import-i\">:<\/em><\/span> Lisa referred to herself as a fellow student living in the residence halls who shared a desire for more healthy options on or near campus.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">Adjust the <\/em><em class=\"import-i\">depth <\/em><em class=\"import-i\">of the <\/em><em class=\"import-i\">content<\/em><em class=\"import-i\">:<\/em><\/span> She gave a brief explanation of how CSAs work and why they got started before advocating that their college offer CSA shares to students as part of their meal plans.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">Use<\/em><em class=\"import-i\"> compelling supporting appeals<\/em><em class=\"import-i\">:<\/em><\/span> Lisa handed out several fresh fruits and vegetables she had purchased from the local farmers\u2019 market. She used them as examples of the kinds of produce available through a CSA.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Lisa crafted specific appeals that engaged her peers and centered their needs and values. She practiced audience adaptation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"import-bh\"><em>Adaptation, Not Manipulation<\/em><\/h2>\n<p class=\"import-paft\"><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image106.png\" alt=\"image\" width=\"172.933333333333px\" height=\"172.933333333333px\" \/>Before leaving the strategies, we offer a final warning. Adaptation does not mean saying what the audience wants to hear or what is popular. Nor does it mean manipulating the audience to achieve your desired response. Ethical speakers do not mislead or prey upon their audience, whether by magnifying fears or promising the fulfillment of personal desires.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Instead, we adjust our speech to help make messages more meaningful to our audience, centering their needs, stakes, and interests. As a speaker, you are speaking \u201cwith\u201d an audience, not \u201cto\u201d or \u201cat\u201d them. Ideally, adaptations enable you to talk to and work with the audience to address issues together and improve your communities. The point is that speakers need to examine the ethics of their alterations and be mindful that adaptation and manipulation are not the same, nor are they equally acceptable.<\/p>\n<h1 class=\"import-ah\">Imagining the Future Together<\/h1>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">So far we have concentrated on adapting to an audience based on your analysis of who they are. Before closing, however, there is another dimension of audience adaptation to consider, one that is particularly important in efforts at civic engagement: who your audience <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">wants<\/em><\/span> to be and how you can all work together to accomplish that vision.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">That is, in considering your direct or target audience, you are not restricted to who they are now. Rather, you can offer a vision of who they can become as they strive with you to create a better future together. The ideas you address in your speech can be framed as opportunities for your audience to grow and thrive, thus making them more attractive to subscribe to.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p><strong>Box 11.4 Public Figures Who Help Us Imagine the Future<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"mceTemp\"><\/div>\n<figure id=\"attachment_147\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-147\" style=\"width: 396px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img class=\"wp-image-147 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image107-e1750364766274.png\" alt=\"A picture of Laverne Cox\" width=\"396\" height=\"304\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image107-e1750364766274.png 396w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image107-e1750364766274-300x230.png 300w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image107-e1750364766274-65x50.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image107-e1750364766274-225x173.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image107-e1750364766274-350x269.png 350w\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-147\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/politicalpulse\/29779795925\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Laverne Cox<\/a> by WEBN-TV via Flickr, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/2.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CC BY ND<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We can look to popular speakers and figures for examples of people who help audiences imagine the future together:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><a class=\"rId203\" href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/6FG5-LUBU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"import-url\">Dr. Martin Luther King<\/span><span class=\"import-url\"> Jr.<\/span><\/a><\/span> famously shared his \u201cdream\u201d of racial equality to help motivate Americans to support civil rights legislation.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><a class=\"rId204\" href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/PF98-H3AV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"import-url\">Greta Thunberg<\/span><\/a><\/span> offers contrasting visions of the environment\u2014one where climate change has continued unimpeded and one in which we have curbed rising global temperatures\u2014to advocate for conservation and stewardship of our planet.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><a class=\"rId206\" href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/T8FE-HC7D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"import-url\">Laverne Cox<\/span><\/a><\/span> advocates for transgender rights by acting in fictional films and television shows where her gender is normalized and by hosting talk shows and documentaries that feature transgender people.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">These public figures don\u2019t just take audiences as they are; instead, they present a vision that imagines what we can become by working and dreaming together.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure id=\"attachment_148\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-148\" style=\"width: 375px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img class=\"wp-image-148\" style=\"color: #373d3f; font-weight: bold; font-size: 1em;\" src=\"http:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image108.png\" alt=\"A picture of the constituion with the phrase &quot;We the People&quot; written in large letters.\" width=\"375\" height=\"248\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image108.png 485w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image108-300x199.png 300w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image108-65x43.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image108-225x149.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image108-350x232.png 350w\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-148\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:We_the_people_~.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">We the people<\/a> by Navyatha123 via Wikimedia Commons, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CC BY<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">In his essay \u201cIn Search of \u2018the People\u2019: A Rhetorical Alternative,\u201d Michael Calvin McGee theorized \u201c<span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">the people<\/strong><\/span>\u201d as a rhetorical construct that is called into being by an advocate.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Michael Calvin McGee, \u201cIn Search of \u2018the People\u2019: A Rhetorical Alternative,\u201d Quarterly Journal of Speech 61 (1976): 235\u201349.\" id=\"return-footnote-470-3\" href=\"#footnote-470-3\" aria-label=\"Footnote 3\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[3]<\/sup><\/a> In other words, a speaker can use rhetoric to transform an audience from a mass of individuals into a collective\u2014\u201cthe people\u201d\u2014with a defined purpose. As McGee explains, the people \u201care conjured into objective reality, remain so long as the rhetoric which defined them has force, and in the end wilt away, becoming once again merely a collection of individuals.\u201d<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"McGee, \u201cIn Search of \u2018the People,\u2019\u201d 242.\" id=\"return-footnote-470-4\" href=\"#footnote-470-4\" aria-label=\"Footnote 4\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[4]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Your local community already exists. But it is through rhetorical advocacy that its members might envision themselves as united together in brainstorming, problem-solving, and imagining a better future. Through speech, your community can envision themselves as \u201cthe people\u201d or similarly, as we defined in chapter 2, a public: a collection of people who are joined together in a cause of common concern.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Imagine, for instance, that your hometown wants to build a new school. To pay for it, the city needs to increase property taxes, which requires local citizens to vote in approval. If you advocate for that cause, you will, of course, appeal to parents of schoolchildren. However, to rhetorically activate \u201cthe people\u201d to support the measure, your vision should be broader. You can appeal to lifelong residents of the city, grandparents of schoolchildren, small-business owners, and others by imagining what a new school might mean for their future: It could attract people to the town, help produce engaged citizens and productive workers, lower crime rates, and so on.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">If effectively drawn together during your persuasive campaign, volunteers would form a people\u2014a collective working on behalf of their common cause through phone calls, placement of yard signs, development of campaign literature, door-to-door canvassing of neighborhoods, and other activities. Once the vote was complete, this collective would disperse, as the rhetoric that drew this diverse set of individuals together would cease to be a unifying force. As a speaker, you too can lead your audience by offering a collective vision of their existence and future potential.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Summary<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p class=\"import-paft\">This chapter explored how you can adapt your speech to your audience to better achieve your speaking goals. Adjusting your message makes your speech more meaningful to your audience, so they can work with you to improve your community.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Audience adaptation ensures that you center the needs and interests of your audience rather than yourself as a speaker.<\/li>\n<li>Common audience adaptation strategies include owning your message, finding common ground, using appropriate language, adjusting the depth and complexity of material, appealing to deeply held values, using compelling supporting appeals, and selecting credible and familiar sources.<\/li>\n<li>When working with an audience, you are not restricted to who they are in the present. Rather, by engaging in brainstorming, problem-solving, and dreaming, you can work with an audience to imagine a better future together. Through rhetoric, a speaker can bring a people\u2014a community\u2014together in the service of a cause.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Key Terms<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>anecdote<br \/>\naudience adaptation<br \/>\nethnocentrism<br \/>\nidentification<br \/>\nthe people<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Review Questions<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<ol>\n<li>Why is it important to adapt your speech to the audience?<\/li>\n<li>What kinds of adaptations can you make to your speech based on what you learn through audience analysis?<\/li>\n<li>Who are \u201cthe people,\u201d and how can the concept help speakers and audiences improve their communities?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Discussion Questions<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<ol>\n<li>When do you know you have crossed the line from audience adaptation to manipulation?<\/li>\n<li>Imagine you are asked to deliver a two-minute pitch about the greatness of your college or university. What exact changes would you make to your message if delivering your pitch to local high school students versus their grandparents? To people who live in another region of the United States? To immigrants who work in your community? Are there any ethical concerns involved in adapting your speech?<\/li>\n<li>Which aspects of audience adaptation seem most important when using a teleconference platform (such as Zoom) to deliver your speech?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-470-1\">Kenneth Burke, <em>A Rhetoric of Motives<\/em> (1950; Berkeley, University of California Press, 1969), 55. <a href=\"#return-footnote-470-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-470-2\">This section is adapted from an excerpt of the original chapter 2, \u201cCentering Audiences,\u201d in Meggie Mapes, <em>Speak Out, Call In: Public Speaking as Advocacy, <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/opentext.ku.edu\/speakupcallin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/opentext.ku.edu\/speakupcallin\/<\/a>. Author information: <a href=\"https:\/\/coms.ku.edu\/people\/meggie-mapes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/coms.ku.edu\/people\/meggie-mapes<\/a>. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/about\/cclicenses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/about\/cclicenses\/<\/a>. <a href=\"#return-footnote-470-2\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 2\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-470-3\">Michael Calvin McGee, \u201cIn Search of \u2018the People\u2019: A Rhetorical Alternative,\u201d <em>Quarterly Journal of Speech<\/em> 61 (1976): 235\u201349. <a href=\"#return-footnote-470-3\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 3\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-470-4\">McGee, \u201cIn Search of \u2018the People,\u2019\u201d 242. <a href=\"#return-footnote-470-4\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 4\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":3,"menu_order":11,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":3,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/470"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"version-history":[{"count":49,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/470\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3171,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/470\/revisions\/3171"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/3"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/470\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=470"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=470"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}