Segmented audiences, the 24 hour news cycle–it’s hard to get the attention of the public or the particular audience you’re seeking out.  There are fewer and fewer times when we’re all focused around the same moment.  Instead, we’re siloed, and spend a huge amount of our lives looking down at our phones.

There are many consequences to this segmentation–with more voices out there, we’re less likely to hear from people with whom we may disagree. There are stories that may never catch our attention, while with other stories, we perceive them to be headline news, when our neighbor next door has never heard about it.

Then, there are the rare times when a collective event captures our attention–and though rare, they feel more special than ever. The fact is, when people are collectively focused on a moment, there is no single better time to drive a message.

For brands, organizations, community groups, and more–mastering the art of communicating around a moment is key.

Take the Olympics, or an election, or the Super Bowl–there is a reason why Super Bowl commercials are so iconic.

What’s the moment in your industry, or to your audience? And if your industry, company, or organization doesn’t have one–can you create one?

Take Apple’s yearly event in September. Seemingly created out of thin air, there is perhaps no better example of a singular company building anticipation, driving coverage, and writing a narrative on their terms, than this. It’s theater at its finest.

Given the challenges in capturing people’s attention when they have access to so many different forms and choices for media, it’s important to make sure you’re strategically capitalizing on key moments for your audiences. You may worry that once the moment is over, you may have lost people’s attention. But in fact, you could have brought them into the fold for good by capturing their attention at a critical moment and giving them a great experience they’ll remember.

On the flip side, make sure you’re not making a major announcement at the same time as a competitor–or if there is breaking news that will dominate the coverage. It’s okay to hold back or change course–above all, be responsive to your audience.