For communication to be effective, what must be identified?

Effective communication hinges on understanding the target audience and their specific information needs. By identifying who the message is intended for, communicators can tailor their content, language, and delivery methods to resonate with that audience. This ensures that the intended message is both understood and engages the audience effectively.

Recognizing the needs of the audience allows for the conveys of pertinent information that addresses their interests, knowledge level, and preferences. If the audience's needs are not taken into account, there is a risk of miscommunication or of the message being ignored altogether.

While understanding legal obligations, technology trends, and financial metrics may be important in certain contexts, they do not directly pertain to the effectiveness of communication in the same way that knowledge about the target audience does. Effective communication ultimately requires a focus on who is receiving the message and what they need to know.