ISC 261 Exam Flashcards

What determines whether a story is newsworthy?

News Values

What news value focuses on how much a story matters to people?

Impact

Which news value relates to local relevance?

Proximity

Which news value involves famous people?

Prominence

What news value emphasizes timing or immediacy?

Timeliness

Which news value highlights unusual or unexpected stories?

Novelty

What news value focuses on emotional or personal stories?

Human Interest

Which news value involves disagreement or controversy?

Conflict

What news value helps audiences make decisions?

Helpfulness

What is a news release?

A formal document sent to media to generate coverage and build a positive brand image

What is the main purpose of a news release?

To inform, not to advertise

What should a news release NEVER do?

Promote, sell, or include discounts

What should a news release NEVER do?

Promote, sell, or include discounts

Who is the primary audience of a news release?

Journalists/editors

What structure do news releases follow

Inverted pyramid

What does the inverted pyramid mean

Most important information comes first

What must the lead (lede) include?

5W + 1H

(Who, what, when, where, why, and how)

What is the “lede”?

The FIRST paragraph containing the most important information

What is a dateline?

CITY, State (Month Day, Year) —

Ex: LOUISVILLE, Ky., Feb 12, 2020

MUST FOLLOW AP STYLE!!!!!!

What is the purpose of the headline?

Summarize the story and grab attention

What is the deck?

A sub-headline that adds detail to the headline

• sentence case and italicized?

What is a boilerplate?

Standard “about the organization” paragraph

• included for all the organizations involved

What does “###” mean at the end?

End of the release (end notation, centered)

What type of writing style do news releases use?

Expository

What is the goal of expository writing?

To inform

What perspective should PR writing use?

Third person

Why should PR writing avoid “we” and “you”?

It must remain objective and not promotional

What are the ABCs of PR writing?

Accuracy

Brevity

Clarity

What type of language should PR writing use?

Simple, direct, and factual

Should PR writing include opinions?

Only in quotes

What is objective writing?

Facts-based and neutral

Subjective writing

Opinion-based and emotional

Which is correct PR style?

The program adds 5 counselors

Why are quotes used in news releases?

To add credibility and human perspective

Who should quotes come from?

Real, credible people

What must be included in the first quote reference?

Full name + title

• after they have been introduced, only use last name

What verb is most commonly used in quotes

“Said”

Types of news releases

• product launch: new product to purchase

• Partnership + Announcement: two entities up to do something

• Event: something happening people should know about

What is the focus of a product launch release?

The product/the news is the thing itself

What is the focus of a partnership release?

The collaboration between organizations/the news is the relationship and what it will produce

What is the focus of an event release?

Event logistics (when, where, how)/ the news is something happening at a specific time and place

What is a common mistake in writing leads?

Mixing product, partnership, and event

• no 5W1H specifics

What should you ask before writing a news release?

“What should a journalist tell their audience first?”

Why must a news release be easy to read?

Journalists decide quickly whether to cover it

What makes a news release more likely to be picked up?

Strong news values, clear structure, and factual writing

What is Integrated Strategic Communication?

A planning process that creates consistent messaging tailored to a specific audience over time

What are the THREE key ideas in the ISC definition you must have!!!

• planning process

• Relevant to a specific audience/that person

• It is consistent over time

Why is consistency important in ISC?

It ensures all messages reinforce the same idea across platforms over time

What does it mean for ISC to be “audience-relevant”?

Messages are tailored to the audience’s needs, values, and behaviors

What is a creative brief?

A written contract between strategy and creative teams that guides messaging

What does situation analysis include?

Brand, industry, competitors, audience, and current conditions

What is the difference between a goal and an objective?

Goal=a broad, qualitative, open-ended direction (where you want to go)

Objective=specific, measurable, time-bound outcome/milestone (describes how you will get there)

Why are creative briefs important?

• prevent random ideas

• Align messaging

• Save time with clear strategy

What is the purpose of a creative brief?

To explain why the message works and what should be communicated

What are the three type of goals in a creative brief?

• Business goals=company aim to achieve, “top down”

• Marketing goals=does marketing aim to achieve that helps accomplish business goals l

• ISC goals= how do you want your customers to view your brand or product

What is a key insight?

The core idea about the audience that drives the message

Ex: clear, audience-centered, oriented to action or belief change

What is the “big idea”?

The central concept guiding all campaign messaging

What does “our offer” include?

• key insight

• Consumer benefit

• Supporting features

What is an audience persona?

Hypothetical/fictional profile based on real research representing your target audience

What should an audience analysis include?

• demographics

• Psychographics

• Behavioristics

Why are personas important?

Help tailor messaging to a specific, realistic audience

What is a direct competitor?

Same product, same audience, same problem

Ex: Papa John’s//Domino’s

Sketchers//Hoka

What is an indirect competitor?

Different product but same audience/customer and problem

Papa Johns’s // DiGiorno

Skechers//Crocs//Birkenstock

What is a replacement competitor?

Different product + different audience but same problem

Ex: Papa John’s // Pizza rolls

Skechers//Insoles//Feetures socks

What is the key questions when identifying competitors?

What problem is the customer trying to solve?

What is an integrated campaign?

A campaign where all executions work toward the same goal using the same core idea for the same audience

Ex: Dove Real Beauty Campaign

What makes a campaign “integrated”

Consistency across channels + shared message + unified goal

• same outcome, same core idea, tailored to the same audience

What are the four core elements of a campaign?

• goal=what is our purpose

• Audience=who are we targeting?

• Message=what are we saying?

• Execution=how will we communicate?

What is the difference between repeating and reinforcing a message?

Repeating=saying the same thing

Reinforcing=adapting message across platforms while keeping meaning

What is a campaign objective?

A measurable change in audience (awareness, audience, or behavior)

What are audience insights?

What the audience cares about, feels, and struggles with.

What is a key insight in a campaign?

The most important idea driving behavior or belief change

What are supporting messages?

Details that reinforce the main idea across platforms

• the benefits and features that reinforce the key insight

• Social=relatability

• PR=credibility

• Email=action

What is a media plan?

The process of deciding how, when, and where to deliver messages

What is the difference between a creative brief and a media plan?

Creative brief= blueprint what to say and how to say it

Media plan=where, when, and how often to say the message

What are the 5 steps in media planning?

1.) Prepare situation analysis

2.) Objectives

3.) Channel & Vehicle Strategy

4.) Tactical Plan

5.) Evaluation & Measurement

What is a channel?

Broad medium (TV, social media, print)

What is a vehicle?

Specific platform (Instagram, Disney+, Glamour Magazine

What is reach?

Percentage of target audience exposed to your message at least once during a specific time period

What is frequency?

Average number of times a reached person sees the ad within a specific period

What are GRPs?

Gross Rating Points

• reach x frequency

What determines channel selection?

• where audience is

• Their mindset

• What the message needs

Why does audience mindset matter in media planning?

People respond differently depending on what they are doing/feeling

Why use social media in campaigns?

Engagement + relationship building

Why use PR in campaigns?

Credibility, reach, awareness, third-party validation

Why use video?

Emotional storytelling/connection

Why use email?

Direct, personalized ACTION

How do these planning documents connect?

Audience analysis= explains WHO your target is

Media plan= guides HOW, WHERE, and WHEN you will reach the target

Creative brief= guides WHY your brand should appeal to the target and WHAT the message is

Why do campaigns fail?

• no clear goal

• Inconsistent messaging

• Poor audience understanding

• Weak integration

What is a strong core message?

It is a SINGLE, persuasive idea that drives behavior, belief, or action