Strategic Planning in Public Relations

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards focused on the strategic planning process in public relations, covering concepts, theories, and methodologies.

Strategic Planning Process

A step-by-step approach to creating a PR campaign involving research, planning, execution, and evaluation.

Content Analysis

Systematically analyzing media/content to identify patterns, themes, or trends.

Trained Moderators for Focus Groups

Facilitators who lead discussions, keep groups on track, avoid bias, and extract useful insights.

Qualitative Research

Open-ended research that explores opinions and feelings through interviews, focus groups, and observations.

Quantitative Research

Research that collects numerical data to measure trends and statistics through surveys, polls, and analytics.

Primary Research

Collecting your own data for a campaign, such as through surveys and interviews.

Secondary Research

Using existing data from articles, reports, and previous studies.

Formal Research

Structured, scientific, and data-driven research, including surveys and experiments.

Informal Research

Casual research that provides quick insights from conversations and social media comments.

Formative Research

Research conducted at the beginning or during a campaign to guide strategy.

Summative Research

Research conducted at the end of a campaign to evaluate its success.

Situational Theory of Publics

A model categorizing audiences into latent, aware, and active based on their level of engagement.

Utilitarianism

An ethical principle that advocates for actions that create the greatest good for the most people.

Demographics

Basic statistical data concerning a population, including age, gender, income, and location.

Psychographics

Data that examines values, beliefs, lifestyle, and attitudes.

RPIE Formula

A method in PR comprising Research, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation.

Pop-up Events

Temporary events designed to create buzz and engage the public.

Goals

Broad, overall desired outcomes of a campaign.

Objectives

Specific, measurable steps intended to achieve campaign goals.

Strategies

Big-picture approaches used to achieve objectives.

Tactics

Specific actions utilized to implement strategies.

Billable Rates

Hourly costs charged for public relations services.

SMART Objectives

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound objectives.

Zombie Followers

Fake or inactive followers on social media that do not engage.

Outputs vs Outcomes

Outputs are what you produce (e.g., press releases), while outcomes are the actual impact (e.g., behavior change).

Gantt Charts

Visual timelines that display tasks and deadlines in a campaign.

Pro Bono Work

Free public relations work done as a donation or service.

Overhead Expenses

Indirect costs that include rent, utilities, and salaries.

Meaningful Action

Real behavior change resulting from a campaign, such as buying or donating.

Controlling the Message

The ability to shape how information is presented, with ads having high control and media low control.

Advertorial

Paid content that resembles an article.

Media Gatekeepers

Editors or journalists who decide what content gets published.

Native Advertising

Ads that seamlessly blend with the content of the platform they appear on.

Core Values of PRSA

Key principles including advocacy, honesty, expertise, independence, loyalty, and fairness.

Going Viral

Content that spreads quickly through social media shares and engagement.

PESO Model

An acronym for Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned media types.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

The practice of improving content to rank higher in search engine results.

BarkBox Case Study

An example showcasing effective branding and social media engagement to build customer loyalty.

Valuation of PR Work

Measuring PR success by outcomes rather than just exposure.

Barcelona Principles

Guidelines for PR measurement focusing on outcomes, transparency, and the avoidance of AVEs.

Media Monitoring Services

Tools used to track mentions of a brand across various media platforms.

Likert-Type Scales

Rating scales used to measure attitudes, such as from strongly agree to strongly disagree.

Referring Sources

Origins of an audience, such as Google or social media platforms.

Advertising Value Equivalencies (AVEs)

An outdated method that compares PR value to advertising costs, now generally discouraged.

Transparency in Research

The principle of being open about research methods and data used.

Message Testing

Evaluating messages before launch to assess their effectiveness.

SWOT Analysis

A tool analyzing Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

Focus Group

A small discussion group led by a trained moderator to gather opinions.