Public Relations Test 1 Questions

Spangler PR is preparing a fee estimate for a new client. Assuming that Spangler follows the standard industry practice for billing and that their account executive makes $50 per hour, which of the following bill rates would be most appropriate?

$150 per hour

A national payroll consulting company is surveying public relations salaries in the Midwest. Which of the following best describes the average salary the company will find for entry-level public relations assistants?

$45,000

Domino's Pizza combined clever marketing with product development when it launched its loyalty program "Point for Pies," an app that gave customers a chance to earn points for every pizza they scanned, regardless of where it came from. The launch of the new loyalty program went viral on social media and coincided with the Super Bowl and the TV ads the company aired during halftime. This is an example of a

360-degree marketing campaign

Britta recently graduated and received an offer to join the public relations team with a local employer. Based on the surveys from the module, which of the following describes the most likely annual salary that Britta would receive in her new role?

45,000

Which of the following roles would be most likely to have the highest median salary?

A chief public relations officer with a corporation

Which of the following forms of intellectual property would not fall under copyright protection?

A concept for a company's new advertising campaign

Which of the following individuals would most likely have the fewest amount of First Amendment rights?

A financial analyst with microsoft

Lawson, a large manufacturing firm, just engaged a public relations firm to assist with its public relations program. Due to Lawson's multifaceted public relations program, the PR firm will most likely organize a(n) ________ team to serve them.

Account

Which of the following options best describes the primary measure of a public relations professional?

Adhering to professional standards of conduct

Which of the following best describes Edward Bernays's conceptual model of public relations?

An emphasis on the application of social science research to formulate campaigns

Juan has been asked to provide a report on average public relations salaries in the five largest metropolitan areas of the United States. Which of the following represents Juan's best resource for obtaining this information?

Analyzing salary surveys from PR publications

Why does Philip Kotler, professor of marketing at Northwestern University and the author of a leading marketing textbook, call public relations the fifth "P" of marketing strategy (in addition to product, price, place, and promotion)?

Because public relations takes longer to to cultivate

The senior leadership team is holding its quarterly strategy meeting. One of the first orders of business is to establish reporting relationships for the company's new marketing and public relations directors. Which of the following options represents their best choice?

Both directors should report to the chief operating officer.

Marketing communications is one aspect of ______ that takes a shorter view of the process, focusing on current sales objectives.

Brand management

Wayne is a freelancer who specializes in creating narratives about his client's brand that resonate with the emotions of their customers. Which area of public relations best describes Wayne's specialty?

Brand storytelling

The public relations team at Pragmatica Technology is meeting to brainstorm for ideas on how to reduce its conflicts with the company's legal, human resources, advertising, and marketing departments. Which of the following options would best help them achieve this goal?

By approaching interactions in the same manner they would with an external public

Yvonne is a chief public relations officer for U-Sure Insurance. She recently met with a group of peers and was asked to explain how companies can address the lack of women in public relations leadership roles. Which of the following options represents Yvonne's best response?

By providing meaningful, challenging opportunities to women early in their career

Lara has been working in a corporate public relations management capacity for nearly a decade. She has been under a lot of stress lately, and her wife suggests that she is risking career burnout. How can Lara best avoid burnout?

By starting a new exercise regime

Alpine Automotive recently engaged a consultant to create a campaign designed to solicit donations from corporations and philanthropists. The money would be used by food banks and homeless shelters to purchase used vehicles from Alpine. Alpine's campaign best represents an example of

Cause marketing

Which of the following factors is most important to the success of an integrated marketing communication strategy?

Collaboration

When determining the best medium for their message, e-bike manufacturer VanMoof released a powerful TV ad depicting the chaos caused by the car industry, such as crashes, pollution, etc. Which component of the PR process did VanMoof consider in this PR campaign?

Communication

Teodora works in public relations for Aprile Automotive Parts. Her annual performance rating is tied to the success or failure of the organization's public relations campaigns and programs. Teodora can be best described as a(n)

Communication Manager

Which of the following would most likely be responsible for executing tactical functions for a public relations firm?

Communications technicians

Thomas Paine's Common Sense pamphlet and Samuel Adams's orchestration of the Boston Tea Party helped build support to sway public opinion toward the revolutionary movement in the United States. Today's public relations professionals would most likely describe these examples as a form of

Conflict positioning

Taren is a senior public relations director with the DeFo Company. She is primarily responsible for analyzing and interpreting the company's customer base. Which of the following public relations skills does Taren's work best describe?

Constituency analysis

Which of the following options best represents a group that would be protected from potential defamation lawsuits?

Consumers posting a negative review against a business on social media

Zuri will be graduating next summer with a degree in public relations. She is studying the personal responsibilities of PR professionals and wants to ensure she understands her professional responsibilities. Which of the following options best describes a PR practitioner's professional responsibility?

Continually pursuing education and learning in the field

Yadier recently joined a small but growing PR firm. One of the big selling points the new firm provides to employees like Yadier is a chance to help with pro bono work for charitable not-for-profit clients. Which of the following specialty areas of public relations does this example best represent?

Corporate reputation

What other activities or functions form the core of "public relations"?

Counseling Research Publicity Marketing Communications Development/Fundraising Issue Management Special Events

Dansby is an advocate for pay equity in the workplace. He is preparing a presentation for a local group of business leaders that will focus on methods for bridging the pay equity gap. Which of the following options best represents an approach Dansby should focus on as he prepares his talking points?

Creating transparent pay models

In 2015, the media picked up on reports of people experiencing E. Coli poisoning at Chipotle Restaurants in 14 different states. In response to the media explosion, Chipotle's PR firm advised to implement a multipronged approach, including explaining the safety measures to remedy the situation, having their president apologize, and conducting a social media campaign to link viewers to positive news about the company. Chipotle's PR firm's approach was an example of

Crisis communication counseling

A large chemical manufacturer was recently accused of polluting a local water system due to the improper disposal of waste. The senior leadership team immediately hired a freelancer to help with their response strategy. The freelancer created content for press releases, speeches, social media, and blog posts and relayed the content to vendors, customers, the general public, and other stakeholders. The freelancer's actions can be best described as a form of

Crisis management

Anika will be graduating with a degree in public relations next year. She wants to focus her work on a public relations role that provides significant opportunities to impact the organization she works for while also adding value to her department. Which of the following best represents the specialty area that Anika should pursue?

Crisis management

Xavier will be graduating with a degree in public relations next year. He wants to ensure he is a successful communicator when he enters the workforce and has been studying various traditions, geography, and religions from around the globe. Xavier is most likely trying to improve his ________ skills.

Cultural literacy

Which of the following best describes a problem with public relations salaries?

Disparate gender pay

Abdullah loves working as a public relations specialist because he can impact society with his work. Which of the following best represents a topic growing in importance for consumers and investors that Abdullah might be able to influence?

Diversity initiatives

Yummy Chocolate company is featured in Food Network magazine for its holiday-themed chocolate bars. This type of message is known as

Earned media

Dick's Sporting Goods launched a media relations campaign targeting local and national lifestyle, sports, and philanthropic media to spread the message of the importance of saving youth sports. Meanwhile, national television, print, and online advertising used professional athletes to raise awareness about the youth-sports funding crisis and why "sports matter." Other ads using sports celebrities also appeared during "Save Youth Sports Week," a partnership with ESPN. This is an example of the use of which combined advertising methods?

Earned media and paid media

What areas of PR focus on internal (organizational) publics?

Employee/Member Relations Workplace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Financial Relations

Z-Wave Media is a growing PR agency based in Texas. The company wants to expand their reach to target more diverse audiences. Which of the following will be most important to their success?

Employing a diverse group of employees

A healthcare organization invites a member of city council to participate in a panel to answer questions from the public in support of the organization's new flu shot campaign. Which type of PR tactic does this represent?

Engaging publics through interactive tactics

As a company shares a public campaign relating to their support for clean air initiatives, it will be most important for them to

Ensure their operations are consistent with the campaign

Saadia uses "brand mentions" from various social media sites to determine the success of public relations campaigns for her clients. Which step in the public relations process is Saadia working on?

Evaluation

The Toob King is a popular influencer on YouTube. Several companies pay her to endorse their products through her channel. She was recently sent a warning notice after making a misleading statement about a product's attributes. Which of the following organizations most likely issued this warning to The Toob King?

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

ABC Construction Company had several bad reviews on Yelp about their lack of customer service, which caused their overall Yelp rating to go down. The company took several steps to increase their rating. After four months, they re-analyzed their Yelp reviews and did not see a notable change upward. This is an example of which part of the PR cycle?

Feedback

JB Technology is a small company operating in the renewable energy field. Due to the popularity of renewable energy, JB has experienced a sustained period of rapid growth. To alleviate some of the pressure on their public relations team, the firm hires a public relations specialist named Rahat to temporarily join the team. Rahat can be best described as a(n)

Freelancer

Angelo is creating a microsite to promote his employer's new product line. He wants to include several direct quotes from an industry magazine on the site to help support the product's benefits. Which of the following options best describes an action Angelo should take to protect himself from a claim of copyright infringement?

He needs to receive the magazines permission to use the quotes

Spring Industries analyzed compensation for their public relations team and noticed a significant gap in pay equity between men and women on the team. Which of the following choices represents their best means for addressing this gap?

Increasing pay transparency for all employees

Olivia is hired by a public relations firm to assist with a campaign for a client from the government sector. The firm does not currently employ anyone with government PR experience, so Olivia will bridge the gap until they can hire someone. Olivia can be best described as a(n)

Independent consultant

The U.S. Ad Council, a nonprofit organization that relies on brand partnerships and pro bono talent from top agencies in the industry, came together to create a PR campaign on educating citizens about the COVID-19 vaccine. The Council used nostalgic images on television and social media, such as visiting grandparents again and attending church services, to hopefully persuade viewers to "get the jab." The ads were followed up with "digital toolkits" so viewers could make their own informed decision. Which key characteristic of PR did the U.S. Ad Council follow for this campaign?

Integrated

Clemente works for a growing public relations firm. Most of his time is spent reviewing problems and changes in the market that could affect the firm and their clients. Clemente's work is best described as

Issue-trend analysis

Darina is the public relations director for the Nightingale Company. She is currently researching how remote and hybrid work models are influencing customer perceptions of organizations in the United States. Which of the following functions best describes Darina's research?

Issue-trend analysis

Devin works as a communication technician for Zephyr Technologies. Which of the following tasks would Devin most likely be responsible for in this role?

Issuing news releases

Lyza is preparing to run for office in her state's government and decides to conduct a series of news conferences and interviews with the press. Which of the following statements best describes how this will help Lyza's campaign for office?

It can generate publicity about issues that Lyza considers to be important.

How does the following quote "redefine" the definition of public relations in a more assertive manner?

It casts the PR professional first and foremost as an advocate for the employer or client but acknowledges the importance of mutual benefit when circumstances allow.

A group of public relations specialists in the community meets for lunch. After discussing their recent work, they debate the pros and cons of licensing for public relations professionals. Which of the following represents the best argument one of the professionals could use in support of licensing?

It would create uniform professional standards

The Tokyo Paralympics released a provocative ad with an athlete facing injuries, missing birthday parties, and enduring brutal training regimens to prepare for the Paralympic Games. The ad's tag line said, "To be a Paralympian, there's got to be something wrong with you." The ad was part of a "superhumans campaign" sequence designed to increase coverage of the Paralympics and shift public perceptions around disability. The strategy was considered a best marketing campaign of 2021 by Marketing Week. What tactic would a public relations firm add to this strategy?

It would use the ad on social media and ask the public to comment with sacrifices they've made to participate in something important.

Which of the following events is often described as the birth of modern public relations in the workplace?

Ivy Lee's counsel during the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company labor crisis.

Which of the following options best describes the Subway spokesperson's initial response to claims that Subway's tuna sandwiches did not actually contain tuna?

Legalese defense

During the 1980s, public relations professionals focused on convincing corporate executives that their work impacted the company's bottom line by supporting the concept of

Management by objectives

Ava recently joined the public relations team for Cambridge Enterprises. She primarily assists senior members of the team with campaigns designed to increase Cambridge's product sales. Which area of marketing does this example best represent?

Marketing communications

What areas of PR focus on external publics?

Media Relations Community Relations Governmental Affairs Public Affairs Industry Relations Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Odessa is leading the public relations efforts for a political campaign. She recently shared some important content with a group of regional journalists but was disappointed when most of them failed to share the news with their audiences. The journalists in this example can be best described as

Media gatekeepers

Grammarly is a well-known digital writing-assistance tool. The company actively promotes their campaigns across Google's and Taboola networks, and often appears before viewing specific YouTube videos. Which of the following forms of advertising does this example best represent?

Native

Your Facebook page has pop-ups for new Nike sneaker options that you were searching for the day before online. This is an example of

Native advertising

Which of the following examples best represents a situation where an individual could be classified as an unpaid intern?

One where the intern's working relationship ends once the internship is over

Cashton is meeting with a group of college students to discuss careers in public relations. One of the students asks him to describe a positive aspect of working in the field. Which of the following demonstrates Cashton's best response?

Opportunity to impact many areas within an organization

Jolene is working on a public relations campaign to motivate employees to participate in her employer's new health and wellness program. Which area of PR focus best describes Jolene's work?

Organizational

Jacey contracted with a large manufacturing firm to write new content for the organization's internal and external websites. These websites are best classified as a form of ________ media.

Owned

The ability to "change course with remarkable speed" and the perception that "every crisis brings fresh opportunities" highlights which elements of the global public relations industry's status?

PR is resilient

After George Floyd's Murder, the Ford Foundation expressed the need for "moral courage to stand up for the rights and dignity of every human life" and also announced it would provide resources to support positive change. Why was this action considered public relations versus journalism?

PR personnel are advocates who seek to change attitudes and behaviors

True is the CEO of a Fortune 500 organization. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he needed to quickly create and distribute communications to company employees and customers. Who did he most likely rely on for strategic direction with these communications?

PR professionals

Seren works for a public relations agency. She was recently asked to create a campaign for a client that sells alcoholic beverages. The client wants a campaign that will target younger customers. Seren is afraid that the campaign may encourage underage youth to try alcohol and decides to resign and search for a new job. Seren was most likely influenced by which of the following?

Personal values

Estrella works for the Capriotti Company, which is planning the launch of an exciting new product line. As a senior member of her team, Estrella was tasked with managing the public relations efforts for the product. As the campaign wore on, Estrella fell behind and ended up exceeding her budget by nearly 20 percent. Which of the following best represents the skill that Estrella should focus on developing next year?

Planning and management

When Rawle Murdy suggested holding a humorous mock election campaign between two animal candidates running for president of the Charleston Animal Society, which step of the PR process does this action represent?

Policy formation

Your best friend is considering a career in public relations and asks you to describe some of the traits needed to succeed in the field. Which of the following represents your best response?

Possesses a flexible temperament

A+ Tutors offers personally tailored tutoring for individuals and via classes. The company offers free content with articles about study strategies and test-taking tips on their website, based on a PR campaign in which they sent surveys to existing customers asking what topics are most important to them.

Promoting a product, service, cause, or issue through owned media

Pablo works for Uniform Logistics. He is busy developing a PR campaign that will tout the company's pledge to convert their entire fleet from gas to hybrid or electric within five years. The focus of Pablo's campaign can be best classified as a form of

Public affairs

In 2017, social media reported that United Airlines barred two teenagers from boarding a flight due to the leggings they wore. Soon after, a video surfaced of a different United Airlines passenger being dragged, bloodied, from a flight. The passenger was removed due to the repurposing of the seats for United's own employees. United's CEO, Oscar Munoz, quickly released a statement defending the actions of the flight crew and apologized for having to re accommodate the passengers. He did not express sincerity. What key PR characteristic was missed in this situation?

Public interest

Nadine is considering a career in public relations and is researching the Public Relations Society of America (PSRA) to understand their thoughts on the profession. Which of the following best describes the PSRA's opinion?

Public relations creates complementary outcomes between organizations and their stakeholders.

Latasha is planning a travelling e-sports competition that will stop for a weekend in major metropolitan areas across the country. Latasha wants to generate buzz for upcoming events while also highlighting the excitement of previous events. Which of the following people represents the best resource to help Latasha meet her goals?

Publicist

Yvette works in public relations for The Braxton Company. Her primary responsibility is to share planned messages through targeted media. Which of the core functions of public relations does Yvette's work best represent?

Publicity

Yandy is the public relations manager for an athletic apparel company. An activist group plans to protest the company's low employee wages at a series of sporting events that the company sponsors. Rather than compromise with the activists, Yandy prepares to support the organization's apparel and sponsorship agreements. Which of the following options best describes Yandy's approach?

Pure advocacy

Gaochiya is a public relations specialist for a technology firm. She spent significant time gathering information about her target audience prior to launching a highly successful campaign for a new product launch. Which of the following skills does this example best demonstrate?

Research

Nandor was responsible for leading a campaign for his employer. The campaign was considered a failure, and his manager expressed disappointment when she learned he hadn't utilized opinion polls or focus groups at the onset of the project. Which of following skills does Nandor most likely need to address?

Research

Evaluating trends in media coverage, as well as editorial and influencer comments, represents which stage of the PR cycle?

Research and analysis

Which of the following are the steps in the public relations process?

Research, Action, Communication, Evaluation

Which of the following options best represents a concern for businesses whenever they host visitors at their facilities?

Safety

Juan, a journalist for the local paper, attended a silent auction put on by the local hospital to raise funds for the new cancer treatment wing. While there, Juan ran into Fatima, who was contracted by the hospital to organize the event. This is an example of how journalists and public relations roles differ in their

Scope

Which of the following government agencies would most likely be responsible for monitoring how public relations professionals buy and sell shares of stock in their organization?

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

The Food and Drug Administration would most likely be responsible for which of the following actions?

Sending a warning letter to a public relations firm that shared misleading information about a cosmetics product in a campaign

Kyveli is a freelance photographer who specializes in capturing extreme weather phenomena. Which of the following options best describes how copyright law would treat Kyveli's work?

She retains sole ownership rights to her work.

Quintina is pursuing a degree in public relations and wants to ensure she has polished up some of her advanced-level skills in preparation for her first role. Which of the following options represents her best starting point?

She should work on her ability to counsel management during emergencies

Hader Enterprises is planning to include an employee photograph in their new recruiting brochures. It will be most important for the organization to request a ________ form from the employee to protect themselves from a potential breach of privacy case.

Signed release

A local news station ran a segment on their evening news show about a physician that had recently opened a practice in the town's hospital. The reporter falsely claimed that the physician hadn't graduated from medical school and that the diplomas on his wall were fakes. This scenario can be best described as an example of

Slander

Calista is nearing her graduation day and looking for her first job in the public relations field. Her first interview is with a corporate public relations department. Which of the following traits would most likely be true about this position?

Slower Pace

A public relations specialist wants to hold an onsite career fair to attract new talent to her organization. She creates a proposal and presents it to her manager, who quickly approves the event. This example best demonstrates why public relations is classified as a(n) ________ function.

Staff

The following statement relates to which key characteristic of PR? "PR involves counseling and problem solving at high levels, not just the dissemination of information after a decision has been made by other leaders."

Strategic management

Thomas Paine's Common Sense pamphlet that advocated for independence from Great Britain before the Revolutionary War supports which of the following beliefs described by Harold Burson?

That people will forever want to influence other people

Elvira is visiting a local high school to discuss her career in public relations. One of the students asks Elvira to explain where the concepts that make up public relations began. Which of the following demonstrates Elvira's best response?

The Ancient World

Ema is a sophomore public relations student at a state college. She wants to join an organization that provides opportunities to network with other public relations students and mentorship opportunities with public relations professionals. Which of the following organizations would best meet her needs?

The Public Relations Student Society of America

Which of the following recent developments has helped support a strong job outlook for public relations professionals?

The increase in DEI initiatives in the workplace

Which of the following best describes why alternative methods of advertising like web marketing and event sponsorship have seen a recent surge in popularity?

The increasing clutter of advertising

Ruqayya recently began pursuing her public relations degree from a state university. She asks her counselor to explain why there are so many prerequisite courses in areas like social sciences and humanities. Ruqayya is frustrated because she wants to focus on classes specific to public relations. How should the counselor respond?

The prerequisites create a solid foundation of cultural literacy for students

Boredle Enterprises uses a compulsory-advisory for its staff-level functions. Which of the following best demonstrates this level of authority?

The sales team is required to consult with the public relations team before updating and releasing new product flyers.

The family-owned bakery down the street is struggling, but the owners know they need to get the word out about their business. Their marketing strategy largely consists of weekly discounts, and they have a limited marketing budget. How else can the bakery meet its public relations-specific mission?

They can seek out regular customers to become "brand ambassadors" and share what they love about the bakery on social media.

The owner of Tracer Enterprises wants his public relations employees to join a professional association to ensure they are bound by a professional code of ethics. Which of the following options best describes an argument against codes of ethics used by professional associations?

They don't punish members who violate the code

The senior leadership team at Ramirez Enterprises is discussing the possibility of bringing a public relations firm into the organization. The CEO believes there might be some disadvantages since the firm will be new to the organization. Which of the following options best represents one of these disadvantages?

They may not fully understand the company's business

Which of the following options would be best for ensuring a company selects the best public relations firm for a specific set of circumstances?

They should engage with multiple firms

Derby PR is a domestic public relations firm located in the United States. They are considering a strategic move into global public relations. Which of the following options best represents a benefit they can realize from such a move?

They will be able to account for cultural influences

Madyson, Inc. is a large manufacturing company with divisions spread around the globe. The company has a large budget that it uses to support its substantial communication needs. Which of the following would most likely be true of an organization like Madyson, Inc.?

They would engage more external PR firms for assistance than smaller organizations.

Yuri recently wrapped up a public relations internship with Delta Enterprises. He is telling his parents about his experience and explains that he was frustrated because Delta continually changed his schedule and did not establish milestones for the internship. Which of the following best describes the component of SMART internships that Delta failed to meet?

Time-bound

Which of the following reasons best supports why a conglomerate may choose to acquire new public relations firms?

To create total communications networks

Which of the following options best describes a means to recognize products and differentiate among brands?

Trademarks

Lo-Key Telecommunications recently learned that their chief financial officer had been embezzling money over the past year. The company's public relations team immediately sent out a briefing regarding their findings to news outlets, their shareholders, and through their social media accounts. The company's actions best illustrate the importance of ________ to the public.

Transparency

The customer support telephone system at XYX Company allows customers to call in to voice product and service compliments or issues. Company representatives follow up on each call to ensure the customer knows their call is being addressed. Which of the four evolutionary models of public relations does this example best represent?

Two-way asymmetric

Journalism is different than public relations in that journalists

View communication activities as "ends"

Mohit asks you to help explain the salary disparity between men and women in the public relations industry. Which of the following represents your best response?

Women's careers are more likely to be interrupted by temporary leaves from work.

Hamid recently began a career in public relations. He primarily focuses on implementing decisions made by senior members of his team. Hamid is most likely a(n)

communications technician.

Top agency, regardless of location, may suddenly fall in performance because

increase of loss income over one year may simply involve winning or losing one major client.

RACE

research action communication evaluation

The CEO at Challenger Enterprises has asked her communications team to cut next year's budget. Which of the following options would best help the team meet this goal?

targeting influencers to build buzz

Genius Calculator's marketing manager asked their PR firm how the company could get a foothold with a new target market: midsize college bookstores. The PR firm agreed that college students would be an appropriate audience for their expanded sales strategy. This dialogue is an example of

the difference in the terms marketing professionals use to refer to respective audiences versus the terms used by public relations professionals.

Kiersten was hired as an intern in a public relations firm during her last semester of college. She was given a clear set of requirements that could reasonably be completed throughout the course of the internship. Which aspect of the SMART acronym does this example best demonstrate?

Attainable