Managing Relationships Q's
You're the PR director for an insurer that provides employee benefits. Your environmental scans indicate that legislation repealing the ACA is forthcoming. The outcome could affect your business and your company's clients. What should you do next?( Choose 1) A. Develop a set of talking points for executives that prepares them for either status quo or repeal. B. Develop a set of talking points for executives that prepares them for either status quo or repeal and build out versions for each stakeholder. C. Continue scans and conduct a content analysis and present findings to your manager with recommendations based on possible outcomes. D. Gather additional information from your sources, along with environmental scans and present findings to leaders from each functional area with recommendations. E. Continue monitoring the situation, but gather additional information and present findings to senior leaders with recommendations that address several potential outcomes and define high-level talking points to key stakeholders.
ANSWER(S): E RATIONALE: Goal of PR is to be proactive and help organizations adapt to the environment (EPR 11 chp. 7. APR Guide p. 83 Working with other departments. A. is not correct - it jumps to action B. is also not correct but does consider all publics; c. is not correct because PR is a staff function and should work with staff and leadership; d is good but not the best answer.
You are the new pr director for a wellness company which is preparing to launch a new activity tracker that is said to outshine the ever-popular FitBit. You have scheduled interviews with four health and wellness magazines for the same day. What are best practices for preparing for these interviews. Choose three. A. Stick to the facts; never guess; never speculate, never lie. B. Be on time. C. Use "no comment," if you are unsure of the answer to the question. D. Prepare for questions. Develop Q & A.
ANSWER: A, B, D. - APR Study Guide, pg. 93
You are a public relations coordinator at an electronics company. You are charged with evaluating the quality and production values of messages used during a campaign to encourage the use of LED light bulbs. A premium was placed on readability during the campaign given the challenges of getting your audiences to understand the value in using LED light bulbs. What method could you use to evaluate the readability of messages in this campaign? (choose 1) A. Easy Listening Formula B. Gunning Fog Index C. Rogers Diffusion Index D. Wilber Schramm Theory
ANSWER: B. "The Gunning Fox Index is one method used for measuring readability. Robert Gunning's formula measures reading difficulty based on average sentence length and the percentage of words with three or more syllables" (EPR, pg. 321). "A" is a comparable method for estimating listenability (EPR, pg. 322). "C" is a fake offshoot of the Diffusion Theory. "D" is real but does not measure readability.
You are the communications director for a large water park in Maine. Over the years you have developed strong community relations with area youth camps, summer recreation programs, church groups and many other organizations. One day, when business was going strong, your voice mail and company email box fill quickly with complaints about a child who had been mistreated at your park by employees and bystanders. No such issues were reported. After a Internet search, you find a similarly-named park in Texas has had such an event. To address this situation you will want to communicate with the following publics, first: [PICK TWO} A. Media B. Community C. Employees D. Corporate Ownership/Legal/Crisis Communications Committee
ANSWER: C& D Prompt and appropriate responses are essential. The guidelines for managing issues and crisis communications are applicable to cyber crises as other types, with the added priority of urgency. (APR Guide page 89). Contact your corporate team first to notify them of this misunderstanding and to ask about the crisis communication plan. If no plan is in place quickly develop a plan with leadership, legal and other stakeholders to ensure that reputation management actions and messages remedy any public misunderstanding.
You are a public relations coordinator for the second-largest credit union in the state. The area's leading television investigative reporter calls just as you get to work and says he is working on a story for the 5 p.m. broadcast: A group of tellers is alleging that branch managers are overcharging customers by as much as 2 percent per transaction, and they are pocketing the proceeds. The tellers also allege co-workers have been laid off for pointing out the theft. The reporter demands an on-camera interview or threatens he'll report the credit union has "no comment." Your CEO consents to an interview to set the record straight. What is one step you take to prepare the CEO? (choose 1) A. Choose a venue with lots of light to help the TV cameraman and calm the CEO. B. Prepare talking points that include some key marketing messages but few facts about the allegations. C. Write a statement the CEO can read once the interview starts. D. Prepare the CEO with a practice Q&A of anticipated questions.
ANSWER: D. One step when preparing for an interview is "Prepare for questions. Develop Q&A" (APR Study guide, page 93). "A" could be helpful but would likely have no bearing on the success of the interview. "B" would be a solid strategy but the APR Study Guide encourages you to "Stick to the facts; never guess; never speculate; never lie," meaning marketing messages would not help. "C" is not appropriate of you consented to grant an interview beforehand.
Fashion H20 is a leading fashion designer for women's purses and the company recently hired you as the new media relations director. As the media relations director, you are responsible for dealing with all national media. It's your first day on the job and the company CEO wants you send out a Video News Release (VNR) about their newest fashion line, H20 New York, to publicize the new line to national fashion journalists. What is your first step in making this happen? A. Contact the marketing department to obtain video to use with your VNR. B. Identify your list of television journalists that cover the fashion industry so you can prepare to send the VNR to them. C. Determine what is newsworthy about the new fashion line to illustrate the story for the VNR. D. Shoot new video for the VNR to publicize the new line.
According to the APR study guide, page 102, VNR's should look like news and not advertising when submitted to news outlets. What news story fits with this new product line? The answer is C. You must identify a proper news story to help you illustrate your story to journalists otherwise they will consider it advertising propaganda. An example of how to make this newsworthy would be to feature an interesting story about the designer. Maybe the designer was raised in uptown New York City and gained her inspirations for the new fashion line by talking to an ordinary Manhattan resident one day on the subway who shared her passion for metro art.
You are involved in a negotiation over a restructuring within your workplace. What are three critical elements that are always present in negotiation that you'll want to keep in mind? (Choose 3) A. Information: You may perceive that the other side knows more about you and your needs than you know about them and their needs. B. Time: You may perceive that the other side is not under the same kind of time pressure or deadlines as you are. C. Emotion: You may perceive that either you or the other side is more emotionally invested in the outcome. D. Power: You may perceive that the other side has more power and authority than you think you have.
Answer: A, B, and D Rationale: APR Study Guide, page 88: "Cohen identifies three critical elements that are always present in negotiation: 1. Information: You may perceive that the other side knows more about you and your needs than you know about them and their needs. 2. Time: You may perceive that the other side is not under the same kind of time pressure or deadlines as you are. 3. Power: You may perceive that the other side has more power and authority than you think you have. The key point about these elements is that they are your perceptions and may not be reality."
You are the communications director for a large organization. Your organization has recently suffered a crisis that has potentially created health problems for your employees. In order to most effectively communicate solutions to your internal audiences, you would prioritize which of the following communications channels. Choose one. A. Social Media B. Cable Television news C. National Public Radio D. Face-to-face communication E. An internally produced magazine
Answer - D. Source, EPR 11th edition(international version) page 224 "Studies also show that the most memorable,effective, and preferred type of message delivery for employees is traditional face-to-face communication. (Key words here are "internal" and "most effectively")
You are the communications director for a large fortune 100. Your CEO tells you that at the beginning of the year there will be a major organizational restructuring. The CEO wants you to break the news to the entire company. What is the best communication channel to deliver the information. A. Immediate stakeholder supervisors B. Online chat rooms C. Social media D. Company newsletter E. EMail blast
Answer A. Per the APR Study Guide the immediate supervisors are the most credible source of company information.
You work at a global trade association and there are other trade associations in this space which are both partners and in some ways market competition. Select the best possible answer among the options for building global relationships and how you do so through networks. A. Develop a news release on behalf of the other organizations and communicate through your media and social media channels. B. Develop and implement a jointly-agreed upon communications plan, which includes trade media outreach tactics on a global level, in addition to collaborative social media posts with the other partnering organizations. C. Agree with the other partners to each publish your own individual communications loosely based upon agreed upon core documents / plan, each reaching the same audience at the same time. D. Form a joint-committee of the organizations to identify and shape communications efforts. Carve out specific areas of business that each organization would handle by region,and subsequent media relations and social media following these business efforts.
Answer B. It focuses on a carefully developed effort with clear collaboration and transparency. The first option (A) is not partner-based and may face large obstacles in completing, while option C creates duplicate and potentially confusing communication to stakeholders and the media through multiple PR efforts from the different organizations. The option D is not viable as it could cause legal concerns in carving out areas of business.
You're volunteering your PR expertise to help a political candidate who is running for Mayor. She asks you for feedback on the success of her Facebook and Twitter posts over the past quarter to determine if those social media efforts are contributing towards her campaign goal. You provide her with the following info: A. Number of "likes" on the candidate's Facebook page over the past three months. B. Number of Twitter followers over the past quarter. C. Dollars raised and number of people who visited the candidate's fundraising website to make online donations as a direct result of the candidate's Facebook and Twitter posts. D. Number of positive comments from community leaders on the candidate's Facebook page.
Answer is C. Online channels provide a wide range of feedback data about users....But practitioners must be able to look beyond "hits," "likes" and "follows" to interpret what these numbers mean for organizations or clients in strategic business terms. - APR Study Guide, Managing Relationships, Networks, p. 95.
You are a member of your company's middle management team responsible for organization-wide communications, including upcoming negotiations with a trades union. You understand that negotiation, as defined by Cohen (1980) is the use of various elements to affect behavior. Cohen identifies three critical elements that are always present in negotiations. Choose 3. 1. Information 2. Confidentiality 3. Time 4. Power 5. Coalition-building
Answer: #s 1, 3, 4 According to page 88 of the APR Study Guide, information,time, and power are the three elements that are always present in negotiation.
You are a public relations director for a small health-supplements manufacturer that is launching several new products including a new vitamin and Omega 3 line. One day, your boss, the CEO, tells you that while he values you as an employee, he is concerned about the expense of public relations and whether it is warranted for his growing company. He tells you that since he has a marketing director, he is considering eliminating your position. You offer him some perspectives about the value of PR; which 3 of these points do you make in the conversation? 1. Public relations strategies can increase the likelihood that people will purchase products. 2. Public relations strategies can establish initial credibility for new products. 3. Public relations strategies can attract top talent to the company. 4. Public relations strategies can prevent negative comments from appearing on all social media sites. 5. Public relations strategies can ensure that new products sell for the price advertised.
Answer: 1, 2 and 3 are included in PRSA's 2009 Business Case for Public Relations. In 4, social media sites are an uncontrolled channel, so it would be unrealistic to promise that you can prevent negative comments. In 5, new products' sale price is a marketing function. Source: APR Study Guide, page 89.
You are the communications director for an international charity that supports homeless children. Your company has more than 900 employees in 200 offices around the world. You've been charged with increasing employee moral after an internal review revealed a 25 percent increase in employee turnover over the last five years. After conducting an e-mail survey of staff and interviews with management, you determine that while employees very often feel connected to their home office and local communities - they rarely feel connected to the organization and its overarching mission. As part of a communications plan to better engage employees and improve the connection they feel to the organization, you recommend the following (pick 2): 1. That the organization launch a staff resources section of its public-facing website. 2. That the organization launch a staff intranet that includes a social media component, allowing employees to share experiences and ideas. 3. That the organization hold two annual meetings that all employees are required to attend. 4. That the organization start a monthly, print newsletter that can be mailed to all employees.
Answer: 2 & 4 Rationale: EPR, 11th, p. 225 - Social media also transform employee communication, replacing the top-down model of old with a participative network of engaged employees. EPR, 11th, p. 201 -Despite new communication technology, printed publications remain the primary media for internal communication in most organizations ... the usual goals of such publications include the following: 1. Keeping employees informed of the organization's strategy and goals; 2. Providing employees the information they need to perform their assignments well; 3. Encouraging employees to maintain and enhance the organization's standards for the commitment to quality improvement, increased efficiency, improved service, and greater social responsibility; 4. Recognizing employees' achievements and successes; 5.Creating an opportunity for two-way communication to generate employee feedback, questions, and concerns.
You are the new PR director for the Department of Agriculture. As the director, what is your primary responsibility? 1) Ensuring active cooperation in government programs. 2) Facilitating media relations. 3) Informing constituents about the activities of a government agency. 4) Fostering citizen support for established policies and programs. 5) Serving as the public's advocate to government administrators.
Answer: 3) Informing constituents about the activities of a government agency. Rationale: "Effective Public Relations," Chapter 16, page 350 - The primary job of government public affairs practitioners is to inform . . . ensuring the constant flow of information to persons outside and inside government is the top priority.
You are communications director for a start-up widget manufacturer. Your market research points to an interesting technology trend that could lead to greater sales for your widget. Your CEO wants to generate positive media coverage that will highlight the growing demand for your product. Choose the most effective media relations strategy: 1. Host a news conference with your CEO as the speaker and invite the major media outlets in your geographic region, so they can all receive the news at the same time 2. Craft a news release explaining the trend and the benefits of your widget for distribution on national news wires 3. Have your CEO write a blog post to publish on the company website 4. Identify an influential tech journalist who covers your industry and pitch a trend story, with an interview of your CEO or tour of your factory
Answer: 4. A trend story like this is of most interest to reporters who regularly cover the industry, whose audiences are seeking in-depth coverage. A news conference is most appropriate for breaking news or a highly-sought spokesperson with limited availability, or in cases where a demonstration is necessary. A wide-distribution news release is appropriate for news with very wide appeal,but will only irritate reporters if the news is not relevant to their beats. A blog post on owned media can be an effective way to communicate your CEO's thoughts on the trend but will not have the same audience or influence as a third-party media outlet.
You are the media relations director for a major automobile manufacturer located in the United States. Earlier this year, the manufacturer released a new model vehicle, Model XT, after months of testing. Recents reports from consumers indicate the model includes a faulty child restraint system that leads to a massive model recall. Prior to the recall announcement, your CEO tells you that R&D data indicated a possible issue that was overlooked prior to the model launch. You then receive a call from a Washington Post reporter with whom you have a solid, 10-year working relationship with who asks you to confirm details about your company knowingly releasing a model in which there was a possible issue. What courses of action could you initially take? Choose two. A. Call the reporter back and invite them to the press conference for the recall announcement (provide media training for your CEO/develop key messages). B. Call the reporter back and tell them you are looking in to the consumer reports, but cannot confirm fault at this time. Indicate more information will be shared at the recall announcement (prepare a Q & A sheet to provide). C. Ignore the reporter until the recall announcement is made. Then, set up interviews with the CEO. (Hold off on admitting a fault and then let your CEO take the public fall). D. Provide the reporter with all of the information you know before the recall announcement, since you trust her and do not think she will risk losing her working relationship with you for a story. (Give her the advantage since you have a long relationship with her and hope she presents a favorable perspective).
Answer: A & B. Journalists appreciate sources who provide a response in a timely manner, even if the response is not all of the information or "I am looking into this and will get back to you as soon as I can." Ignoring a reporter in this instance would only add to the suspicions of fault if the company/manufacturer stays quiet and fails to address reported vehicle issues. Get the facts that you know at that time, and provide them when asked in a reasonable manner. While you may not want to provide the information prior to a press conference/recall announcement, you can certainly invite key media contacts to your announcement, and prepare in advance. Be ready for the announcement and work as much as you can to provide facts to media. (APR Study Guide (2016), p.92-93).
As PR Director for BrightCo, you are tasked with preparing your CEO for an upcoming media interview with a trade journal reporter. Which two things do you coach your CEO to do? Choose two. A. Stick to the facts, never guess, never lie. B. Say "no comment" when she does not know the information asked. C. Be confident, credible, personable. D. Provide "off the record" commentary by way of background.
Answer: A and C. Source: APR Study Guide page 93. Incorrect answer B (avoid "no comment" even if you can't comment from APR Study Guide page 93. Incorrect answer D, "spokespersons should avoid talking off the record" from EPR 11th page 231.
You work as a communications director for a school district and are called in to help resolve a dispute between your superintendent and the district's curriculum director. They each have different ideas about the best way to roll out the new social studies curriculum, and ask you to serve as the consensus-building facilitator. Serving in that role, which of these actions should you take (choose 2). A. Identify and analyze the problem with participants B. Make pro and con lists C. Side with your superintendent D. Evaluate possible solutions E. Survey others in the office
Answer: A and D. Rational: Study Guide page 87.
As the PR manager for your local city zoo, your director is excited to show off the organization's latest exhibit and would like you to promote it. What would be the most appropriate methods for reaching out to the local media for coverage? (choose two) A. Provide video/photos and background information of the new exhibit in the press release you send out to your targeted reporters B. Announce the new exhibit via social media and traditional press releases C. Research national trends/news surrounding your exhibit and pitch that connection to reporters D. Utilize a newswire service to announce the exhibit E. Invite media to a press conference announcing the new exhibit
Answer: A&C. EPR Ch. 10 and the APR study guide (p. 91)both state the importance of providing service to journalists. Providing imagery and background info, as well as how your story/event may connect to a bigger picture, is key to providing service to a reporter. While most PR pros know that reporters are never obligated to cover a story, if you lay one out to them with a newsworthy angle, they are more apt to cover it. It's also important to send info to targeted media, not just all the reporters in your area.
You are the communications director for a mall in a big college town. The Vice President has asked you to show the board how information technology can enhance the mall's image, an image the mall currently and desperately needs to enhance after the mall has had a different change in leadership for eight consecutive years due to stores closing, employment uncertainty and theft problems. Which FOUR do you present to the board as requirements for IT considerations? A. You need to understand your publics in more detailed ways than in the past. B. You need to be well-versed on emerging and ever-changing digital media trends. C. Conduct on-going research. D. Monitor behaviors. E. Employ sales pitches, fluff or trivia through online communications tactics.
Answer: A, B, C. D. Rationale: APR Guide page 95 under the heading "Information Technology Considerations". The development and enhancement of online communications opportunities and mobile technologies have created "on demand media". Many 21st century news consumers expect content to be individualized, tailored to their needs and delivered to them regularly and instantaneously. This trend requires the following mentioned in the answers above.
You are the PR Director for a large private, family-owned business and your CEO asks for your advice on communicating an upcoming acquisition to the employees in your business. Who should the leadership team communicate this news to first and what communication method should be used to announce the upcoming organization change and acquisition? Choose one option as your response. A. In person meeting the CEO leads B. Shared messages on firm social media outlets to followers C. Press release to local and national media outlets D. Personal phone call to important clients
Answer: A. According to the APR Study Guide on Internal Stakeholders page 90, when something affects the organization, the internal publics should be among the first to know. They also need to understand the initiative and what key message should be shared about the initiative or change.
You are the spokesperson for a large, multi-state engineering firm that designed a mechanism that will increase output at a few local automobile parts manufacturing plants. The piece is expected to keep one of the plants, Company B, from closing and laying off a few hundred workers. You have written a press release in conjunction with Company B about the new mechanism, which is expected to be in high demand among plants around the globe. Which of the following would be the WRONG thing to do: A. Send out a press release to everyone in your media contact list. B. Reach out to the trade magazines on the media contact list because they will give the story top billing and their readership includes the head of the manufacturers who are your potential customers. C. Time your release to coincide with an upcoming news report about layoffs in the automotive industry and bill your system as a solution to the decline. D. Have your legal team review the press release to make sure you don't reveal technical information that could give your competition an advantage.
Answer: A. The Study Guide says on Page 91 that you should research news outlets to become familiar with what specific news they cover. Sending an outlet or journalist news that is unrelated to their audience profile diminishes their trust and respect.
A new community video blog has just launched in your town. It focuses on a variety of community topics and was started by a citizen who thought the local paper wasn't covering enough local news. Your organization rarely issues press releases or has newsworthy events. Still, you want to build a relationship with the new media outlet. Which approach would best establish a good working relationship? A. Comment frequently on the blog posts to show that you view the website B. Send in a few story suggestions you've heard of in the community you think that vlogger might like C. Email an introduction letter with your canned media kit D. Invite the vlogger to tour your office
Answer: B Rationale: APR study guide pages 91-92. Answer B will position you as a trusted source of information and demonstrated that you understand the vloggers mission. Answer A is not direct enough and does not provide significant value to the vlogger. Answer C and D are nice gestures but may backfire by making the vlogger thing you do not understand the vlog's mission.
You serve as the organization's PR lead for a local gaming property. A new initiative is rolling out that will impact loyalty rewards customers, and there is a need to ensure they understand the new process. However, your executive team recommends a mailed communication to resolve this communications challenge. Although you disagree with this technique, your executives are demonstrating what type of model? a) Press agentry/publicity b) Public information model c) Two-way asymmetrical model d) Two-way symmetrical model
Answer: B The public information model is a one-way communication style. It uses press releases and one-way techniques to distribute information to your public. Your recommendation should be to use a two-way symmetrical model to ensure the public and organization have mutual understanding of the change and there is an opportunity for negotiation (if allowable).
A social media post that promotes a new donation initiative in your company is an example of: a) owned media b) shared media c) paid media d) controlled media
Answer: B 2017 Study Guide p. 93. It is also an example of uncontrolled media.
You are the Communications Director for a privately held manufacturing company with several plants located along the eastern seaboard. The company has just announced it will be closing one of its two plants in Massachusetts, as they are in close proximity to each other and it no longer makes good business sense to operate them both. The closure will result in layoffs for about 25% of staff, with the remaining 75% offered similar positions at the nearby plant or other locations. The CEO made the announcement via live video stream into meetings held at each location company-wide. Historically, you've found that front line employees lack trust in executive management decisions and company-mediated communications. What actions do you take in followup to the CEO's announcement to build trust among staff that the decision to close the plant was out of operational necessity and management has their best interests in mind? Choose 2. A. Share the video of the CEO's announcement with more details about the reason for the closing in the company blog. B. Prepare and distribute Q&As for supervisors of front-line employees, with detailed information so that they have an in-depth knowledge to answer staff questions. C. Ask the plant manager at the location that's closing to hold "open-office" hours for the next month so staff can come in & ask questions/offer any thoughts they'd like. D. Work with your HR representatives to brief supervisors at the location about opportunities within the company for both them and their staff.
Answer: B & D Rationale: While all actions may be helpful in mitigating the negative effects of the closure, according to the APR Study Guide pg. 90, the most credible source of information about a business for many employees is their immediate supervisor. Even a plant manager who is onsite may not be trusted as much as an employee's immediate supervisor, and likely neither would be mediated forms of communication, like the company blog. This makes B & D the best answers.
You are the Communications Director at a county government. You are leading a re-banding campaign for your Parks & Recreation Department, the largest department in the county with six separate divisions within it. Your graphics team has presented what you consider to be three very strong options for the Department's new logo, font and color scheme. When first presented, all of the Parks and Rec. divisions had a different preference and were in-fighting about which one to move forward with. You have scheduled a meeting in an effort to build consensus. What four actions would you take: A) Break down specifically what each division likes and does not like about the logos together B) Announce that the decision will be make democratically and take a vote with the majority deciding the final logo C) Ask the groups for their ideas for possible solutions and then work with them to evaluate each one D) Ensure that representatives from each division are able to attend the meeting E) Lead, guide and help the group through the decision-making process
Answer: B would NOT be a part of a consensus building process. (Page 87 of the Study Guide, Consensus Building) Consensus building, unlike the majority rule approach, requires that all parties around the table agree to support the final decision.
You are the new director of internal relations for company with 100 employees. You have been briefed by your predecessor that a recent survey shows a downward spiral of morale due to: 1- employees' perception that management values efficiency over innovation; 2- Employees feel their voices are not heard by upper management in the decision-making process; 3- Employees perceive their supervisors as untrustworthy. The survey also showed that the employees believe that management does not listen to its customers. These results reflect (pick two): A. a symmetrical system of internal communication B. A closed system C. A decentralized organizational structure D. An authoritarian organizational culture
Answer: B, D: An authoritarian organization culture is a closed system that values efficiency over innovation, views input from its publics (internal and external) as a threat. There is little role for dialogue or feedback, and decision making is centralized at the highest level of the organization. A symmetrical system values satisfying the interests of strategic publics. Participative organizational cultures reflect decentralized decision-making. (EPR, p.192-193);
You work for a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., preparing for a fundraising event in the city. You are approached for details on the event by a reporter from the Washington Post and the editor of a D.C. neighborhood blog the day before the event. The executive director of your nonprofit wants you to prioritize the Washington Post's inquiry because of its larger readership and only respond to the blogger after that. How would you handle this situation? Choose one answer A. Your director is the boss, and you focus on responding to the Washington Post reporter and only respond to the blogger if you have time. B. Create a plan to address both inquiries in a timely fashion, using separate key messages that apply to their respective audiences. C. Direct the reporter and blogger to a press release on your organization's website for any information.
Answer: B. Media relations is all about relationships with those in the media - any media. While blogs may not have journalistic credibility that major media organizations posses, they are no less valuable to their readers. "Be informative and honest in ever contact with journalists and bloggers... Provide timely responses." (APR Study Guide p 93). A is acceptable, but not a win-win scenario offered in B. Answer C does not allow you to carefully craft or focus content that is the most useful to each media outlet.
You are the communications director for a non-profit organization, which recently hired a new executive director. The executive director is new to the community, and there will be many changes for the organization over the next few years. In your role, you have primarily focused on communicating with members of the organization, not media relationships. However, it is now critical that you and the new executive director develop strong media relations. What are the best ways to prepare your executive director for her first interview with reporters. Choose one: A) Allow the executive director to set the priorities for the interview as she is the expert on the non-profit. B) Establish key messages as best you can, but as there are still unknowns in the organizations future, encourage the executive director to speculate about what may be coming. C) Practice with the executive director after establishing key messages and developing a Q&A based on known facts and anticipated questions. D) Make sure the executive director knows she can say "no comment" at any time if she doesn't know the answer or doesn't want to answer a specific question at this time.
Answer: C APR Study Guide: Media Relations, pages 91-93
You are the PR director for a cookie factory. You've been told the company is laying off 25 percent of its workers. The CEO wants to hold a press conference to inform everybody all at once and "get it over with." What should you counsel the CEO to do before hosting a press conference? Choose one. A. Establish key messages for the CEO to read during the press conference B. Develop a Q&A based on the company including past actions and future prospects, and anticipated questions the media might ask for the CEO C. Encourage the factory supervisor to call an emergency staff meeting to notify employees of the layoffs before the press conference D. Suggest the factory supervisor send an email blast to his employees notifying them of the layoffs and attach a FAQ of next steps
Answer: C Rationale: Internal stakeholders should be the first to know, and information should come from their immediate supervisor. APR Study Guide pg. 90.
You are a Public Relations Director for a large corporation that is getting ready to merge with another large corporation. You have been asked to develop a communications plan to announce the merger. Your shareholders have already been notified on a recent call. What key public should you consider first in your plan? A. National business writers at publications like The Wall Street Journal and New York Times B. Senior Management C. All Team Members D. Local social media influencers with followers of 10,000 or more
Answer: C - According to the Study Guide, internal publics are essential to an organization's success. For success within an organization system, the public relations department needs to identify and prioritize publics who affect the department's success and have a stake in seeing public relations efforts succeed.
An opt-in email option on the website of your company is an example of: a) database communications b) e-marketing c) permission marketing d) phishing
Answer: C 2017 Study Guide p. 97
Your boss is particular about a message she wants delivered the public. She tells to prepare a news release and send it to local reporters and make sure it gets published. What do you do first? A. Prepare the release as she advises. B. Do not prepare the release, as you know it might not get picked up by the media and you are the expert in this area. C. Explain that sending a news release does not guarantee publication and suggest a more controlled method to get the news out. D. Purchase an advertorial with the message she wants in the paper.
Answer: C. EPR Chapter 10. Earned media, such as a news release is uncontrolled media. D would be a controlled message, however advertorials are often in question (not considered best practice), and that may not be the direction you recommend or you boss wants to take.
You are the new Internal Communications Director for Star Manufacturing Company. Your new boss wants you to use an array of methods to deliver messages to you internal publics. Which one method do you know from your APR studies is considered the most credible source of internal information? A. Paid messages, delivered through ads purchased by Star Manufacturing. B. Earned messages, news stories carried in external channels that Star Manufacturing's employees follow C. Owned messages that appear in the company newsletter, employee meetings, etc. D. Frontline supervisors, a key channel for building employee support and consensus. E. Shared messages,; be sure Star appears on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Answer: D. Frontline supervisors. While all of the answers are examples of internal communications, immediate supervisors are considered "the most credible source of information about a business for many employees." Source: APR Study Guide, Internal Stakeholders, page 90.
You have recently joined an organization that has had declining profitability for several years, high employee turnover, and trouble getting "positive" news coverage despite a significant investment in new technology and equipment. The CEO has asked for your help in improving the organization's reputation, thinking that will help turn around profits and the health of the organization. Which is the best strategy to recommend to your boss? A: Develop an employee engagement program that educates/trains employees on how to share good news about the company with their network of friends, family and acquaintances. B: Establish better relationships with reporters and editors to foster accurate, timely and balanced coverage of your organization. C: Working with the marketing staff to develop an updated symbol and slogan that represent your unique service (compared to others in the market)and develop a plan to market the new marks. D: Research the reasons behind the declining profitability and evaluate your organization's economic performance, social responsiveness and value to stakeholders.
Answer: D. Reputation is the sum of what others say about your organization. Reputation is conferred by publics, not projected by the organization. A reputation is built on 3 pillars: economic performance, social responsiveness, and the ability to deliver outcomes to stakeholders. Corporate Reputation, according to The Research Institute, is made up of perceptions and interpretations of a company's past actions and future prospects. You should first understand the causes of the poor performance and reputation before determining strategies how PR could affect the organizations' reputation. Answer A is a tactic essential to an organization's success. Internal groups are ambassadors, but they need to understand their organization's values and goals, initiatives,etc. Based on the high turnover, it's unlikely employees will be credible and effective ambassadors until the cause of the high turnover is determined and addressed. Answer B is a wise tactic, but the goal of this tactic is to establish relationships that improve your ability to conduct successful public relations activities that will contribute to a healthy reputation and bottom line. Answer C is a tactic to adjust your organization's image and brand, but this is what the organization projects, not the reputation that is conferred on the object by the public. The CEO has asked for assistance with the reputation. The answers other than A will likely be strategies and tactics to improve the organizations relationship after the reputation is restored. Source: APR Study Guide, p89.
You are the manager of public and media relations for a community college. A regional reporter has contacted you to help them find an expert in political science to talk about the midterm elections. You have spoken with a member of the faculty and they have agreed to participate in the interview but they are a bit nervous as this is their first interview and do not know what to expect. What are three tips you would give to the faculty member as they prepare for the interview? A. Stick to the facts B. Everything is on the record C. Use political jargon to sound more credible. D. Never say "no comment" E. Don't worry about your physical appearance, just be prepared
Answer: a, b, and d. (Study Guide pg. 93)
As a communications manager for an education foundation, your board of directors have decided to discontinue funding scholarships because they want to keep the "money in the school district" and fund more teacher grants in the schools. Scholarships are very popular with your donors. Pick two strategies that you will first implement to share your reasons for the shift. A. Send an email message to all your donors to update them on your new funding strategy. B. Write an article about funding more teacher grants and submit it to be shared in the weekly teacher e-newsletter. C. Send an email to all your school principals about the expanded opportunity for teacher grants to share with their school's educators. D. Send an article to the local newspaper about expanded teacher grants, they always run content about the school district. E. Spotlight one of your highly visible, successful teacher grants on the homepage of your website.
Answers B and C. Rational APR Guide Internal Stakeholders - your internal groups (teachers and principals) are the ambassadors for your organization. Most credible source is supervisor (principal).
Your company is going through a crisis that can affect the relationships and reputation of the company. You are preparing the CEO for an interview. What steps should you take to prepare for the interview. Choose 3. A. Tell the CEO to speak honestly and from the heart B. Prepare for questions and develop an Q&A C. Plan for articulation of key messages D. Train the CEO for the interview
Answers B, C, D. Best practices when preparing for an interview. APR Study Guide Page 93.
You are an account executive for a mid-size public relations agency. You represent a home décor retailer and often create media pitches highlighting seasonal additions of their inventory. What are some best practices when creating your pitch and distributing it to news outlets? (Pick two) a. Stick to what journalists will consider news and trends. b. Send to as many news outlets as possible to capture the most coverage. c. Send only to the most appropriate journalist at each news outlet. d. Send to media outlets your client advertises in, so the story has a better chance of being covered.
Answers: A and C; Effective Public Relations (11th Edition) Chapter 10, Page 230
You are the communication coordinator for a local school district and you are preparing for your first live television interview as the spokesperson for the district. Which of the following are examples of what you should do before and/or during an interview (pick three)? A. Stick to the facts - don't speculate. B. Say "no comment" when you receive a question about a confidential issue C. Be confident D. You're the expert, you don't need to prepare E. Be on time
Answers: A, C & E Rationale: Page 93, APR Study Guide
You just accepted a new job in public relations with a U.S. federal government agency. What types of national development campaigns might you be expected to research, plan and implement? Pick three responses. A. Expanding international trade B. Promoting electronic government (e-gov) C. Fostering tribal relations D. Providing opportunities for acquiring jobs skills E. Increasing accessibility to news media
Answers: A, C and D. Rationale: EPR, 11th edition, p. 384 (Building Community and Nation). A, C and D are examples of types of campaigns the government might undertake for development. B is a tactic used by the federal government to encourage citizen participation in governance (EPR, 11th edition p. 383.). E is a throwaway answer.
Choose three situations that call for a news conference: A) Your municipal water and sewer provider is excited to announce that it is absorbing both the local power and natural gas companies—a deal that has been in the works for several years and received lots of coverage from all three television news stations. B) A water main will be shut down for a few hours for scheduled maintenance. Approximately 100 water customers will be affected. C) Your Laboratory and Compliance Manager is scheduling a system-wide free chlorination program in order to continue to meet Department of Health drinking water standards. D) Water samples gathered from the river near homes with septic systems test positive for fecal coliform bacteria. When testing agents are added, the sample turns a cloudy purple color, which indicates the presence of fecal coliforms. The results show that nearly half of those septic systems located near the river are failing.
Answers: A., C., D. Rationale: According to Media Relations, page 91 of the APR Study Guide, you only call a news conference if you have real news to share that you would like delivered to all media simultaneously (A.), you need to have an expert present to answer questions (C.), and you need to demonstrate the subject of the news story (D.). B. is not news conference-worthy because it affects so few people and there are more direct methods of communicating the message with the affected customers.
You have been hired as a communications associate at your first job right out of college. Eager to make a good first impression, you immediately begin developing relationships with members of your local media. Which THREE methods below should you use? A. Use creative and clever "pickup" lines to get the reporter's attention. B. Follow up with journalists and provide additional information. C. Use good manners and be polite. D. Use a mutual friend to "set you up" with a journalist. E. Never promise exclusivity and "play the field." F. Let the reporter know how important the story is to you.
Answers: B ,C, D Public Relations Strategies & Tactics, Chapter 14, Media Relations Management, pg. 406: "The most effective introduction is to state your name and why you are calling, skip the clever opening lines. Do follow up with journalists with additional information, use good manners and utilize your contacts to help you meet new reporters. Journalists like exclusivity, if you are playing the field they may lose interest. Don't seem too desperate or give the impression that you are begging. Create a genuine interest and bring something to the relationship."
You are director of public relations at a privately held family-owned company. The CEO is a fan of holding quarterly meetings with employees to talk about the company's successes and future vision. The employees attend the meetings but the nonverbal communication among the crowd is obvious. They have little to no interest about what is said at the quarterly meeting because they do not have the opportunity to provide input. The employees have heard the same vision and goals shared within the organization for a decade. Which of the following describe the company? (Pick two) A. Open Systems B. Closed Systems C. Asymmetrical worldviews D. Symmetrical worldviews
Answers: B and C Rationale: Closed systems isolate internal units from the external environment. Asymmetrical worldviews reflect atop-down management approach. The organization sets goals and makes decisions without much input from workers. The organization gets what it wants without having to change the way it does business. Open systems allow interaction between units within an organization as well as input to the organization from external forces. Symmetrical worldviews reflect more bottom-up influences where managers develop a shared vision with workers. Source: APR Study Guide - Internal Stakeholders pg. 90
According to the APR Study Guide, for Module 9, Managing Relationships, "Important Relationships for Effective Media Relations," includes (Pick four): a. Personal social relationships with reporters - meet up after work for drinks. b. Relations with production staff members (Get them on your side.) c. Relations with other public relations practitioners (shared responsibilities) d. Relations with freelance writers e. Understand differences between paid (advertising — controlled), earned (publicity — uncontrolled), shared (social media — uncontrolled) and owned (internal — controlled) media.
Answers: B-E; "a" is not an answer, the correct answer for "a" is "Relations with newspeople (Help them do their job well.)" Study Guide, page 92.
As PR director for a company that sells bath and body products through multilevel marketing. The company has just sold its billionth bottle of body wash. Excited, your CEO wants to herald this milestone and directs you to call a news conference. What is your response? Choose two. A. Call building maintenance to ensure they will set up audio/visual equipment during the news conference. B. Start drafting a news alert with the time, date and location of a news conference for a special announcement. C. Suggest creating a post for the company's social media sites instead of the news conference. D. Assure the CEO that you will provide key messages to deliver during the news conference. E. Create a news release that gives all the details about the billionth bottle and send it to your list of beauty bloggers.
Answers: C and E: Journalists trust PR people who can gauge newsworthiness of material. Don't call a news conference unless you have real news you need to deliver simultaneously to many news organizations. If the story isn't breaking, consider communications alternatives and look for ways to tailor pitches to the interests of reporters and their audiences. (Study Guide 4th edition page 91). In this case, it is better to release this information on your own social media channels.
You are Communications Director for a national nonprofit organization and have been asked by your CEO to pitch a major new initiative to to reporters. What is a best practice when pitching to news outlets? A. Pitch only what is currently trending in media. B. Make sure you cast you pitch far and wide. C. Make every effort to only send to reporters that cover the type of issues that you're pitching D. Send to media outlets your org advertises in, so the story has a better chance of being covered.
Answers:C--Effective Public Relations (11th Edition) Chapter 10, Page 230
You handle public relations for a firm that is issuing a new product. The product team located at another company location would like to see the announcement in top flight publications; they do not have any money budgeted to help with this. You write and they approve a news release that you email to your list of media contacts. None of the outlets pick up your release and you receive no requests for follow-up interviews. What might you have done differently to generate coverage? (Choose two) a) Call a news conference about the product b) Tailor a story pitch based on needs of reporters and editors c) Send the news release to your media list a second time d) Segment your media list to targeted publications of highest relevance e) Send the release to a wire service
BEST RESPONSE: B & D. Study Guide page 91: "..look for ways to tailor pitches to the interest of reporters and publications." A is not correct. From the Study Guide, "don't call a news conference unless.. you need to have an expert present to ask questions." C is repeating your same mistake. E won't work because you don't have budget to distribute across a wire service.
You are providing communications counsel to a nonprofit coalition intent on creating a media list to use for contacting reporters with relevant information about education topics of interest to the coalition. The coalition's media contact has no previous experience working with news media and wants to develop an email list with hundreds of reporter contacts so he can send one message to all for an urgent call to action. On the same email list, he also wants to include various contacts, among them legislators, many who have subscribed to receive updates from the coalition, and opponents for the coalition's issues. What should be your counsel to him as he takes next steps? Select 2 responses. A. Work with an organization that can use a news database and automated email provider (Cision, Vocus, Factiva) to develop a specific list of news contacts specific to the organization's interests and geography and determine whether this call to action is relevant to news contacts. B. Develop and maintain a separate list using an automated email provider (Constant Contact, Vertical Response) for other interested parties who have subscribed to the coalition's updates and use it to send out any information. Make sure the provider gives the option for email recipients to unsubscribe. C. Move quickly to get the news out to the comprehensive list of all contacts (in Outlook) to make sure that the information is shared in a timely and efficient fashion. D. Develop and maintain a list for both those who have subscribed to the coalition's updates and others who should know about the information and share the call to action with them.
Correct Responses: A and B Rationale: A: The call to action may not be relevant for news contacts and should probably be sent only to subscribers. Using the media database and automated messaging will ensure that the coalition's contact information stays updates. B: Aligned with the concept of permission marketing, those who have not subscribed to the coalition's content should not receive the email message. C and D: Using Outlook and/or the mass email tactic is not a wise approach given the number of email addresses. The coalition could be flagged by their email provider as a spammer.
A national television network wants to interview a subject-matter expert from your organization to speak about how to approach a public health matter. The CEO and the chief medical officer see things from different perspectives - impact to business verse impact to health. What two things should you do as the head of public relations for the company? A. Get all parties to the table to form a consensus on messaging. B. Appoint one person to serve as the spokesperson. C. Let the reporter know that your organization is not prepared to comment at this time. D. Direct the reporter to the company website where you will post each leader's viewpoint.
The answers are A and B. Public Relations practitioners should remember the seven Cs of Communication, particularly clarity and continuity. Having spokespersons with different messaging will serve as a communication barrier to stakeholders. Your role is to serve as a consensus builder, which means getting leaders together to develop the same messaging supported by facts. Practitioners should avoid saying "No comment."
Your CEO loves to see his name in the media. As a public relations professional you understand the need to balance executive expectations with the needs of your media contacts. Which of the following options are an appropriate way to get your CEO's name in the media without doing damage to your media relationships? Please pick two. A) Call a news conference to discuss the ongoing success of your flagship product, and allow the CEO to be the speaker B) Make your CEO available for media interviews during the launch of a major new corporate initative C) Use a pertinent quote from your CEO in the company's upcoming press release D) Send TV stations a video news release that features a two-minute interview with the CEO E) Email your CEO's executive bio to all of the company's media contacts
The answers would be B&C. Each of these answers allow the CEO to be a spokesman for the company within the context of a larger media story. The APR Study Guide recommends against news conferences where little new information is shared, which would make A an unacceptable answer. Strategies & Tactics chapter 15 recommends against video news releases of only talking head interviews, which means D is incorrect. Finally, Strategies & Tactics chapter 14 recommends against blanketing all contacts with news, as well as pitching stories that have not been put into a newsworthy context. Therefore, E is not a right answer.
You are head the communication efforts for a seaside hotel that has been family run for over fifty years. You are noticing a few negative reviews on Google indicating the rooms are out of date and the owners are out of touch by not adding WiFi for guest use. You have asked the owners to introduce social media into the property's communication efforts and add WiFi capabilities, but the idea is met with resistance by the owners. With the uptick in negative reviews, you want to persuade the owners to reconsider with research. Which model could you cite that would resolve conflict and promote mutual understanding and respect between the organization and its stakeholders? a) Press agentry/publicity b) Public information model c) Two-way asymmetrical model d) Two-way symmetrical model
The correct answer is: D. Two-way communication strategies on social media produce beneficial outcomes for both the organization and its publics. (Two-Way Symmetrical Communication - 'The Excellent PR Model" handout)
