COM 339 FINAL EXAM
Aaron Cosmetics came up with a series of ads that showed how good its products are for the skin. The ads also featured actors sharing their experiences when using the products. What was the aim of the campaign?
Build up the company's investment qualities
A new company is hoping to attract investors. Its public relations manager is aware of the importance of giving speeches and participating in panel discussions elaborating the current trend and the advancement the company gained in the industry. To convince the founders to start preparations, what objectives should the PR manager employ, and why?
Building brand awareness; because public speaking can help raise the profile of the company and generate buzz among investors.
When conducting staff meetings, Jan, the delivery manager at New Farm Inc., hands out a list containing the discussion points to the staff members just 10 minutes before the meeting begins. This affects the quality of the meeting. What guideline should Jan follow to conduct an effective staff meeting?
Distribute the agenda in advance
In a movie review, the reviewer called the director "a juvenile who was taken to a candy store and given a free run of the place." The director filed a lawsuit against the reviewer. On what basis did the director sue the reviewer? (
Defamation
William Porter, an entrepreneur, wants to understand his target audience's attitude. He gathers information about their ages, genders, economic levels, education qualifications, and consumer habits to relate and create more products in line with their preferences. What method is William employing here?
Demographics
Orego, a multilevel marketing company, wants to buy into a pharmaceutical firm. The manager has shortlisted a number of other organizations that would be interested in being the shareholders of the firm. Which communication medium should the PR representative of Orego use to get in touch with the other firms and let them know of its business plans?
Direct mail
Gavin is the PR representative of a brand-new car manufacturing company. What step should Gavin take to increase sales among the elite and sophisticated class of society, and why?
Gavin should advertise in magazines such as the New Yorker and National Geographic; because they have a highly educated and affluent readership.
To counter a rumor that its product contained harmful substances, a manufacturer of children's health drinks asked laboratories from around the world to test the product independently and post the results on the company's Facebook page. Which aspect of social media did the company leverage to counter the allegations?
Greater transparency
Ruby wants to apply for the vacant HSE manager's position at NALCO. She emails a note to NALCO's HR manager, inquiring about the position, the details and the responsibilities. In this context, what type of email did Ruby write?
Professional
Explain why speech writing and presentations play a vital role in public relations.
"speechwriting and presentations are important tools in public relations to reach key publics on an interpersonal level." It helps organizations increase their visibility and reach key publics.
What are the three components of speech writing? Explain each one in detail.
1. Know your objective: Making a speech is supposed to accomplish something and in order to do that you must determine what you want your audience to know or do. 2. Key messages: the key message is the major point that the speaker aims for the audience to take away from the speech. It is like the main idea of the topic. 3. Strategy: the setting and tone of the speech. These depend on the audience being addressed.
Discuss the five basic components of a direct mail package. Why are gifts added as the sixth component on some occasions?
1. Maling envelope 2. Letter 3. Basic brochure 4. Reply card 5. Return envelope Gifts are added as the sixth component on some occasions to entice a person to open the envelope and at least read the message.
What is the difference between a headline and a lead sentence of an article? What are the points that should be considered while developing leads?
A headline attracts a reader to the article while a lead sentence is supposed to pull readers in making them want to read more. It should be kept short with one sentence or even one or two-word openings, tell a story, tease the reader, and make news vivid.
What is a mission statement? Why is it important for editors to develop such statements?
A mission statement is a short statement (aprox. 25 words) that helps editors and management understand the purpose of the organization, company, or individual. For editors it helps them understand the purpose of the publication and the interest of their readers.
In a meeting organized on Environmental Protection Day, one of the activists spoke about the importance of recycling waste materials to protect the environment. The activist encouraged people to create a system in their homes for separating things for recycling. He also provided contact details for the nearest recycling facilities. What kind of speech did the activist make?
Activating
A company requires several freelance graphic artists for a short-term project that involves creating unique images for its website. What should the company do to ensure the copyrights stay with the company and not the artists, even though they are the creators of the images?
Add a clause of ownership to the agreement
A legislator proposed knocking down a portion of the main city park and building a new mall. The city administration was to vote on the issue at the end of the month. A group of citizens supporting the proposal placed advertisements in the local papers that read, "More job opportunities for young people. Ask your representative to vote for the proposal." What kind of advertising is illustrated in this scenario?
Advocacy
What is an Intranet? Discuss some Intranet features that differentiate it from a printed employee newsletter.
An intranet is a private networks within an organization. They are primarily a daily newsletter or bulletin board with information about policies, news events, and general announcements. Intranets have potential for collaboration and social networking. Also, many corporations are using intranets to communicate with employees.
Hilda is a motivational speaker and is well-known for the special techniques she employs during her speeches. She starts her speech in a soft voice, raises her voice where audience approval is required, and pauses when explaining crucial points. This way, Hilda excels at conveying her passion and enthusiasm for her topic. What nonverbal technique does Hilda use to deliver effective speeches?
Animation
Sales of Starkman Block's flagship sneaker have been gradually dropping. During a weekly meeting, one of the sales executives explains that the rising popularity of the Internet and smartphones has meant people can purchase almost anything without having to physically go into a store. So, although Starkman Block retains customers who appreciate its service and quality, the company is missing out on the impulsive buyer. The CEO sees the value of this viewpoint and decides to make the company's products available online. Which solution should the CEO choose to maximize the benefits of going online?
App
What are apps? How can a company leverage apps to build its business?
Apps are applications downloaded to a users mobile device. A business can use apps to build their business by providing useful information without being to commercial. Many people have apps on their device and it's convenient when they are able to get the information with a touch of the finger.
A cosmetics company is conducting an event to showcase the new trends in lipsticks and nail polish, plus the company's innovative technologies. The company invites a celebrity to participate in the event and to promote it. What arrangements should the company's public relations team plan for such an event?
Arrange professionally trained security personnel to handle a crowd, protect the personality from being hassled, and make sure no other disruptions occur that would mar the event.
MyChoice, a recently launched e-commerce portal, will be putting up advertisements on various social networking websites to promote the company. Which aspect of the ad is essential in this situation?
Artwork and graphics
How has social media revolutionized public relations?
Before, the public relations model was mainly through mass communications but with social media it has now transformed "public relations personnel to interact with audiences in a conversation through online communities".
Theo is 63 years old and has had a long and successful career as a lawyer. As he nears retirement, he feels the need to give back to his profession by sharing career strategies and his experiences with young lawyers. He discusses this with the manager of his firm, who likes the idea and encourages Theo to go ahead with it. Which medium should he use to implement the plan?
Blog
Abbey is a qualified software engineer who works for an accounting company. When her firm launches a new accounting software program, Abbey is asked to write up relevant information about the program. She describes the current scenario of accounting software tools and inadequacies, and then explains how her firm's software tool can improve the technology by leaps and bounds. In which part of the proposal will Abbey's content appear?
Body
During a staff meeting at Taylor Inc., one point of discussion was deliberated at length by the participants. The discussion on this point took 60 minutes out of the scheduled 90-minute meeting. This resulted in the other items on the agenda getting shortchanged. What guideline should the facilitator of the meeting followed?
Budget time
The HR team of a legal firm is planning an interdepartmental party. Thus, they decide to create a proposal about the party and submit it to the board of directors for its approval. In the proposal, the HR team specifies the resources and the budget required for organizing the party. What component did the HR team include in the proposal?
Call for action
Avery prepares a 12-page report on her department's new account and includes all the required details. She groups the information under subheads, and puts in a summary at the end. Then, she prints the report and has it spiral bound. What quality did Avery display in her work?
Completeness
What is the first step in developing a PR campaign plan?
Consult with the client and management
What is the first step a PR practitioner should take if a member of the press asks for details about a colleague?
Contact the employee
Jace, the owner of a faulty washing machine, sent an email to the manufacturer complaining about the washing machine. The company didn't deign to respond, as Jason was very sloppy about his grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure in his email. Which part of an email did Jace fail to address?
Content
Which legal term best describes the act of safeguarding the expression of ideas, but not the ideas themselves?
Copyright
Which is a frequent mistake that rookie PR writers make while writing brochures?
Cram everything in
________ think they should have the right to decide what stories will be covered and in what context
Editors
Ricardo, the PR manager of a firm, wants to inform a customer of some of its new policies. He creates a document and wants to send the file to the customer in the most appropriate way. What form of communication should Ricardo use?
When Harvey joined the newsletter team at his company, he suggested a discussion page for the online version of the publication. When this idea was implemented, the readership of the online version increased by 50 percent. Which rule for creating newsletters did Harvey apply?
Engage readers
Valerie was in charge of organizing an open house for Princeton General Hospital. The aim of the open house was to show the hospital's emergency facilities, diagnostic equipment, operating rooms, and patient rooms. She ensured tours were led by trained guides who had a comprehensive understanding of the hospital facilities. However, Valerie failed to tutor the guides on what exactly they were going to say to the guests. This led to the guides providing a garbled description of various hospital facilities and services to the audience. What aspect of an effectively planned open house did Valerie fail to consider?
Explanation
A pharmaceutical company produced an advertisement in the form of a news report and hired a well-known news reporter to speak during it. However, at no point in the video did it identify itself as an advertisement and not an actual news report. Which regulatory body has the authority to conduct disciplinary proceedings against the company
Federal Communications Commission
A food manufacturer marketed its new range of granola bars as a wholesome snack that reduces the risk of diabetes in consumers by 47 percent. However, independent tests conducted on the bars revealed that eating them every day could increase a person's risk of diabetes by 25 percent. Which regulatory body has jurisdiction to take action over this type of publicity?
Federal Trade Commission
Nadine is passionate about photography and intends to make a living out of it. She specializes in animal photography, and she shares the animal photographs she takes online. People can see her pictures, and when they like one, they can reach out to her for a printed copy, which she will ship to them. Which media sharing site would best suit Nadine's needs?
Flickr
Maggie is the editor of the company newsletter at an architecture firm, and she publishes an online magazine that covers various firm projects. However, management decides to publish a newsletter aimed solely at the employees. Which format should Maggie suggest for this internal publication?
A company hired Matthew, a public relations expert, to help one of its executives prepare for a press conference. Matthew is rather good at giving press conferences, and he has a thorough knowledge about the areas that need to be covered. But, the invited journalists are known for asking tough questions and giving spokespersons a hard time. What strategy should Matthew follow to prepare the executive?
Hold practice Q&As
Explain why holding meetings and events is an important aspect of public relations.
Holding meetings and events is an important aspect of public relations because "they bring people face-to-face, in real time." It's still important to have that basic human need in being face-to-face, socializing, gathering, etc.
Which process helps determine the people to whom the PR campaign will be aimed?
Identification of the key public
Morrison, a PR manager, sends an email to his customers about a new product. In the subject line of the email, Morrison writes "FYI." What email etiquette did Morrison follow?
Identify non-action emails
The CEO asks the PR team to determine the appropriate consumer base at which to successfully conduct its marketing campaign for a new product. What step should the PR team take to achieve this?
Identify the key public
WhereIsMyCab is a taxi service app that allows users to book cabs from their smartphones. Another company started a service and called it ThereIsMyCab. The former company sued and won the case. Which rule of the trademark law did the latter company infringe up on?
Intent to confuse the customer
Priya is the product manager at a software company that has built an online application for financial auditors. During the testing phase, she sets up a private Facebook page where she invites practicing auditors to use the application and discuss their experiences. Which aspect of social media is Priya leveraging to improve the product?
Interactive engagement
An employee sued a software company for using her email ID as an example in the user documentation. On what grounds did the employee sue the company?
Invasion of privacy
Identify the most appropriate first sentence that could be used in a memo.
Jennifer Somerton and I recommend we go forth with the McMahon dealership.
In a one-day seminar, Raquel is scheduled to talk about freedom of speech right before the lunch break. She is well aware of this topic, and she noted some speakers already shared some of its key points. Raquel made some quick updates in her speech after learning what others said and wrote notes about some related speeches. Given the circumstances, what other guideline should Raquel follow to make her speech effective?
Keep the speech short
Ignite, a luxury goods manufacturing company, collaborated with an advertising firm while preparing its public relations ads. The two teams shared thoughts about each other's ideas and discussed the progress each had made on a regular basis. Both teams also offered constructive criticism about the other team's opinions. This formed a healthy rapport between the groups. What is the key to their successful partnership?
Keeping communication channels open
Josephine wants to promote an associate in her law firm to partner and arranges a meeting with the board of directors and partners to discuss the issue. She intends to arrange a vote to test the member's approval. What guideline should she follow to conduct an effective meeting?
Know Robert's rules of order
Sarina, a mechanical engineer, lost her job and is having to make do in the content writing business. She updates her professional profile and experience information on a website and hopes recruiters looking to hire people with her skill set will find and approach her. Sarina also visits pages of mechanical engineering companies to look for open positions. What website is Sarina using?
Which types of officials can tell you about the law, but they should not tell you what to say or how to say it?
Litigation experts
After a successful marketing campaign of a new range of designer clothes, the PR team was assigned a survey to see if the campaign reached the targeted customers. They also had to collect data on sales that occurred after the market launch. What process is the PR team assigned?
Measuring results
Minerva received an email from the HR manager of her firm regarding a meeting scheduled for the following week. The email was short and specific. What is this type of mail called?
Memorandum
Mike left his job as a teacher to open his own school for underprivileged children. What should Mike do to inform people about his school and its benefits, and why?
Mike should distribute brochures; because giving basic information about the provided services will help gain visibility for his school and attract students.
While at an airport, the owner of a retail store saw a celebrity carrying a bag with his store's logo. He asked for and took a photograph with the celebrity. Later, he posted the picture on the store's Facebook page. On what grounds can the celebrity sue the store owner?
Misappropriation of personality
Which type of statement encompasses a newsletter's or an organizational magazine's overall subject matter, its readership, and its tactical function?
Mission
The PR team at Good Health writes an article on how artificial fruit juices can harm the body. They buy space in a daily newspaper and print the information, formatted to look like a news article. What kind of advertising is Good Health using?
Native
Monica is a journalist who writes a story about the auto expo she is attending. She makes use of a specific space within the auto expo, where the media kits are distributed and where she can send her finished story to the news agency she works for. What this area called?
Newsroom
Nathan is the PR manager of Keith's Burgers, an international restaurant chain. He has created an advertisement for a new burger that is to be added to the menu in all restaurants. For the advertisement to be released to the public, the board members of the firm must approve of the idea first. What must Nathan create to convince the board members to approve his idea?
Proposal
In her firm, Marie-Claire writes speeches for spokespeople. When writing, she always tries to keep each speech to only one or two limited points. Marie-Claire employs this strategy to ensure audiences remember the points after the speech is over. What other method can Marie-Claire adapt to make her speeches memorable and effective?
Provide definite, specific ideas in clear language
How would you differentiate between public service advertising and advocacy advertising? Analyze the different situations where announcement ads are used.
Public service advertising provides information, raise awareness about social issues, and give how-to suggestions. Advocacy advertising usually means advertising to motivate voters, to influence government policy, or to put pressure on elected officials. Announcement ads are used to inform the public promptly about something that might interest them. Ex: recalling a product, apologizing for a failure of service, etc...
Explain the purpose, content, and format of memorandums.
Purpose: a memo is like an email, where it can serve almost any communication purpose. Content: Very direct. To the point and specific. Format: Include the date, to and from, subject, and message. Should be used in email and hard copy memos.
A golf club is arranging its annual meeting, featuring dinner and cocktail party. What seating arrangement would be ideal?
Round-table
Jared, a social media manager at a soft drink company, planned a challenge that he posted on his company's Facebook page. "Friends" of the company were asked to upload pictures showing how they recycled or reused the plastic soft drink bottle. To start the competition, Jared posted pictures showing how he cut off the bottle necks and used them as pen holders. What aspect of effective social media messaging is Jared catering to?
Run a contest
The board meeting of a company was ineffective because the speakers talked about various subjects off the agenda for a long period of time. The meeting started according to the schedule and took a bit longer to conclude. Due to this delay, some members missed their flights home. What strategy should the organizer have taken to make the meeting more effective, and why?
Set a time limit; it helps people plan their day.
Maria is working as the public relations officer for Coal Mint, Inc. She wants an exclusive story on her company to be published during the ongoing trade show her company is hosting. What strategy should Maria employ with the media during the trade show to make it more effective and successful, and why?
She must provide cell phone numbers, Twitter hash tags, and email addresses in the material; this makes it easy for journalists to track down key spokespeople and experts connected with the product.
Milan is planning a plant tour of the factory she is working in. What is the most important factor she should consider for the plant tour, and why?
She should provide sufficiently trained guides for the visitors; because trained guides have a thorough knowledge of the organization.
Richa, a member of the creative writing team at Spartan Corp., promised her supervisor, Sid, she would deliver her assignment by Tuesday. When she failed to do so, Sid got frustrated and wrote a mail to their project manager. In the email, he used phrases such as "not dedicated enough" and "ineffectual" to describe Richa, but before he sent the mail, Sid reread it and realized it was too insensitive. What should Sid do next, and why?
Sid should delete the portions of the mail that contained personal attacks on Richa; this ensures Sid comes across as a responsible person.
As the editor of the company's newsletter, Sam wanted to make the stories interesting. He asked his writing team to search the Internet for short complementary stories or facts that would bring depth to the subject being covered. What are these stories called?
Sidebars
Tallulah, the managing editor of an environmental organization's monthly newsletter, asked her team to avoid pictures focusing on just a tree or a person. Instead, she asks them to include pictures showing the employees working for environmental conservation, thus focusing on the issues addressed by the organization. Which rule for creating newsletters is Tallulah addressing here?
Stay away from boring photos
Milton is giving a speech regarding the perils of global warming. He starts with an anecdote, and after the first 10 minutes, he notices the audience's interest is waning. Immediately, Milton restates his anecdote and asks the audience to send their comments about it in less than 50 words to his Facebook page. Before concluding, Milton summarizes every important point he discussed throughout the speech. What technique did Milton apply here for an effective speech?
Structuring the message
Which component of a campaign plan explains the communications activities that are required to accomplish each goal sequentially?
Tactics
Brad arranged a banquet for which he arranged for a restaurant to provide alcoholic beverages for the group. At the time of settling the bills, however, Brad finds out the bill amount is 30 percent more than what he expected. What fee must have Brad possibly ignored when he read the estimate?
Tax and gratuity
While writing a lead sentence for an article, which strategy helps capture the imagination of the audience?
Tell a story
Which federal agency has authority over product press tools and stories?
The Federal Trade Commission
Help the Aged, a New York-based NGO, used envelopes of type 14 and not the usual number 10 business envelopes, in one of its holiday fundraising letters. What was the reason behind them doing so?
The NGO wanted to get the reader's attention, so he or she will read on after opening the envelope.
Which federal agency stipulates rules on public revelations and insider trading?
The Securities and Exchange Commission
Explain the purpose of writing proposals.
The purpose of proposals is to get something accomplished. It persuades management to take action in long-lasting effects on the organization or its people. Outside suppliers and vendors also write proposals to provide goods and services to an organization.
A renowned speech writer is hired by the CEO of a software company. The CEO wanted the writer to prepare a speech to present at the launch of her company's latest software. The speech writer agreed and started by asking the CEO details about her early school days up to the time when she became CEO of the firm. He also talked to the CEO's subordinates and to some family members. What is the relevance of the speechwriter's preparation, and why?
To make the speech natural; the speech should reflect the personal side.
Neverland, a recently launched Maryland-based travel agency, placed ads at bus stops and on the sides and backs of buses all over the city. Which advertising channel is being illustrated in this case?
Transit panels
A bus transport company wanted to revolutionize the way it handles crisis situations, such as the instances when its vehicles are involved in accidents. It decides to use a certain software tool to provide updated information to the victims' families, the media, and the public at large. The company decided to post short, real-time messages that would include details about the accident, data about the relevant hospitals, and the emergency services that could provide more information on the status of the victims. Which social networking website best serves this purpose?
A seminar is being held on the subject the importance of practicing vegetarianism. In the first session of the seminar, the main speaker feels the majority of the audience is predisposed against the core content of his message. It also seems to him that the audience is not accepting anything he is saying in favor of vegetarianism. What type of an audience is illustrated here?
Unfriendly
Amber was delivering a presentation on her organization's growth prospects for the following quarter. During her speech, she tried to make the session as conversational as possible. This helped her audience relate to her and the content of her message. What method of proper word selection Amber may have used?
Use of personal pronouns
To counter the effects of an online picture showing a mangled car after an accident, the car's manufacturer decides to release a series of six-second videos showing the various safety tests performed on its models. Which social networking tool best suits the car manufacturer's needs?
Vine
The managing director of a particular company is a renowned and respected expert on business regulations. The company is regularly in the limelight, and there are many requests for the managing director to appear as a keynote speaker on behalf of the company. Because of so many speaking engagements, he is taking on more than he can handle. What criteria should his PR manager follow to filter the requests, and why?
Whether the audience is an important public to the organization; the speaking forum advances the goals/strategies of the company.
Bethany is an environmentalist who works for an NGO called Leaves for Life. For a dissertation which is to be published by her organization, she wrote about how oil companies contribute to water pollution. What is such a report called?
White paper
What is considered the cornerstone of a PR campaign?
Written plan
What are the 8 essential elements of a good PR campaign?
Your Answer: 1. situation 2. objectives 3. audience 4. strategies 5. tactics 6. calendar 7. budget 8. evaluation
A(n) _________ helps chart the types of stories and features that will reinforce an organization's goals.
editorial calendar
A written plan may start with a(n) _______ and then outline the steps that will be taken to execute the program
executive summary
Tamara is a PR writer at Neolithic Group. She wrote a piece in her company's newsletter in which she directly quoted one paragraph from a 750-word copyrighted article. Tamara's action comes under the concept of
fair use.
To do detailed research on youngsters consuming junk food, Jane, the PR head of a fast food chain, employs some PR officers to interview select children under 18 years of age. This type of interview is known as a ________ interview.
focus group
When a person poses for a picture after being told how it will be used, he or she has given ________ consent.
implied
When an individual is subjected to public animosity by using text, images, or caricatures, the act is called
libel
Ramon, a public relations officer, needs to organize a press campaign. He is assigned to analyze the situation, outline strategies, and identify appropriate tactics to be used. Management also asks him to create a schedule for the activities to be done and improvise methods for the campaign's success to be evaluated later. In short, he needs to develop a
written plan.
