ABC Communication Measurement & Evaluation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which model is widely used in public relations to evaluate communication outcomes at multiple levels, from outputs to outcomes?
- The Shannon-Weaver Model
- The Barcelona Principles Framework (Correct answer)
- The RACE Model
- The Lasswell Model
Correct answer: The Barcelona Principles Framework
The Barcelona Principles, updated in 2020, provide a framework for measuring PR outcomes across outputs, outtakes, and outcomes at multiple levels.
Question 2: In communication measurement, what is the primary distinction between an 'output' and an 'outcome'?
- Outputs measure cost efficiency; outcomes measure audience size
- Outputs are immediate products of communication activity; outcomes reflect changes in awareness, attitude, or behavior (Correct answer)
- Outputs are long-term goals; outcomes are short-term deliverables
- Outputs are qualitative measures; outcomes are quantitative measures
Correct answer: Outputs are immediate products of communication activity; outcomes reflect changes in awareness, attitude, or behavior
Outputs (e.g., press releases sent, posts published) are what the communicator produces, while outcomes measure the actual effect on the audience, such as changed attitudes or behaviors.
Question 3: A communicator wants to measure whether a campaign changed employees' understanding of a new policy. Which type of research is MOST appropriate?
- Competitive benchmarking
- Pre- and post-campaign surveys (Correct answer)
- Media content analysis
- Social media follower counts
Correct answer: Pre- and post-campaign surveys
Pre- and post-campaign surveys measure changes in knowledge, attitude, or behavior directly attributable to the communication effort.
Question 4: Which of the following is an example of an 'outtake' in the communication measurement hierarchy?
- Number of press releases distributed
- Change in sales revenue
- Audience recall and comprehension of a key message (Correct answer)
- Number of media impressions earned
Correct answer: Audience recall and comprehension of a key message
Outtakes sit between outputs and outcomes and measure what audiences took away from the communication, such as message recall and comprehension.
Question 5: When calculating 'share of voice' for a brand's media coverage, a communicator is measuring:
- The total number of articles published about the brand
- The brand's media coverage volume compared to competitors in the same category (Correct answer)
- The sentiment score of all brand mentions
- The cost per media placement achieved
Correct answer: The brand's media coverage volume compared to competitors in the same category
Share of voice measures the proportion of total media coverage a brand receives relative to its competitors, indicating relative prominence in the conversation.
Question 6: Which research method involves systematically analyzing media coverage to identify themes, tone, and message prominence?
- Focus group research
- Content analysis (Correct answer)
- Ethnographic observation
- A/B testing
Correct answer: Content analysis
Content analysis is a systematic, replicable method for examining media coverage to categorize and quantify themes, sentiment, and key message inclusion.
Question 7: According to the Barcelona Principles, advertising value equivalency (AVE) is considered:
- The gold standard for measuring PR value
- An acceptable supplemental metric for reporting to executives
- An invalid metric that should not be used to measure PR value (Correct answer)
- A useful proxy when no other data is available
Correct answer: An invalid metric that should not be used to measure PR value
The Barcelona Principles explicitly state that AVEs are not a valid measure of the value of PR or communication, as they conflate paid advertising with earned media.
ABC Communication Measurement & Evaluation 1
Which model is widely used in public relations to evaluate communication outcomes at multiple levels, from outputs to outcomes?