ABC Strategic Communication 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which concept describes the gap between what an organization claims to stand for and how stakeholders actually perceive it?
- Brand equity deficit
- Reputation dissonance
- Identity-image gap (Correct answer)
- Positioning drift
Correct answer: Identity-image gap
The identity-image gap captures the discrepancy between an organization's self-defined identity and the image held by external stakeholders.
Question 2: A government agency must communicate a new regulation to both technical experts and the general public. The best approach is to:
- Use identical language to ensure legal accuracy for all audiences
- Develop tiered messaging that translates technical content for lay audiences without sacrificing accuracy (Correct answer)
- Communicate only with technical experts who can relay information downstream
- Release only the regulatory text and let media interpret it
Correct answer: Develop tiered messaging that translates technical content for lay audiences without sacrificing accuracy
Tiered messaging serves diverse audiences by preserving accuracy for specialists while making content accessible and actionable for general publics.
Question 3: In framing theory, a communicator who emphasizes economic job losses from an environmental regulation is using which type of frame?
- Conflict frame
- Human interest frame
- Economic consequence frame (Correct answer)
- Morality frame
Correct answer: Economic consequence frame
An economic consequence frame highlights financial and employment impacts, shaping how audiences evaluate the costs and trade-offs of a policy.
Question 4: Which metric is most appropriate for evaluating the OUTCOME (not output) of a strategic communication campaign?
- Number of press releases distributed
- Change in target audience attitudes or behaviors (Correct answer)
- Total social media impressions generated
- Number of media placements secured
Correct answer: Change in target audience attitudes or behaviors
Outcomes measure actual changes in awareness, attitudes, or behavior among target audiences, which is the true measure of communication effectiveness.
Question 5: A corporation's CEO unexpectedly resigns amid controversy. The communications team should FIRST:
- Prepare a comprehensive narrative before saying anything
- Release a brief holding statement acknowledging the situation while full messaging is developed (Correct answer)
- Deny any connection between the resignation and the controversy
- Let the board chairman handle all communications
Correct answer: Release a brief holding statement acknowledging the situation while full messaging is developed
A holding statement fills the information vacuum quickly, signals awareness, and buys time for a complete, accurate response without creating a perception of evasion.
Question 6: What distinguishes 'strategic communication' from 'tactical communication' in organizational practice?
- Strategic communication uses digital channels; tactical communication uses traditional media
- Strategic communication is aligned to long-term organizational goals; tactical communication executes specific tasks (Correct answer)
- Strategic communication is the CEO's responsibility; tactical communication belongs to the PR team
- Strategic communication is proactive; tactical communication is always reactive
Correct answer: Strategic communication is aligned to long-term organizational goals; tactical communication executes specific tasks
Strategic communication operates at the organizational level, linking messages to mission and goals, while tactical communication implements specific activities that serve those strategies.
Question 7: When using the two-way symmetrical model of public relations, an organization primarily seeks to:
- Persuade publics to adopt the organization's viewpoint
- Understand and respond to public concerns, adjusting organizational behavior when warranted (Correct answer)
- Distribute information accurately with no expectation of response
- Manage media relationships to ensure favorable coverage
Correct answer: Understand and respond to public concerns, adjusting organizational behavior when warranted
The two-way symmetrical model treats communication as a dialogue that can result in mutual adjustment, not just audience persuasion.
ABC Strategic Communication 3
Which concept describes the gap between what an organization claims to stand for and how stakeholders actually perceive it?