Strategic Communication & Planning Flashcards

A communicator discovers that a key audience segment trusts peer voices more than institutional messaging. Which strategic tactic best addresses this finding?

Answer: Partner with trusted community influencers or peer advocates as messengers

When institutional credibility is low, leveraging trusted peer voices as messengers is more effective than amplifying direct organizational communication.

Which ethical principle requires a public communicator to disclose potential conflicts of interest in their communication activities?

Answer: The principle of transparency

Transparency requires communicators to be open about relationships, interests, and motivations that could influence their work or the information they share.

When evaluating a completed communication campaign, which level of evaluation examines whether awareness, attitudes, or knowledge changed among the target audience?

Answer: Outcome level — measuring changes in audience knowledge, attitudes, or behaviors

Outcome evaluation measures actual changes in the audience — knowledge gained, attitudes shifted, or behaviors changed — making it the most meaningful measure of communication impact.

A strategic communication plan is described as 'living.' What does this mean in practice?

Answer: The plan is regularly reviewed and updated based on new information and changing conditions

A living plan is one that evolves as circumstances change, incorporating new research, feedback, and environmental shifts rather than remaining static.

Which concept describes the process of selecting which aspects of a reality to emphasize in order to promote a particular interpretation?

Answer: Framing

Framing involves selecting and emphasizing certain aspects of an issue to promote a specific definition, causal interpretation, or moral evaluation.

A communication plan includes tactics targeting earned, owned, and paid media. This multi-channel approach is best described by which model?

Answer: The PESO Model

The PESO Model (Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned) provides a framework for integrating all four media types into a cohesive communication strategy.

During the research phase of strategic planning, what is the primary advantage of using secondary research before conducting primary research?

Answer: It provides existing context and insights, helping to focus and refine primary research questions

Secondary research surfaces what is already known, preventing duplication and allowing primary research to fill specific gaps with targeted, cost-effective inquiry.