CPRS Strategic Planning 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which stakeholder mapping dimension helps prioritize outreach by identifying who has the most influence over PR outcomes?
- Demographic profile
- Power/interest grid position (Correct answer)
- Geographic proximity
- Social media follower count
Correct answer: Power/interest grid position
The power/interest grid maps stakeholders by their power to affect the organization and their interest in it, enabling prioritized engagement strategies.
Question 2: An organization facing a merger wants to develop a PR plan. Which stakeholder group should typically receive communication FIRST?
- News media
- General public
- Internal employees (Correct answer)
- Industry analysts
Correct answer: Internal employees
Best practice is to communicate with employees before external audiences so they hear the news from leadership rather than news outlets, preserving trust.
Question 3: In strategic planning, 'key messages' serve primarily to:
- Ensure all communications reinforce the same core ideas (Correct answer)
- Maximize search engine optimization
- Satisfy regulatory disclosure requirements
- Track media coverage volume
Correct answer: Ensure all communications reinforce the same core ideas
Key messages provide a consistent narrative framework so that all spokespersons and channels reinforce the same strategic themes regardless of format.
Question 4: A PR team is deciding between a proactive reputation-building campaign and waiting for issues to arise reactively. Strategic planning theory supports which approach?
- Reactive, because it conserves resources
- Proactive, because it allows control of the narrative (Correct answer)
- Reactive, because audiences find it more authentic
- Proactive only for crisis-prone industries
Correct answer: Proactive, because it allows control of the narrative
Proactive PR strategy allows organizations to shape narratives, build goodwill, and prepare stakeholders before issues emerge, providing strategic advantage.
Question 5: Environmental scanning in PR strategic planning most closely resembles which research activity?
- Content analysis of past press releases
- Continuous monitoring of external trends, issues, and stakeholder views (Correct answer)
- Annual employee satisfaction surveys
- Quarterly financial performance reviews
Correct answer: Continuous monitoring of external trends, issues, and stakeholder views
Environmental scanning is the ongoing process of monitoring political, economic, social, technological, and competitive factors that could affect the organization.
Question 6: Which element distinguishes a strategy from a tactic in PR planning?
- Strategies involve paid media; tactics involve earned media
- Strategies describe the overall approach; tactics are specific actions (Correct answer)
- Strategies are measurable; tactics are not
- Strategies require executive approval; tactics do not
Correct answer: Strategies describe the overall approach; tactics are specific actions
A strategy is the overarching approach or direction (e.g., 'Build credibility through thought leadership'), while tactics are the specific activities that execute that approach.
Question 7: Formative research conducted before a PR campaign is designed primarily to:
- Measure whether campaign objectives were achieved
- Gather baseline data to inform strategy development (Correct answer)
- Justify budget requests to management
- Satisfy accreditation requirements
Correct answer: Gather baseline data to inform strategy development
Formative research gathers audience insights, identifies issues, and establishes baselines before the campaign launches, directly shaping strategic decisions.
CPRS Strategic Planning 3
Which stakeholder mapping dimension helps prioritize outreach by identifying who has the most influence over PR outcomes?