PCM Marketing Communications & PR 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the PESO media model, which category includes brand-owned blogs, email newsletters, and company websites?
- Paid media
- Earned media
- Shared media
- Owned media (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Owned media
Owned media refers to channels the brand controls entirely, including its website, blog, and email list.
Question 2: A marketer calculates the 'share of voice' (SOV) for a brand. What does a SOV significantly above market share typically indicate?
- The brand is overspending relative to its category position
- The brand has strong future growth potential according to the Excess Share of Voice (ESOV) model (Correct answer)
- The brand's media placements are inefficient
- Competitors have withdrawn from paid advertising
Correct answer: The brand has strong future growth potential according to the Excess Share of Voice (ESOV) model
The ESOV model holds that brands with SOV exceeding market share tend to grow, as surplus share of voice drives future market share gains.
Question 3: Which copywriting technique involves presenting the product benefit first, followed by the reason behind it?
- Feature-Function-Benefit (FFB)
- Benefit-Reason-Why (BRW) (Correct answer)
- AIDA formula
- Problem-Agitation-Solution (PAS)
Correct answer: Benefit-Reason-Why (BRW)
The Benefit-Reason-Why structure leads with the consumer benefit to capture attention, then substantiates it with a reason to believe.
Question 4: A company sponsors a charity event and issues a press release primarily to gain positive media coverage. This is an example of:
- Cause-related marketing generating earned media (Correct answer)
- Ambush marketing
- Native advertising
- Corporate lobbying
Correct answer: Cause-related marketing generating earned media
Cause-related marketing ties brand activity to a social cause, and when it generates unpaid media coverage, it produces earned media.
Question 5: Under FTC endorsement guidelines, an influencer who receives free products MUST:
- Only disclose if the products are worth more than $50
- Always disclose the material relationship clearly and conspicuously (Correct answer)
- Disclose only in the video description, not in the video itself
- Obtain written permission from the brand before disclosing
Correct answer: Always disclose the material relationship clearly and conspicuously
FTC rules require clear and conspicuous disclosure of any material connection between an influencer and a brand, regardless of product value.
Question 6: In PR planning, a 'key message triangle' typically structures communications around how many core messages?
- Two
- Three (Correct answer)
- Five
- Seven
Correct answer: Three
The message triangle uses three core messages because audiences can typically retain three distinct points from a communication.
Question 7: What distinguishes 'proactive PR' from 'reactive PR'?
- Proactive PR responds to media inquiries while reactive PR initiates them
- Proactive PR initiates brand storytelling on its own timeline; reactive PR responds to external events or crises (Correct answer)
- Proactive PR is more expensive than reactive PR
- Reactive PR uses paid channels while proactive PR uses earned channels
Correct answer: Proactive PR initiates brand storytelling on its own timeline; reactive PR responds to external events or crises
Proactive PR involves planning and pitching stories that advance strategic goals, while reactive PR addresses unexpected external events or crises.
PCM Marketing Communications & PR 3
In the PESO media model, which category includes brand-owned blogs, email newsletters, and company websites?