How do I know?
Roadmaps
Building Blocks
It's in the Approach
The Toolbox
100

Basic information about a target, such as their natural boundaries like their state or county of residence.

What are geographics?

100

Often called the first step in planning that establishes the overall expected outcome.

What is the goal?

100

The actual events, media, and methods used to implement the strategy.

What are tactics?

100

Defining a target by this approach includes the gender, age, income, marital status, to name a few.

What is demographic?

100

The research process begins with exploring this.

What is the problem?

200

To gather information from key publics by asking casual questions or making observations in passing may best be described this way.

What is informal research?

200

A formula with a four-letter acronym to describe the planning process in public relations.

What is RACE?

200

The specific knowledge, opinion, and behavioral outcomes to be achieved for each target public.

What is the objective?

200

Defining a target by this approach involves knowing their lifestyle and psychological characteristics, to name a few.

What are psychographics?

200

A look at the strengths and weaknesses leads to which type of complete analysis?

What is a SWOT Analysis?
300

The type of research that results in information-rich, anecdotal data that may be categorized according to themes or patterns.

What is qualitative research?

300

An overview of broad organizational goals.

What is a vision statement?

300

The overall concept, approach, or general plan to achieve an objective.

What is a strategy?

300

This approach to a target involves knowing their behind-the-scenes political and economic power.

What is covert power approach?

300

The process that involves setting measurable, realistic, and achievable goals.

What is planning?

400

Information provided during planning by already established sources, such as websites, annual reports, or published archives.

What is secondary research?

400

When communication flows from the CEO at the top to the people below.

What is a downward flow or direction?

400

In a communications plan, this refers to how messages are developed, created and expressed.

What is a message content strategy?

400

When an audience is neither interested in our message nor passionate about its content.

What is an apathetic audience?

400

Social media, SMS messaging, websites, apps, and email as ways to share information.

What are digital channels?

500

The evaluation of a communication campaign or strategy after it has been implemented, aiming to measure its overall effectiveness and determine whether it achieved its intended goals by analyzing the final outcomes and impacts on the target audience.

What is summative research or summative evaluation?
500

When media frames an issue in terms of the number of people affected, seriousness of consequence, or the immediacy of a situation.

What is framing for impact?

500

The sum total of shared values, symbols, meanings, beliefs, assumptions, and expectations that organize and integrate a group of people who work together.

What is organizational culture?
500

Knowing the target and their sources of information, media habits, and personal contacts is what kind of information?

What is communication behavior?

500

A systematic documentation of an organization’s communication efforts to understand how it communicates with its publics.

What is a communications audit?