Strat Comm Exam 1
CH.1 What is strategic communication?
The practice of deliberate and purposive communication that a communication agent enacts in the public sphere on behalf of a communicative entity to reach such goals.
CH.1 What are Stakeholders?
The audience that you are communicating to. Individuals and groups that can affect or be affected by the messages, actions, goals, and policies of the CE and have a direct or indirect interest in a CE.
CH.1 Sub Fields That Make up Strat Comm?
Advertising, Public Relations (PR), and Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC).
CH.1 What is Advertising?
A paid form of persuasive communication with an identified sponsor.
CH.1 What is Public Relations?
The practice that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and their publics. Symmetrical relationships.
CH.1 What is Integrated Marketing Communications?
The coordination of functions related to marketing and brand communication. You have advertising, marketing and public relations.
CH.1 The Constitutive Model of Communication (Tornado Model)
A disorganized model of communication that has power to shape/create reality itself such as factual truth, moral norms, group and personal identities. Puts stakeholders fist and relationships exist because of the communication that takes place in it.
CH.1 Outside-In Approach
When the needs, attitudes and behaviors of the stakeholders are placed at the front and center of the communication process.
CH.1 Inside-Out Approach
When the needs of the organization - not the stakeholders - are placed front and center.
CH.1 What is the Public Sphere?
An area in social life where people come together to identify and discuss societal problems.
CH.3 What is Strategy?
A thoughtful, logical and deliberate plan of action?
Ch.3 Communication Models
The Transmission Model and The Constitutive Model.
CH.3 The Transmission Model
A popular model that demonstrates how a message moves from a sender to a receiver through a medium.
CH.3 What is in the Foundational Stage?
Vision, Mision and Value Statements.
CH.3 What is a Vision Statement?
ANSWERS THE WHAT AND WHY: An aspirational and future oriented statement of the reason for the CE’s existence.
CH.3 What is the Mission Statement?
More practical in telling stakeholders how they intend to get to the place the vision articulated. A statement that communicates how the vision will be accomplished. Focused on stakeholders. Clearly articulates the goal of the institution, provides guidance to employees on expectations of their work, and serves as a daily motivational tool.
CH.3 What is the Value Statement?
Core values that express the belief system and behavior expected of members. They guide the entire organization and create a culture that drives the company towards its vision. Belief system and behavior of employees (or students).
CH.3 What are the Stages in the Strategic Planning Process?
Foundation, Application and Implementation.
CH.3 What is the Application Stage?
Problem identification objective setting.
CH.3 What is the Implementation Stage?
Research, Stakeholder, Identification/Segmentation, Message Strategy, Tactics, Timelind, Budget, Human Resources and Measurable Results.
CH.4 The Three Management Levels of Strategic Communication
Macro (Societel) level, Meso (Organizational) level and the Micro (Communication) level.
CH.4 What is the Macro (Societal) Level?
The larger society in which communication problems exist. Social, cultural, legal, political, economic, technological, physical, and media sectors
CH.4 What is the Meso (Organizational) Level?
The way the CE organizes itself. Where the work of strategic communication professionals is most important.
CH.4 What is the Micro (Communication) Level?
The execution of communication tactics. Focuses on the actual communication functions. The level where the communication tactics are implemented, the messages are encoded and the incoming messages are decoded on a day-to-day basis.
CH.4 Sectors That Make up an External Environment?
Political, Economic and Legal Sector.
CH.4 What is the Politcal Sector?
Sector called that describes a country’s laws, including systems of free speech. This sector also includes movements such as BLM.
CH.4 What is the Economic Sector?
Points to the kind of economic structure a country has. Also includes the strength and stability of its financial institutions.
CH.4 What is the Legal Sector?
Sector includes copyright laws, media laws (FCC) and laws regarding influencers (FTC).
CH.4 What is Media Fragmentation?
A phenomenon in how in the 21st century there has been the proliferation of media outlets and news sources. Because of the enormous number of media sources now available via the internet, the mass media audience has splintered into much smaller groups or segments, which are typically like-minded and psychographically similar.
CH.4 What is Reputation Building?
Is essential to successful branding, while branding alone cannot determine reputation. The communication behavior of executives, managers and employees at all levels affects a CE’s reputation. At every level of the institution, reputation will be determined locally and situationally, based on the responsible and moral behavior of its employees.
CH.4 What are Multidivisional Structures?
When labor is not only divided into individual roles, but is grouped together into departments, divisions and other operational units.
CH.4 What is a Network Organization?
When technology allows for practitioners to come together to bring their different skills sets together to complete complicated projects.
CH.4 What are Examples of Network Organizaton?
Virtual Organization, Hybrid Organization, Hierarchy of Authority and Differentiation of Labor.
CH.4 What are Virtual Organizations?
(ebay or Amazon) Do not have brick-and-mortar outlets, although most have large corporate offices, warehouses and distribution centers. Often have virtual employees, they telecommute and can be located anywhere in the world. Held together by a shared vision and goal, and clearly formulated operational protocols. Include a learning and developmental environment, and an infrastructure that promotes communication, information and job sharing.
CH.4 What are Hybrid Organizations?
An organization that makes use of multiple organizational structures at the same time.
CH.4 What is Hierarchy of Authority?
Levels of seniority and power in an organization. Has an impact on the role, function and reporting lines of the strategic communication practitioner, which is why it is important for you to understand how structures work, how labor is divided and what the reporting lines are.
CH.4 What is Differentiation of Labor?
The different roles and specific tasks employees must perform. The more differentiated labor is, the higher is the need for coordination.
CH.5 What is Ethics?
A system of morals (a moral code) employed by a person, group or organization that dictate standards of conduct. In strategic communication, we balance our own set of values and sense of right and wrong against what is best for the client and society at large.
CH.5 What are Morals?
Are our own personal principles that help us determine right and wrong.
CH.5 What are Normative Ethics?
The study of ethical behavior. Utilitarian, Deontological and Virtue.
CH.5 What is Utilitarian?
An ethical theory that determines right from wrong by focusing on outcomes. The greatest good for the greatest amount of people. Similar to a Situationalist. Can’t always predict the outcome of the action.
CH.5 What is Deontological?
(KANT; DIGNITY, RESPECT AND RIGHTS) An action is considered morally good because of some characteristic of the action itself, not because the product of the action is good. ‘Categorical Imperative’; strongest model for applied strategic communication ethics. Some objective morals that professionals rely on in order to determine ethical behavior.
CH.5 What is Virtue?
(ARISTOTLE) Excellence or dedication to the common good, toward which we should strive and which allow the full development of our humanity. Virtues of the person making a decision.
CH.5 What are Applied Ethics?
The application of ethics to real-world problems.
CH.5 What are Ethical Approaches?
Absolutist, Existentialist and Situationalist.
CH.5 What is an Absolutist?
The decision is either completely right or completely wrong.
CH.5 What is an Existentialist?
Try to balance between two extremes and make decisions that are based on immediate rational choice. Ex: Job choice.
CH.5 What is a Situationalist?
These decisions are based on causing the least amount of harm to the most people.
CH.5 What is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?
A management orientation whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns with their business operations and their interactions with stakeholders. CSR can provide dollars to match donations made by employees to non-profits, allowing employees to take time off to help local charities, or donating a portion of corporate profits to a good cause.
CH.5 What is Triple Bottom Line of CSR?
Profit, People, and Planet. They like you because they care about profit, people, and the planet.
CH.5 What are the Four Categories of CSR?
Environmental, Ethical, Philanthropic and Economic Responsibility.
CH.5 What are the Benefits of CSR?
Builds community, the profit, builds a better reputation. Ex: patagonia, ben & jerry’s, whole foods, and the container store.
CH.5 What are Examples of CSR?
Enhanced Public Image, Increased Media Coverage, Boost Employee Engagement, Attract and Retain Investors and Forging Corporate Sponsorships.
CH.5 What is Enhanced Public Image?
Consumers and publics like shopping and advocating with organizations that help the community.
CH.5 What is Increased Media Coverage?
The media has a vested interest in reporting on things of importance to the community.
CH.5 What is Boost Employee Engagement?
If an employee is proud of their company, they are more productive.
CH.5 What is Attract and Retain Investors?
Investors are more likely to be attracted and continue to support a company that has demonstrated a commitment not only to their employees, but also to the world at large.
CH.5 What is Forging Corporate Sponsorships?
Oftentimes social responsibility programs require partnership with other corporations or state and community organizations. These partnerships can be the beginning of long-standing relationships.