Strategic Communication Flashcards

When a communicator 'bridges' during a difficult media interview, they are:

Answer: Acknowledging a question and then transitioning to a key organizational message

Bridging is a media relations technique where a spokesperson acknowledges the interviewer's point and then steers toward a prepared key message using a transition phrase.

Which research method is best suited for testing message comprehension among a diverse target audience before a campaign launch?

Answer: Focus groups with representative audience members

Focus groups allow communicators to observe real-time audience interpretation and comprehension of messages, surfacing misunderstandings before full campaign deployment.

The 'boomerang effect' in persuasive communication occurs when:

Answer: An audience reacts to persuasion by strengthening their original opposing view

The boomerang effect describes reactance — when audiences feel manipulated or their autonomy threatened, they often adopt positions more extreme than their original stance.

In an issues management program, the 'issue lifecycle' model helps communicators by:

Answer: Identifying the stage of an emerging issue to calibrate the urgency and type of response

The issue lifecycle model (emerging, current, critical, dormant) allows communicators to deploy appropriate strategies at each stage rather than applying a one-size-fits-all response.

A communication strategy built on 'positioning' aims primarily to:

Answer: Establish a distinct and favorable place in the minds of target stakeholders relative to competitors

Positioning is a strategic choice about how an organization wants to be uniquely perceived by its target audiences relative to alternatives, shaping all subsequent messaging.

Which scenario BEST illustrates the use of 'co-orientation' in strategic communication?

Answer: An organization and a community group work to understand each other's perspectives and find common ground on a shared issue

Co-orientation involves two parties actively seeking to understand the other's views and finding areas of shared understanding, creating genuine dialogue rather than one-way influence.

When developing a communication strategy for a new market entry, which type of research provides the most actionable insights about audience communication preferences?

Answer: Primary research including surveys, interviews, and ethnographic observation of the target audience

Primary research directly with the target audience surfaces authentic preferences, barriers, and cultural nuances that secondary or competitive data cannot reliably reveal.