CPRC cheat sheet

Formative research precedes planning and establishes baselines for awareness, attitudes, and behavior; it identifies audiences, issues, and message pretests.

Primary data are collected firsthand (surveys, interviews, focus groups, observation); secondary data are existing sources (census, trade reports, academic studies, media monitoring).

Qualitative methods (focus groups, in-depth interviews) explain why and how; quantitative methods (surveys, polls) measure how many and how much.

Probability sampling gives every population member a known, nonzero chance of selection and permits statistical generalization; nonprobability samples (convenience, quota, purposive) do not.

At 95% confidence for a proportion near 50%, margin of error is roughly 1/√n: n=400 ≈ ±5%, n=1,100 ≈ ±3%, n=2,500 ≈ ±2%.

Reliability is consistency of a measure across repetitions; validity is whether the instrument measures the intended construct. A measure can be reliable but invalid.

Situation analysis tools include SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) and PESTLE (political, economic, social, technological, legal, environmental).

Pretesting messages with representative audience members is formative research that reduces risk before full implementation; it is not summative evaluation.

A goal is a broad desired state; an objective is a specific, measurable, time-bound result that supports the goal.

SMART objectives are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound; each names audience, metric, baseline, target, and deadline.

Output objectives count activities (placements, posts, events); outtake objectives measure awareness, recall, or attitude; outcome objectives measure behavior or organizational results.

Strategy is the overall approach and positioning; tactics are the specific tools and activities that execute the strategy.

Segment audiences by demographics, psychographics, geography, and behavior; prioritize segments by influence on the goal and by reachability.

Limit key messages to three to five per audience, each concise, evidence-backed, and phrased in audience-relevant language.

Work-back scheduling sets the launch date and schedules each predecessor task backward; Gantt charts display task dependencies and the critical path.

Crisis plans specify risk scenarios, team roles, escalation triggers, contact lists, holding statements, and a dark site.

Budget lines cover staff time, research, materials, media, events, and a contingency reserve commonly set near 10%.

Tactic selection follows audience media habits and stated objectives, not channel popularity.

Media relations tools include the pitch, news release, media kit, fact sheet, backgrounder, embargo, and exclusive.

Spokesperson preparation covers message discipline, bridging, flagging, and Q&A rehearsal before public appearances.

Third-party endorsement from analysts, experts, customers, or influencers generally carries more credibility than organizational self-promotion.

Owned, earned, paid, and shared channels should be integrated around the same key messages and calls to action.

A crisis holding statement is issued within the first hours, acknowledges the situation, and commits to updates while facts are verified.

Internal communication uses cascading briefings, town halls, intranet content, and manager toolkits to align employees.

Real-time monitoring during implementation allows mid-course correction of messages, channels, and audience targeting.

Community and grassroots tactics include stakeholder briefings, partnerships, public meetings, and local ambassador programs.

Outputs are what was produced (clips, impressions, reach); outtakes are what audiences took away (awareness, recall, attitude); outcomes are behavior or organizational results.

Impressions count opportunities to see, not actual views; report them alongside reach, frequency, and engagement.

Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE) is rejected as a PR metric by PRSA and AMEC because it ignores credibility, targeting, sentiment, and outcomes.

Barcelona Principles: goal setting and measurement are fundamental; measure communication outcomes; evaluate effect on organizational performance; use qualitative and quantitative methods; AVE is not a value; social media can be measured; be transparent and replicable.

Share of voice = brand mentions ÷ total category mentions × 100.

Media content analysis codes tone, prominence, key-message inclusion, and call to action; inter-coder reliability should be checked.

ROI = (return − investment) ÷ investment × 100; cost per reach = total cost ÷ reach.

Benchmark evaluation compares results against pre-set baselines, stated objectives, or competitor performance.

Evaluation design should be established during planning, with baselines and metrics tied to each objective.