I am often asked to explain various terms in "PR speak" so here is a brief guide. If you need a more detailed explanation, I suggest a search on the Internet or you are welcome to e-mail me. Here is my guide:
§ Above-the-line campaign: a marketing campaign using only advertising, in whatever media.
§ Account: the term used to describe a client or job. In consultancies, “an account team” refers to the group of PR consultants servicing a particular client.
§ Advertorial: A paid for feature that has the 'look and feel' of an editorial. Some publications may write the copy, others may let you provide it. The words 'promotion' or 'advertorial' on the article clearly identify it for the reader.
§ Below-the-line campaign: a marketing communications campaign that does not use advertising. Instead it uses promotional tools such as public relations, direct marketing and sales promotion - even promotional cars such as the above (part of my campaign for promoting Chicago Rock Cafe Yeovil in partnership with Olds Chrysler of Yeovil)
§ Brief: the instructions from a client to a consultancy, or directions communicated within a PR agency.
§ Broadcast: the dissemination of programmes or messages through the media of radio, internet or television.
§ Brainstorming: the creative process of group thinking to stimulate or articulate ideas on a given subject or problem.
§ Circuit, The: The "circuit" generally refers to the "talk show circuit." A PR spokesperson (or his/her client) "does the circuit" by being interviewed on television and radio talk shows with audiences that the client wishes to reach.
§ Client: the organisation or person who employs a PR consultancy.
§ Clipping: see Cutting.
§ Communication: the credible, honest and timely two-way flow of information that fosters common understanding and trust.
§ Competition: other organisations that represent a threat to a particular business.
§ Contract: an agreement made between the PR consultancy and the client covering areas of agreed objectives, timing, service levels and price.
§ Copy: the text produced by a consultancy for a press release or article. Journalists also refer to their news stories or features as copy.
§ Core Message: More fundamental than a key message. Core messages are positioning words and phrases. They carry the subliminal thrust of an organisation’s intentions. For example "...a quality product, well designed and widely available..." is a core message. Press releases should contain the core message.
§ Corporate Communication: deliberately planned management of the communications affecting the perception and image of an organisation.
§ Crisis Management: this involves planning and preparing a client for any possible crisis that is likely to affect the organisation, and how it should communicate to all its stakeholders during that crisis. This involves training relevant spokespeople, co-ordinating crisis recovery activities and ensuring a unified, confident and controlled public image. Crisis management is closely related to issues management.
§ Cue sheet: briefing notes to help a spokesman prepare for an interview with a journalist. The cues should cover the issues that are likely to arise in the interview and the approach that should be taken on these issues.
§ Cutting: the piece of written material containing messages about the client or its products or an extract from a paper or magazine regarding a particular account. Also commonly referred to as ‘clipping’.
§ E-pr: the practice of public relations using the internet instead of, or alongside, traditional media.
§ Editorial: written materials composed to communicate a brand to the various audiences identified by the client and consultancy.
§ Embargo: a warning to the media not to publish a news item until the date specified on the release (usually appears at top of first page of news release or statement). Journalists usually honour this unofficial agreement.
§ Evaluation: measurement of the agreed objectives set by the consultancy and client prior to the start of an agreed activity like a media relations campaign. The results of the evaluation are used for future planning and development of the ongoing PR strategy and to benchmark against overall objectives.
§ Exposure: the extent to which the target audience becomes aware of a person, message, activity, theme or organisation through the efforts of PR. This might be used as part of the evaluation process.
§ Exclusive: a news story offered by a PR practitioner to a single newspaper title, radio, website, or TV station.
§ Feature article: a broad or in-depth newspaper, magazine, internet, radio or TV article that discusses, analyses or interprets an issue, subject or trend. A feature generally takes longer to research and produce than a news story. 19
§ Financial PR: the efforts of a publicly-held company, or one that is on the way to a public flotation, to communicate with shareholders, security analysts, institutional investors and stock exchanges.
§ Full Service: a one-stop PR shop which incorporates clients from many different industry sectors and which offers a range of PR disciplines, and sometimes in-house design and other services.
§ Healthcare PR: specialist PR discipline that communicates about either prescription only (ethical healthcare) or OTC (over-the-counter) products or issues, to medical groups, interested third parties or specialist media.
§ Integrated campaign: a multidisciplinary approach which uses a number of marketing communications techniques in order to deliver a consistent set of messages. The aim is to achieve seamless communication with the audience.
§ Internal Communications: information dissemination and flow between an organisation and its employees. Common tools include newsletters and intranets.
§ Logo: A graphic or symbol owned by and representing a company or brand.
§ Media Relations: communicating with the media by pro-actively speaking to journalists and sending out relevant articles to the respective publications, responding to media enquiries, and providing appropriate information on behalf of an organisation.
§ Messages: agreed words or statements that a client wants to convey to third parties such as the media or shareholders for example.
§ Media Type: National press, consumer magazines, regional and trade press, TV & radio broadcast, mobile phones and the Internet are all types of media for the communication of information
§ News Conference: A news (press) conference consists of someone speaking to the media at a predetermined time and place. Though they often include a question and answer period, press conferences provide an excellent opportunity for speakers to control information and who gets it.
§ OTH (Opportunities To Hear): A formula used in radio advertising to indicate the performance of the paid-for element on-air campaign (it excludes presenter reads etc).
§ Pitch: when PR consultancies are invited by a prospective client to propose how they would tackle a given brief.
§ Press Contacts, or 'The Rolodex': After a PR practitioner has been working in the field for a while, he or she accumulates a list of contacts in the media and elsewhere in the public affairs sphere. This "Rolodex" becomes a prized asset, and job announcements sometimes even ask for candidates with an existing Rolodex, especially those in media relations.
§ Press Pack/Kit: Combines an executive summary and best of press coverage. Possibly will include press releases and a short overview. Creates an awareness of a larger project using key elements from it.
§ Press Release: A press release is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something claimed as having news value. Typically, it is mailed or faxed to assignment editors at newspapers, magazines, radio stations, television stations, and/or television networks.
§ Proposal: document outlining a proposed PR campaign to an existing or potential client.
§ Public Affairs - the process of communicating an organisation’s point of view on issues or causes to political audiences like MPs and lobbying groups.
§ Public Relations: Efforts to establish and maintain a company's image with the public. The degree of success can be fundamental to an organization's future.
§ Regulatory News Service(RNS) - RNS is an online application which allows listed companies or their Advisers to submit announcements to investors and intermediariaries through the London Stock Exchange.
§ Reach: The reach of a campaign is the total number of people within your target audience that may see your message. Sometimes referred to as coverage. Most often expressed as a percentage, and the actual number together.
§ Search engines: these allow you to search the contents of the world wide web. When you key in a search term, you receive a list of items that match your query.
§ Sector/trade press: the media relevant to specific audiences. This includes special interest magazines such as hi-fi magazines for hi-fi enthusiasts. Trade journals are read for business and professional reasons, for example Electronics Week is read by electronics engineers.
§ SOLAADS: The 7 points formula for an effective Press Release are Subject, Organisation, Location, Advantages, Applications, Details, Source.
§ Teaser: a promotion that is intended to arouse interest in the main campaign which follows. It is usually used in media relations.
§ Transcript: written outline of a radio or TV broadcast about a client.
§ Vertical media: media relating to different market sectors for a product or service. For example, you can promote a barcode printer in the printing media, packaging media and food retailing media.
§ Viral campaign: a communications campaign which is designed to exploit the potential of the internet to spread messages rapidly. The audience is encouraged to pass a message on to all their email contacts.
§ Target Audience: This is the group of people you are trying to reach with your message. Can be defined by socio-economic groups, and/or personas that describe the people you are trying to reach.
Have I missed something? If I have, or you have suggestions of terms you think I could usefully cover, please e-mail them to me at john@headlinepromotions.co.uk
