Assuring Quality of Public Relations Messages

• Fulfills one or more objectives specified in the campaign
• Is accurate, timely and consistent with other campaign messages.
• Conforms to the applicable styles or conventions for its particular genre, i.e. whether it's a news release, brochure, video script, etc.
• Communicates effectively with its intended audiences.

Often times, these elements are only specified in a general way in the plan. Thus, planning process continues well into the implementation phase of the campaign as staffers begin implementing each part of the program.

How can managers help assure the quality of campaign messages?

Backgrounder or Fact Sheet

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Some examples of items that might be included in the backgrounder:

• Exact name of organization
• Shortened named of organization (if any)
• Street or mailing address(es)
• Telephone Numbers
• 800-numbers or e-mail addresses
• Ordering or other contact information
• Special graphics, such as logos or other visuals to be featured.
• Existing slogans, if any.

  If the piece is for a product, service or event:

• Exact name of product, service or event
• Brief summary description
• All relevant details (or include attachments):
  • Events: Day of week and date of month; exact location (including driving directions and parking information); detailed agenda, including starting and ending times and locations; admission charges (if applicable); key elements to be emphasized.
  • Product or Service. Summary of primary benefits, complete listing of features; legal or mandatory disclosures required.

Creative Start Sheet

A start sheet is particularly important when the creation of materials will be done by someone other than the individual in charge of the project. The start sheet provides strategic information in written form, and provides a convenient outline for discussions about the project. The start sheet also requires that many key decisions be made before any copywriting begins.

Some typical items found in a start sheet include:

• Name of project
• Name of assigned writer or producer
• Format: News release, brochure, video, etc.
• Length (if any) in words, pages, minutes, etc.
• First draft due date
• Projected production date
• Projected distribution date
• Description of product, service or event
• Target Audiences: Define the key publics for this communication, based on appropriate criteria: relationship to organization, demographics or psychographics, involvement, etc. If more than one group is involved, prioritize groups as primary, secondary, etc.
• Purpose of project/Problem to be solved (What is this particular piece is supposed to do? How does it fit into the total campaign?)
• Objective: State as an infinitive: "To ...." (Good objectives should be specific, measurable, realistic and specify a time frame.) If more than one objective is involved, state each in order of priority.
• Proposition: State in one sentence the "big idea" that the audience should get from the piece. Be clear about what action (if any) you want people to take.
• Themes to be promoted: What is the news here? How will the product, service or event benefit the audience?
• Features: What information from the backgrounder must be included, or should be included as a proof points if space or time permits?
• Tone or manner: Should the copy be serious, refined, whimsical, etc.? Detailed or simple? What kind of mood should be created?
• Spokesperson to be quoted or other personnel to be featured, if any
• Illustrations or graphics: Any required? Desired?
• Competitive, other factors to be taken into account (but not mentioned).
• Legal disclosures or mandatory information that must be included.
• Comments or cautions, if appropriate.

Message/Media Outline (MMO)

1. What is the ultimate action you want from the reader, viewer or listener?
2. Who are the audience decision makers?
   Who influences these decision makers?
3. What is a need, concern or interest of the decision maker?
4. What is the message?
5. What are the channels of communication?
6. Who are the spokespeople?
7. How can the message be packaged to raise an audience need/concern/ interest and offer the product, issue or organization as a means of fulfilling that need, minimizing that concern or satisfying that interest?

Upon completion, all materials should undergo a thorough review process that includes:

• Strategic review by the public relations project manager
• Editorial review by the PR manager and at least one other individual familiar with the appropriate editorial style and conventions of the medium being used.
• Technical checks for accuracy by an appropriate staff member.
• Legal review, in keeping with organizational policies.
• Final management review by the client official with overall responsibility for the product, service or event.

Make Copy Changes Purposefully

This adage looms large in the minds of experienced copywriters, who are frustrated by zealous clients who make arbitrary or needless changes.

Copy changes should not be made simply based on one person's preferences for word choice or phrasing. Instead, copy changes should be made purposefully to eliminate:

• Inaccurate facts
• Omissions of key facts
• Wording that is confusing or might be misinterpreted
• Legal or compliance problems
• Inconsistencies with program objectives or other communications
• Misspellings, grammar problems, misused words, punctuation mistakes or syntax errors.

Legal concerns include compliance with any legal requirements for disclosure of information applicable to a particular industry. More general legal concerns include: unintended defamation of others, accuracy (truth-in-advertising) concerns, fairness, and invasion of the personal privacy of others. (Be sure to obtain written permissions to use the words or images of individuals or to use copyrighted or trademarked material.) Managers working for publicly traded corporations must also be watchful of material information that might trigger the need for prompt and full disclosure of financial information. (Information is considered material if it could influence the activity in the company's stock.

Simple corrections are a normal part of the creative process. However, if extensive revisions are involved, it is often preferable to return a draft to the writer or producer with specific directions for changes. Extensive changes by wanna-be editors can often result in inconsistencies and significant differences in content, style, pace and tone, which can jeopardize the overall qualty of the piece.

Several leading professionals have suggested ways in which to evaluate messages.

Patrick Jackson's Five Key Questions

1. Is it appropriate? For the sender? For the recipient?
2. Is it meaningful. Does it stick to the subject, and is it geared to the interests of the audience?
3. Is it memorable? Does it employ devices -- including verbal, graphic and aural imagery -- that people will remember?
4. Is it understandable?
5. Is it believable? Does the source exhibit trustworthiness and expertise?

Behavioral Framework Analysis

1. Does the communication raise an audience need, concern or interest? (Can audience members easily put themselves into the situation?)
2. Is your product, issue or organization offered as a solution in a clear and concise manner? Are the benefits of the solution clearly presented? (Can audience members answer the question, "What's in it for me?")
3. Are the consequences of leaving the need, concern or interest unresolved clearly presented? (What happens if no action is taken?)
4. Have you helped the individual members of the targeted audience mentally rehearse or think through the action you'd like them to take?

   For more details, see their Public Relations Writing. An Issue-Driven Behavioral Approach, 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1997.

Communicating With Clarity

The following questions are adapted from points on message clarity provided by Professor Dennis Wilcox.

1. Does the message match, in content and structure, the characteristics of the audience? Write to the age, education, interest, knowledge and involvement levels of the audience. If in doubt, test the comprehensibility (see next section).
2. Does the message use symbols, acronyms and slogans effectively? Audiences respond to symbols. But symbols must be used appropriately and with respect. Similarly, acronyms help simplify messages, but too many acronyms in the same message can be confusing.
3. Does the message avoid unnecessary jargon, or excessively technical or specialized terminology? Even when writing for audiences with high levels of technical knowledge, messages will be more comprehensible by using less technical lanaguage. But be sure the meaning is precise.
4. Does the message avoid cliches and hype, or overused and self-laudatory language?
5. Does the message avoid euphemisms, especially when used to hide bad news or to mislead people? Be direct. For example, don't refer to an employee layoff as a reduction in force.
6. Does the message avoid unintended discriminatory language or imagery, especially related to gender and race? Avoid unintended sexism or stereotyping that can jeopardize the message's credibility or trigger objections.

For a discussion, see Dennis L. Wilcox, Philip Ault and Warren K. Agree, Public Relations Strategies & Tactics, 4th ed. New York: Harper Collins, 1997.

Pre-Testing Messages

The following are some common techniques that can be used to pre-test messages. These are listed from relatively modest, low-cost approaches to more sophicated and costly methods:

• Jury Testing -- Involves providing samples to a group of people who typical of the audience. Jury testing can include inpromptu one-on-one interviews with individuals who are conveniently available, the convening of one-time focus groups, or the submission of materials to an established advisory panel. The purpose is to use qualitative techniques to probe general reactions, to ascertain the degree to which audience members liked or disliked the message, and to ascertain if there were parts that audiences don't understand.
• Expert (Peer) Reviews -- Involves asking other PR or communications professionals to review materials and to make recommendations for improvements based on their experience.
• Readability Studies -- Involves subjecting the text to one of several standardized tests for comprehensibility, such as the Flesch formula or Cloze procedure. (Several leading public relations text include brief descriptions of these techniques.)
• Experimental Testing -- Involves comparing two or more approaches to determine which one is best. A cross-section of people from the target audience are randomly assigned into experimental groups and are exposed to one (usually not both) of the alternative copy approaches (treatments). The effectiveness of the two approaches is analyzed through a series of quantitative measures contained in a questionnaire completed by the participants after seeing the tested messages.
• Test Marketing -- Involves public dissemination of messages within a limited geographic territory to test audience responses. Changes in copy can be made prior to distributing the message more widely.

None of these techniques is perfect; all have limits because they represent attempts to anticipte effectiveness prior to the full widespread dissemination of messages. However, to the extent that they help avoid costly mistakes and improve communication effectiveness these techniques can enhance the quality of public relations messages.