A GLOSSARY OF PR TERMS

• advertising: the process of gaining the public’s attention through paid media announcements
• analyst: an individual representing a trade or professional association who reviews and comments publicly on products, services and companies
• B-roll: film or television footage that plays while an announcer speaks over it
• backgrounder: an in-depth document that explains a product, service or company in the context of its need, place in the industry and place in history; often supports and explains an accompanying press release
• bio: biography (usually a brief synopsis of a person’s credentials)
• boilerplate: standard wording about a company that usually appears near the bottom of all company-issued press releases
• buzz: media and public attention given to a company, its products or services
• byline: author’s name given at the beginning of an article
• call tree: a list of names and contact information that should be notified immediately in a crisis
• client list: a list of a company’s key clients; sometimes includes contact information
• collateral: secondary documents that accompany or support PR deliverables
• communications audit: a systematic survey of members of a target audience (often members of the media or potential customers) to determine awareness of or reaction to a product, service or company
• content: information
• copy: words printed in the press
• direct mail: communication sent by post or e-mail to a targeted audience
• e-zine: online newsletter or magazine
• FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions): a list of questions and answers for the media pertaining to a press release; often included in a press kit
• fact sheet: a short (generally one-page) document that provides a “snapshot” look at a company, product or service
• follow-on: a product, service or article, for instance, that results directly from a previous product, service or article
• font: computer or Internet typeface (though it’s technically interchangeable with “typeface,” font actually means a specific instance of a typeface including point size, pitch (width) and spacing; “Helvetica, 10 pt. with pitch value of 9,” for instance)
• FUD: short for “Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt,” FUD is using positioning of one’s own products or services to cast fear, uncertainty and doubt on the competitor’s. For example, by calling Mike’s Auto Shop the “home-grown” auto shop, we created the doubt that other auto shops weren’t home grown, and the fear that if a customer didn’t go with a home-grown shop, they might not receive good service.
• goal: the primary result a company is attempting to achieve through its public relations efforts
• headline: the title of an article or press release
• hit: a visit to a particular page on a web site by a web visitor
• hype/hyperbole: overdone exaggeration
• implied endorsement: the character the public often assigns to non-paid neutral or positive media coverage of a company, its products or services
• industry authorities: respected individuals or publications within an industry
• ink: space devoted to a company, its products or services in the print media
• inverted pyramid: journalistic style of writing where the most important information is written first, followed by information of decreasing importance (this allows the reader to stop reading having gained the most important information; it also allows editors to cut or edit the story from the bottom up without omitting vital information)
• house organ: a newsletter produced by a company for the employees of that company
• jargon: language known only to members of a specific group, company or industry
• key influencers: individuals, groups or publications whose opinion or coverage of a product, service or company can significantly affect public perception within a specific market
• link: a portal to another web site or to another area within a web site
• marcom: marketing communications
• marketing: the function of promoting, selling or distributing a product or service
• media: members or tools for disseminating the news; unbiased third parties (press representatives) media coverage: mention in the media of a company, its products or services
• media policy: organizational directive as to how company representatives will communicate with the media
• media relations: the function of gaining positive media attention and coverage
• mind share: amount of thinking an individual or group does about a particular product, service or company
• news conference: a scheduled presentation to a group of media representatives
• news feed: electronically transmitted broadcast information
• noise: confusion caused by too many messages trying to be delivered at one timeobjective: a specific, measurable goal
• pass-along rate: the number of times a received document (article, newsletter, brochure, report, etc.) is shared with other individuals
• pitch: a prepared sales presentation, usually one-on-one (in public relations, it’s generally an attempt to get positive coverage or analyst review)
• PMS: PMS is the acronym given to color codes associated with a specific ink color library. Print shops often refer to a PMS color such as “PMS 328,” a nice teal color. PMS stands for Pantone Matching System.
• positioning (1): placement of a company, its products or services in a market category or in relation to its competition
• positioning (2): the location a company’s web page appears on a search engine after a searcher enters key words to search
• press: members or vehicles of the media
• press kit: several press deliverables combined in one package (usually a folder)
• press release: a paper or electronic document submitted to the media with the intent of gaining media coverage
• product demo: a physical run-through of a product or service by company representative (usually to analysts or members of the press)
• proofread: carefully reading a document to weed out errors
• public affairs: the public policy aspect of public relations.
• public relations: the function of creating and maintaining a public image or identity
• public relations advisor: a person who provides public relations guidance (may work inside or outside a PR firm)
• public relations consultant: independent professionals who provide public relations guidance
• public relations counsel: see “public relations advisor”
• public relations firm: a company made up of public relations advisors and their support staff
• public relations plan: a document that details specific actions to achieve a public relations result
• publicity: media coverage
• pub: publication
• Q&A/rude Q&A: a document that lists predictions of difficult questions that may be posed to a company spokesperson, and the best answers the spokesperson can give to answer the questions and meet the company’s objectives
• query letter: a letter sent to a publication asking whether the publication would be interested in receiving a bylined article
• repositioning: changing the placement of a company, its products or services in a market category or in relation to its competition
• retraction: media correction of information previously and erroneously reported
• running columns: regularly appearing articles of a specific theme or topic in a publication
• sans serif/serif: these terms apply to typeface and whether a particular typeface has “tails” on it or not. Serif typefaces have “tails” on them — Times Roman is an example of a serif typeface. Sans serif typefaces have no tails; Arial and Helvetica are examples of sans serif typefaces.
• script: prepared speech written on paper
• self-mailer: a brochure or other document that contains postal information (return address, bulk mail insignia or room for postage) and room for an address label so that it can mailed by itself, without having to place it in an envelope.
• shelf-life: how long a document is held onto by the receiver
• sig file: a signature block consistently used that includes a tag line about your company.
• simultaneous submission: sending a bylined article to more than one publication at the same time (often frowned upon)
• strategies: methods used to accomplish objectives
• strategic partner: a company or organization that another company or organization aligns itself with to benefit both parties
• tactics: action items to support strategies and objectives
• tag line: a sentence or phrase that provides a creative description of an organization’s position (e.g., Red Cross: We Save Lives).
• target audience: the key groups or individuals that a company most wants to receive its public relations messages
• trade publication: a magazine, newspaper or newsletter published by members of a specific industry
• typeface: printing type (e.g., Helvetica, Times New Roman, Courier)
• Unique Selling Proposition (USP): A one-line description of your company’s products or services that differentiates it among your market from the offerings of its competitors
• URL: Uniform Resource Locator. Generally when someone asks for your URL, they’re asking for your web site address
• white paper: a technical document that explains how a product or service functions and its purpose
• writer’s guidelines: a list of do’s and don’ts, including word length, topic choice, and format that publications provide for writers who wish to submit articles