PR & Marketing Glossary of Terms for Entrepreneurs
Actionable relationship = a relationship that has marketing value because the person or group of people will take a specific action when asked to do so
Advertising = the placement of owned (media) content for a fee. The rate varies depending on the location, duration, the number of people that are likely to see it, etc.
Angle = the focus of a story. Often determined by an editor and written by a journalist
Assignment desk – a team of journalists that decide which stories their news-gathering colleagues pursue and which ‘make’
Assignment editor = a journalist that decides what stories are produced by journalists and which ‘make’
Assumption = an unproven view or assertion
Audience = a person or group of people passively consuming content
AVE (Advertising Value Equivalency) = an arbitrary value attributed to earned media coverage, by adding a random multiplier (between 5 and 20) to the published advertising rate for a single insertion [e.g. advert space cost = $100. AVE = 500 ($100 x 5)
Brand = the perception of your organization in the minds of the market. It is based on a communicated set of values and an organizations ability to deliver them through both words and actions
Call To Action = explicit of implicit request for somebody to do something that has commercial-value for the organization making the request
Call To Action mechanism = the deliver mechanism for a marketing call to action
Commercially-valuable action = a [marketing] action that delivers a tangible value or impact to an organization
Commercially-valuable coverage = media coverage that delivers measurable value or impact to an organization
Content marketing = marketing that uses content as it’s primary promotional tool to compel a person or group to take a commercially-valuable action. Also see marketing communication
Cut = to be removed from consideration for publication or broadcast. Often because of space or relevance
Desired outcome = a specified outcome resulting from a deliberate and stated strategy
Digital marketing = marketing that uses electronic tools and distribution mechanisms to compel a person or group to take a commercially-valuable action
Distribution mechanism = the way a message or piece of content is delivered to an audience
Earned media = media coverage achieved without direct payment being made to the publisher
Hash = current position and distance to the desired destination. Used in football to specify the distance to go to achieve a first down and the down. For example, 3rd and 6
Hypothesis = a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation.
Journalist = somebody that investigates and writes a story for a media outlet
Key relationship = a person or group of people that are critical for an organization to achieve a stated goal
Make = to be published or broadcast
Marketing = a combination of price, product, place and promotion. A combination of elements designed to compel a defined individual or group of people to take a specific commercially-valuable action
Marketing communications = the promotion part of marketing. It must include an implicit or explicit call to action (CTA)
Media Outlets = a magazine, website or broadcast channel
Media Pitch = a one-time request by an organization or agent to publish a particular story
Media Relations = a strategy of building mutually-beneficial relationships with key journalists and editors with the aim of becoming a source for stories on a specific topic or subject area
Message = a positioning statement communicated by an organization to internal and external stakeholders for a specific purpose. Usually for the benefit of the organization
Mutual Benefit = a benefit that is experienced on both sites of a relationship
Native Advertising = advertising designed to look like editorial
Owned Media = content produced by an organization for the purposes of promotion and, typically, distributed via its own distribution channels. Distribution channels can include websites, social media platforms and email lists but are not exclusively
Perceived value = the value an organization places on a product or service
Positioning = presenting something in a way that intends to impact the way it is perceived
Promotion = publicity generated by or on behalf of the beneficiary. Promotion is the 4th P of Marketing and is also known as marketing communication. It must include a call to action (CTA) if being used as part of a marketing campaign
Public Relations = a process of building and maintaining strong mutually-beneficial relationships with the people that matter most to the achievement of a commercially valuable outcome
Publicity = a process of generating awareness as well as the outcome of the process
Paid Media = Also known as advertising. Can be in print, web or out-of-home (billboard). A term coined as part of the PESO content model
Relationship strength = the strength of a relationship between an organization and a person or people that are critical to it successfully achieving its stated goal
Riskiest assumption = an unproven view or assertion of which there is the least evidence to substantiate it
Shared Media = content created by an organization that is shared by employees, customers, partners, influencers, etc., with a wider group of people
Social Media = a community platform, usually online, intended to allow barrier-less communication with other members
Sources = people that can support an argument to a journalist writing a story
Timing – Any time-related issue that impacts on the success or failure of achieving a specific outcome
Visual Identify = also known as visual look-and-feel. The visual elements of an organization’s identity, including color palette, logo and user interface of a website.