MKTG 123 Ch. 8: Research

only includes 8.1 and 8.2 objectives for midterm exam. [8.3 3 primary firms

“figures lie, and liars figure”

• just because it is research does not mean it should necessarily be believed

• research is no panacea

• managers still want “proof” that we advise is based on logic and clear thinking

Research questions:

• How can we identify and define our constituent groups?

• How does this knowledge relate to the design of our messages?

• How does it relate to the design of our programs?

• How does it relate to the media we use to convey our messages?

• How does it relate to the schedule we adopt in using our media?

• How does it relate to the ultimate implementation tactics of our program?

When should research be applied in PR work?

at the initial stage, prior to planning a campaign, and at the final stage to evaluate a program’s effectiveness.

Research is

• the foundation for sensible programmatic initiative

• must be completed by analysis and judgement

• managers want proof that advice is based on logic and clear thinking

• ground advice in hard data

management wants PR professionals to demonstrate their efforts do contribute to the bottom line

• outputs — did we get the coverage we wanted?

• outtakes — did our target audience see and/or believe our messages?

• outcomes — did audience behavior or relationship change and did sales increase?

Essential first step

• Public relations programs must help meet business objectives

  • segment market targets

  • analyze audience preferences and dislikes

  • determine which messages might be most effective

• initial stage and final stage of campaign

Principles of PR research

• Establish clear program objectives and desired outcomes tied directly to business goals.

• Differentiate between measuring public relations outputs (short-term and surface) and measuring outcomes (more far-reaching and carrying greater impact)

• Measure media content as a first step. It is limited, it can’t discern whether a target audience saw a message or responded.

• Understand that no one technique can be expected to evaluate public relations effectiveness.

• Be wary of attempts to compare public relations effectiveness with advertising effectiveness

• The most trustworthy measurement of PR effectiveness is that which stems from an organization with clearly identified key messages, target audiences, and desired channels of communication.

Research is conducted to do three things

1. describe a process, situation, or phenomenon

2. explain why something is happening, what its causes are, and what effect it will have

3. predict what probably will happen if we do or don’t take action.

Primary or original research is

either theoretical or applied

Applied research

solves practical problems

theoretical research

aids understanding of PR process

PR analysis takes the more informal form called secondary research

This relies on existing material—books, articles, internet databases, and the like to form the research backing for PR recommendations and programs

Applied Research can be either

strategic or evaluative

Strategic Research

used primarily in program development to determine program objectives, develop message strategies, or establish benchmarks.

Strategic Research example

a firm that wants to know how employees rate its candor in internal communications would first conduct strategic research to find out where it stands.

Evaluative research

is conducted primarily to determine whether a PR program has accomplished its goals and objectives.

Evaluative Research example

if changes are made in the internal communications program to increase candor