Ch. 6 Research and Evaluation
I think the key points to remember from this week’s readings were:
-That the information gathered during the initial research phase provides input into the planning of a communication program.
-Management requires facts and statistics to show that efforts contribute to the bottom line, and that budgets must be justified, monitored and accounted for.
-PR research focuses on understanding the environment within which the org operates which includes: Information about needs or attitudes of target publics or stakeholders, strengths and weaknesses of competitors, environmental or political issues that could affect success.
-Goals and objectives of the research, and measurable objectives for the outcome should be clearly defined as to provide a direction for the research.
-Input research requires clarifying the organisation’s objectives, getting as much info on the organisation as possible, gathering info on the situation and understanding the current opinions and attitudes being held by the target group.
-Output research can reflect the delivery of messages allowing to fine tune, alter or modify the plan, and checks the channels of communication.
-Outcome research not only indicates the level of success or failure but can demonstrate how effective planning and communication have been.
The readings made me think more about PR theory/practice in how PR is so heavily affected by research, not only in creating campaigns, but evaluating them and planning for future ones.
The daily work of a PR practitioner and PR campaigning is based on an understanding of the ‘current situation’. Knowing what needs to be done to address the situation. Knowing what needs to be done to address the situation and what the organisation can afford to do with its available resources puts the PR practitioner in a position to determine the aims, goals and objectives of a PR program.
The use of research positions PR as a purposive, goal-directed, and problem-solving management function.
Research is also so fundamental to PR that PRIA have a code of ethics relating to the honesty of results and their impacts on others.
4 comments:
Hey Brianna,
I found your blog to be extremely insightiful. I like your point about management and "...facts and statistics..." because I did not take that from the reading, I probably should have :p! Like you, I found the information about the importance of an organisations environment to be important to the research component of a pr campaign. I also found the input, output and outcomes components to be important to understand the concept of research as well. I did not realise how important research is throughout the planning and implementation of a campaign, as you said it is "...heavily affected...not only in creating campaigns, but evaluating them and planning for future ones." I like how at the end of the blog, you provide a personal summary/opinion about the chapter, this helps broaden my perspective and check that what I think is correct.
Thanks for the blog, it's really good! And it's the last one, yay!
Thanks, Alyssa
Hey Brianna,
I found your blog to be extremely insightiful. I like your point about management and "...facts and statistics..." because I did not take that from the reading, I probably should have :p! Like you, I found the information about the importance of an organisations environment to be important to the research component of a pr campaign. I also found the input, output and outcomes components to be important to understand the concept of research as well. I did not realise how important research is throughout the planning and implementation of a campaign, as you said it is "...heavily affected...not only in creating campaigns, but evaluating them and planning for future ones." I like how at the end of the blog, you provide a personal summary/opinion about the chapter, this helps broaden my perspective and check that what I think is correct.
Thanks for the blog, it's really good! And it's the last one, yay!
Thanks, Alyssa
Hi Brianna thanks for posting on my blog. When reading your concise summary of the important points of the chapter I too agree that it makes you realise the importance of research in PR. Your point about theory and its role in research and implementation was a link I myself did not make. Good work!
Dear Brianna,
I sat at home all weekend thinking 'I can't believe I am only going to have one more chance to comment on Brianna's blog -- it's just so good that I don't want to see it end!'
Once again you've produced many good points. I also agree that research in the initial stages of a campaign is the key to running a successful program. I found a quote from Baskin and Aronoff particularly interesting regarding the value of research/evaluation in any form. Allow me to share it with you: "Evaluation is often recognised as being the beginning of a new effort, not just the completion of a previous activity". Take that with you Brianna, if nothing else I say!
Great Blog Brianna -- it's real HD material!
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