Week 11

Chapter 6 - Research and Evaluation in Public Relations: theory and practice / edited by Jane Johnston and Clara Zawawi

I think the key points to remember from this week’s readings were:

- research is undertaken at all stages of the PR process. PR research focuses on understanding the environment within which the organisation operates (Information about the needs or attitudes of their target publics or stakeholders, strenghts and weaknesses of their competitors, the environmental or political issues that could affect their success)

- the information gathered during the initial research phase provides input into the planning of a communication program

- Budgets must be justified, monitored and accounted for

- Time, money and the availability of human resources are three of the most difficult abstacles standing in the way of a thorough research programm

- Goal- and objective-seeting for both the research tasks and the communication programm is a significant part of the planing process

- 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 on the delivery of messages, allowing the practitioner to fine-tune, alter or modify the plan as it is implemented, achieving greater success with PR outcomes

- Outcome research not only indicates the level of success or failure but can demonstrate how effective planning and communication have been. This information can be used in the input phase of the next planing cycle


The readings made me think more about PR theory/practice that:

the use of research at any stage of PR practice is the main determinant of wether the practitioner functions as a professional or a technician. Effective strategic management demands informed and sound judgment based on researched findings.
The practitioner should have a clear understanding of the publics that must be addressed and the type of message or messages that must be given to these publics. He also has to know where and through what communication medium the publics can be found and targeted.