RESEARCH: Creating PR Project Value and Success

When racking my brain recently to replenish PROFIT's depleted supply of PR Bonus Points to share with our online readers, an article on the value of integrating research into communication projects surfaced. It took a split second to make the decision to simply devote this web page to a two-part series on the importance of RESEARCH…the key to strategic public relations and marketing communications.

Part II.
Let's take a closer look at some of the key research terminology involving the methodology that often seems to create confusion. There are two general types of research:

• Quantitative research - yields numbers and statistics. The results can usually be extrapolated to the general population. One of the most common forms of quantitative research is a survey. Surveys can provide important insight into attitudes, opinions, motivations and self-reported behavior.
• Qualitative research is exploratory. It helps to identify the variables, such as opinions, attitudes and behaviors that are contributing to an issue.
• Data can be obtained through both primary research (research that you conduct yourself) and secondary research (information from other sources).

Getting Management On-board with Research.
Research needs to be built into the project plan of action and the budget. And convincing management about the value of and the need for conducting public relations research might be the single most important component in the overall public relations plan of action from a return on investment (ROI) standpoint.

Considerations for Internet Research.
The Internet is rapidly becoming a popular cost-and-time efficient research tool. Many affordable do-it-yourself survey tools are readily available including: Constant Contact, iContact, Zoomerang and Survey Monkey, just to name a few. All provide tremendous cumulative reporting and tracking features and benefits as well.

Remember…research is the key to strategic public relations and marketing communications. It informs strategy, establishes benchmarks for improvement and speaks the language of management, which is primarily numbers. The trick is in knowing what to measure and finding the best tools to gain insight and demonstrate impact.

PROFIT Communications Research Expertise Combined with Information from Article from PRSA Tactics -- RESEARCH: The Cornerstone of Value Creation
October 2008

RESEARCH: Creating PR Project Value and Success

When racking my brain recently to replenish PROFIT's depleted supply of PR Bonus Points to share with our online readers, an article on the value of integrating research into communication projects surfaced. It took a split second to make the decision to simply devote this web page to a two-part series on the importance of RESEARCH…the key to strategic public relations and marketing communications.

Part I.
In order to better understand and conduct effective research it's imperative to identify the ways that it can make or break the success of PR/Marketing Communications programs.

RESEARCH Fast Five:

• Every Public Relations program ought to build into the budget a low, medium or high range of research to guide the development of the goals and objectives and to influence other key project decisions.
• Research can be used at any point in a plan to refocus or explore developments, but typically it is used at the beginning of the communications planning process to identify the core problem and develop objectives (formative research), and during the evaluation phase to measure results (summative or evaluative research).
• Research can take the guess work out of how best to construct the PR program within the given timeframe and allotted budget.
• When in doubt and too many questions associated with the program are left unanswered…use research.
• Hands down…the best strategic PR project investment directly tied to results is research.

Coming in December - Part II.
Learn more about the two general types of research to conduct, getting management on-board and using Internet research, just to name a few.

PROFIT Communications Research Expertise Combined with Information from Article from PRSA Tactics -- RESEARCH: The Cornerstone of Value Creation
October 2008

Did you know… STAR POWER

The percentage of Americans who say celebrities/V.I.P.s can make a positive difference to issues and causes they're promoting:

A large difference 11%
Some difference 33%
A little difference 27%
No difference 24%

Source-Harris Poll By Nick Galifianakis

Networking - Committed to the Vision

Networking needs to be done constantly, i.e., in both good and challenging economic times. Whether in person, online, by phone or by mail, it needs to be done systematically and with a purpose. By following the tips below, you can efficiently maximize the benefits of all networking.

Networking Fast Five:

• Be goal-oriented. Determine what events will offer opportunities to meet people who can help you reach your goals and objectives.
• Be systematic. Use your specific manual/electronic database system(s) to record notes about those you meet. Send a follow up e-mail or personal note with a brief conversation recap followed by an action-oriented next step to create relationship development momentum. Add additional notes to your specific database system as you learn more.
• Never stop. Before new meetings, review your notes on anyone you might see. Add new information to your database and send e-mails to those who did not attend, sharing something about the meeting that could be of interest to them.
• Find a mentor. Attend appropriate events to find people in your field who could help you learn more about your field. People love to be considered experts, and usually respond well when you treat theirs as an authoritative opinion.
• Say thank you. Keep the relationship alive by staying in touch with an occasional IM (Instant Message), e-mail, text message or something novel like an old-fashioned phone call to schedule a meeting over breakfast or lunch.
  
  

Making Mistakes: Rebound, Recover & Learn from Them

Growing up, we're given mixed messages about mistakes. Making them is necessary to learn, we're told, but we ought to avoid them anyway. As The New York Times reported last November, children are taught that great inventors like Thomas Edison embraced mistakes, but good grades in school are a reward for doing things right, and wrong answers can invite ridicule from classmates.

As we age, many of us invest heavily in being right. When things go wrong, we flagellate ourselves, blame others or try to cover it up. We're usually not interested in learning from experiences.

According to Dan Meyerson, senior vice president of leadership and development, Bank of America, "I always say, 'Bask in the glory of your mistake.' In other words, be comfortable with it and show others you can come back even stronger after making a mistake. It's important to show that it won't affect your self-esteem."

"If businesspeople are not making a certain number of mistakes, they're playing it too safe," explains Paul J.H. Shoemaker, marketing professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. "There needs to be more of a focus on processes versus outcomes."

Four Steps for Recovering from Mistakes

1. Process the mistake.
2. Own the mistake in its entirety.
3. Show remorse.
4. Plan how you will ensure that the same mistake doesn't happen again.

'In the Know…New, Emerging Communication Trends'

Effective Web Writing


Writing for the Web differs from writing for hardcopy! The trick to getting it right on the Web is in presenting text in a style compatible with how readers read online. Follow these criteria to ensure that your readers get the message you send:

Online readers:

• Read 25 percent slower from a computer screen
• Generally don't read word for word - they scan
• Dislike large blocks of text

Further:

• Be succinct. Write no more than half of the text you would for hardcopy.
• Write for scanability. Users skim what they read online.
• Use headings, highlights, bullets and hypertext to draw your readers in to the text.
• Be excellent in the mechanics of your writing.
  
  

'In the Know…New, Emerging Communication Trends'

The Business Value of Social Media is Priceless

Services such as Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn all provide an online means of building interpersonal relationships, and face it, most of us are in the relationship business. Bonds are built among users based on everything from shared interests to what happened on your last vacation - an online version of the chat by the water cooler. As people continue to participate on these sites, the effects will be noticed - as indicated in a recent survey*, the percentage of journalists who say the emergence of social media has a significant impact on the:

• Speed of News 73%

  Availablity of News 69%

  Tone of Discussion 62%

  Editorial Direction 51%

  Quality of News 43%

Usually thought of in a social context, it's time to explore the business value inherent in such social media as it:

• Helps you stay better connected to your personal and professional networks
• Provides a great way to communicate with people already using social-networking web sites
• Business applications haven't taken off the way social applications have, yet, considering that we're in the early days of even having such new, niche media.

*Source: Brodeur Strategic Planning Group

'Stay the Course' Communication Survival Tips

1. Hire an independent, award-winning PR/Marketing Communications firm like PROFIT Communications who can provide:

- Senior-level talent
- Personal attention
- Value
- Flexibility

2. Establish a realistic budget that you can work within.
3. Set goals. Put your goals in writing. An unwritten wish is just a dream. In writing, it's a commitment -- a goal - that's more likely to succeed.
4. Build your network. And start with the people you do know, as people with the largest circle of contacts, mentors and friends over time create lasting relationships that can eventually translate into new, exciting business opportunities.
5. Create innovative, new streams of revenue for your company or organization. For example, identify and market a different product or service that your business offers, in addition to your core mix.
6. Hone your speaking skills. Schedule speaking engagements to appropriate audiences to get the word out about what you do…in other words, create initial buzz and excitement about your products or services.
7. Develop a mentoring program. The idea that sharing what you know and learning what others have to teach is just smart management. Further, no process in history has done more to facilitate the exchange of information, skills, wisdom and contacts than mentoring.