The Value of Research and Evaluation in Public Relations

Research is important in public relations work because you need to know what the client’s needs are, who the target market is and the tools available to utilize (PR Friend, n.d.). It is important for public relations professionals to obtain their research from credible and reliable sources to propose dependable ideas. Research also allows public relations professionals the ability to answer questions the clients may have, the possible opportunities to take advantage of, and develop strategies and tactics that will produce a strong return on investment. Some of the research public relations professionals might conduct may include setting a Google alert about their client, and monitoring social media platforms and media outlets for any press breaks.

Public relations professionals might also analyze the industry as a whole to get a better understanding the competitive landscape or the latest trends. After comprehending what competitors are doing, public relations professionals might look into consumers’ responses and reactions towards those campaigns to see if it resulted in positive feedback. In addition, professionals might conduct primary research on consumer psychographics to understand the target better and take into consideration of their needs when developing their own ideas. Furthermore, professionals also research the return on investment to ensure the campaign or strategy will be successful and generate a substantial profit for the client (Staff, 2013). Overall, research is extremely valuable in public relations work as it provides useful insights into the target, client, competitors and measures the effectiveness of potential tactics.

Evaluation is important in public relations research because professionals need to make valuable recommendations after conducting research. It is also crucial to ensure that the data obtained is valid and reliable. Also, in the evaluation stage, public relations professionals are hoping to gain new knowledge. With this information, it could be used as evidence in their pitch to executives to prove the success of their strategy (Weiner, 2017). After a public relations professional conducts a survey, they need to calculate the margin of error to determine the accuracy of the results. Then, they will be able to figure out the return on investment for a marketing campaign or any strategies that are in the process of being developed. In the end, it should prove the effectiveness of the campaign and show that the budget is being properly allocated. Evaluation in public relations research will also help professionals determine if the campaign is worth their time and money to produce. Additionally, during evaluation, professionals are hoping to obtain constructive feedback that will provide them with the opportunity to make productive changes to improve their plans. Moreover, evaluation will help them decide if the costs to create the campaign is within their budget. The evaluation stage will also help public relations professionals decide what they have control over through the results they are able to measure. For example, a public relations professional interested in releasing a statement in a newspaper can measure and anticipate engagement by the average number people who still read the newspaper. However, that professional cannot control how the content in that post is perceived by readers (Weiner, 2017). Last week, KFC in the United Kingdom ran out of chicken causing an uproar. The fast-food chain swiftly responded with a comical apology ad in ‘The Sun’ and ‘Metro’ and received an overwhelming positive response from consumers (Oster, 2018). After evaluating the favorable results from this apology ad, KFC’s public relations crisis management team will probably follow a similar format if they ever experience another situation like this one again.

Oster, E. 2018. KFC responds to u.k. chicken shortage scandal with a timely ‘fck, we’re sorry’. AdWeek.http://www.adweek.com/creativity/kfc-responds-to-u-k-chicken-shortage-scandal-with-a-timely-fck-were-sorry/

PR Friend. n.d. The importance of research in public relations.

http://www.prfriend.com/research-in-public-relations/

Staff. 2013. Public relations: The value and importance of research. Mitchell Communications Group.http://blog.mitchcommgroup.com/mitchell-communications-group/public-relations-the-value-and-importance-of-research

Weiner, M. 2017. The importance of measurable public relations. PRNewsOnline.http://www.prnewsonline.com/the-importance-of-measurable-public-relations-2/