Research is vital!

Probably my most favorite part of PR, besides event planning of course, is research.

What some people outside of my industry do not understand is that research is the most important and crucial part to any PR campaign. The PR process is ROPE.
ROPE is an acronym that stands for:

Research

Objective

Planning

Evaluation

Today we are just focusing on the R of ROPE.

Research includes client research--you must know the organization/client you are representing inside and out. You are going to be writing about this company and working them in every angle possible. You need to have a good understanding of what they do, who the are, past PR efforts, and what they hope to accomplish in the future. In this bracket the PR person will come up with a backgrounder (information about the client/organization) and a media content analysis. You need to know what kind of press is out there about the organization, how many hits, and when and over a period of how long. This will show you which mediums have been receptive in the past whether solicited or seeking information on their own.

Research includes market research--you need to know who your target audience is, who they are, how old they are, where they live, how much money they make, the kinds of things they like, what motivates them, and how they would benefit from your client/organization. Or in other words, for your target audience you need to come up with their demographics and psychographics.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs comes into play, VALS comes into play. What kind of audience are they? Are they aware, latent, apathetic, active, unaware? Are they a primary audience or a secondary audience with influence?

Also in this segment, after you choose your target audience is focus groups, surveys, and polls. (Oh, and remember, for survey results to be valid you have to have at least 364 complete surveys and them be from people only in your demographic.)

Research includes a comparative market analysis. What other clients/organizations are out there doing the same thing as you? What kinds of PR efforts have they conducted? Did it work for them? Why? Why not? What can we learn from this?

Research includes planning research. What is the best plan of attack? An MBO (management by objective) is a long, highly detailed plan with one specific goal and every step to take to reach that goal. You need all the above research to be able to know what will be the most effective plan. You have to know first of all about your company, then you need to know about your audience, then you need to figure out how to reach that audience.

It all takes research. Research is important.

Research for a Benchmark Study is what shows progress.

Research is needed for Newsletters, White Papers, etc, etc, etc. . .

Don't tell me research is not important and something that is not necessary!!! No matter how seasoned in a profession one is they must still conduct research. Every single client/organization is going to be different with different needs and circumstances. It's not about experience. It's about customizing a PR plan for your client/organization. There is no cookie cutter/one size fits all formula when it comes to a PR plan. This is so you don't waste your time and energy doing something that according to such research is not going to be effective.

Oh, and things are not going to automatically happen overnight. This process takes time. When the research is conducted you may very well find your initial thoughts and ideals were not the best way to go about things. Aren't you glad you researched it first instead of hitting and missing? When you aim specifically you will more often than not hit the target.

Remember, do not despise humble beginnings.

*All of this was written by Kimberly Jones based upon experience and things I gleaned from my college education. Huge thanks to my fav professor, Kris McCoun, who taught my PR Research class and taught me everything I know about PR. I am ready.