the rnagazine of the

Market ing Research

and In te l l i gence

Associat ion

A P R I L 2 O O 8

HO AREDOING?

FE,ATI.JRE,

Just the "Most Compelling" Facts:

%at Communicatorsand PR PractitionerswantfromResearch

communicators. l t is ihe responsibi l i ty of researchers to devrse cost-ef fect iveobject ives, to give expert counsel, to provide clear, compel l ing and quant i f ied

straightforward answers. Leslie Hetherington

Researchers are cr i t ical to

means to meet the c l ient 's

ins ights , and to o f fer f rank,

esearch is integral to PR and business com-

munications' best practices, as advocated by

the professions' educators and thought

leaders. In fact, the key associat ions - the

International Associat ion of Business Com-

municators (I.ABC) as well as the Public Relations Sociery ofAmerica (PRSA) and its Canadian equivalent (CPRS) - citeresearch as an essential requirement for professional accredi-tation, and for industry awards.

Ironically, the value of research is rarely reflected in publicrelations budget allocations. In its annual corporare survey for

2 8 v u e

2005, the New York-based journal PR Week found that less

than rwo per cent of the average public relations budger went

towards research and evaluation. Many communicators allude

to the actual or perceived high cost of market research as a

roadblock to using it.

Conversely, there is a growing imperative for communicarors

to justify and measure the rerurn on investment (ROI) of their

initiatives to the C-Suite decision-makers - and research is a

critical means to this end. This need, combined with public re-

lations' ongoing growth, presenrs a greenfield opportuniry to

savtry market researchers who choose to leverage it.

A p r i l 2 O O 8

Harvesting this opportuniry starts with

a thorough understanding of PR clients'

objectives and honing a cost-effective

path to meet them through research,

while steering away from sand traps

along the way. "The

best market re-

searchers tease out the outcomes we de-

sire, provide us with menu options

regarding how they might tackle our re-

search issue, and ensure the solution does

not become overly complicated," says

Kellie Garrett, senior vice-president for

Strategy, Knowledge and Reputation at

Farm Credit Canada and past research

chair of [ABC.

Researchers need to begin by asking

why? Although there is some debate,

the growing consensus is that research

should be used at several stages in a PR

campaign:

. at the onset and end, to establish base-

l ine cri teria (or current perception lev-

els) and then compare against outcomes

. in analysis, to identi fr opportunit ies

to leverage and threats to counter

. in implementation, to test and revise

messages and tact ics early on or even

midway into a campaign.

tVhether it's a customer a loyalry index,

a brand equiry assessment, or a corpo-

rate reputation study, research needs to

F E A T U R E

give the communicator clear, com-

pell ing and ( ideal ly) quanti f ied insight

to just i$t or ref ine a strategy, or to

demonstrate the success or fai lure of a

campaign. Researchers must assess the

PR challenge, provide expert counsel

(on the best tool, sample size, questions

and parameters) and convince commu-

nicators that, beyond data tables, they

need analysis and an executive sum-

m^ry, despite the cost. The onus is then

on researchers to provide a report that

cuts to the chase and spells out the nec-

essary answers in plain business lan-

guage, versus academia, with no more

granular detai l than necessary to meet

communicators' needs.

In some cases, a publ ic op in ion po l l

becomes the actual PR tactic. In these

scenar ios , an organizat ion, or i ts PR

agency, sponsors questions in an om-

nibus to mine primary data. I t piggy-

backs i ts corporate messages on the

result ing data, which i t communicates

through a news release and feature arti-

cle. Personally, I think it would be ben-

eficial to have a wide range of business

polling options that could be used as ef-

fectively for business-to-business cam-

paigns as the omnibus is for consumer

applications.

This tact ic may offend some purists,

but i t 's a proven approach for gett ing

ink and repeat business for the cl ient

and the research house that proves a

strategic partner in the process. "Third-

party polling firms that work closely

with us to uncover'headline-worthy'

stats are part icularly effect ive in help-

ing to bui ld and sustain key messages

for our c l ients in the publ ic

domain, " exp la ins Ju l ie Rusc io le l l i ,

president of Maverick Public Relations.

However, the rigour that the media ap-

ply to PR stories from omnibus polls is

rising, and there are increasing demands

for larger sample sizes as well as the op-

portunity to scrut inize the ful l survey

results. Researchers can safeguard com-

municators against cynical media by en-

suring appropriate sample sizes, by

including the most newsworthy f ind-

ings in the highl ights, and by avoiding

data that dilute an organization's mes-

sage. For example, results of an infor-

mation technology f irm's wireless

solutions survey should not extrapolate

on mobile appl icat ions unless they are

within its product offering.

In al l cases, i t t essential for the re-

searcher to thoroughly scope the project

and disclose al l costs up front, as PR

budgets have minimal fexibiliry. Given

that the average communicator is not a

statistician, the researcher needs to ex-

plain al l options and define subtlet ies,

such as Boolean and partialopen-ended

questions, to minimize the risk oFover-

sights and inaccurate quotes.

v u e 2 9

F E A T U R E

5 t'J

1$ ($0

, eg v

,lo(1

{

,{"(roe

(1 e\)' 1

tt

s

- l o ' *And when communicators requesr an

omnibus, chances are they wanr to ref-

erence results in a news release and ac-

cess to a spokesperson. The ideal is a

f irm that bundles i ts omnibus services

by including question consultat ions,

summaries, and news release support in

the mix - even i f i t charges more per

question than its competitors.

It's worth noting that agency practition-

ers are often tasked to quickly collect re-

search quotes for a proposal or a requesr

for proposal. A sure way to al ienare

them is to push for answers on the like-

lihood of a project moving forward or

to make them commit to followup dis-

cussions. This scenario may frustrate re-

searchers, but there are few options

when rates are not published online or

easily accessible. In one ^gency, we de-

veloped a grid l ist ing omnibus f irms,

along with their features and the prices

for each question rype and service, as a

quick means to bypass this step and

elude sales pressure.

Final ly, being a trusted partner means

being frank. "I've

found that great re-

search partners take the time to under-

stand the endgame and not default to a

one-size-f i ts-al l approach," explains

Michael Nethercott, president of Infinia

Canada, a brand, marketing and com-

munications consultancy. "They're

not

afraid to push back and present impacr-

ful alternatives with cost estimates, if a

clientt preconceived idea wont deliver

the desired results."

Nethercott believes there is a growing

potential for market researchers ro ger

more wallet share from communicators."But

to embrace this opportuniry" he

cautions, "they

need to transition from

order takers or commodity data pro-

ducers to strategic advisors who take the

time to understand the communicator's

business goals and equip them with

meaningful metrics."

Ult imately, communicators need this

strategic service level from researchers

to help them pass the most str ingent

test of all - the CFO'S review of the

communications budget - and poren-

t ial ly to ensure the longeviry of their

profession.

Leslie Hetherington, MBA, APR, is anaward-utinning communicator. She issenior director of communications and

graphics for Peton Distributors fnc., a PetValu company, and execwtiae uice-presi-d.ent of IABC/Toronto. Leslie can bereached at les lie. hetherington@rogers. com.

Elementol Dolo Collection is o iruly independent componyspeciolizing in quolity business ond consumer dolo colleclionwith responsive service of offordoble prices.

Portners Colin Kivioho ond Dorcy Zwetko shore 20 yeors ofexperience in dolo collection. Their knowledge ond skil ls willhelp you succeed.

Elementol Doto Collecfion understonds your needs ond workswith you os your reseorch portner...it 's in our noture!

-- Slote-of-fhe-ort CATI coll cenfer-- Online surveys,. Elite B2B inlerviewino leom,- Mulli l inguol inierviewing copobilit ies- Remofe monitoring copobili i ies,. Moil ond dolo eniry services,- Dolo tobulotion ond onolysis

3 0 v u e A p r i l 2 O O B