Week 11

Research
Research gives two opportunities. The opportunity to learn from succes and failure, and the opportunity to justify one's continued employment. What is the value to the PR-actitioner of a heroic effort that goes unrecorded and unrecognised? Feedback can instruct on how best to modify behaviour when similar situations arise in the future, and to prove the value of PR to an organisation, and demonstrate where money has been well spent.
Research can be applied to:
Input
What are the client/employers needs [increased revenue, membership] ?
Who is the target audience?
What precise message needs to be conveyed?
What attitude or behaviour needs to change?
What numbers are involved, [eg] how many months, how much money is needed, what is the size of the intended audience?
What needs to be done to successfully communicate the desired message [newspaper coverage, pamphlet, television interviews, website/blogging etc.]
Output
Were all tasks carried out according to instructions? [or was there a breakdown in the chain of communication?]
Did the action meet or exceed its budget, time constraints, etc.
Were the original instructions found to be achievable, overambitious, or too conservative?
Were the methods employed as originally planned?
Were there mishaps in executing the strategy? How could they be avoided next time?
Outcome
What worked? What got a big public response?
Was media coverage achieved, was it what was hoped for?
Did the audiences respond as desired? Did attitudes and behaviour change?
What were the numbers? Did 25% of people surveyed demonstrate a knowledge of the intended message by the end of the year [for example]
As can be seen, the input and outcome encompass the public, and its reactions as part of the research, first from a planning perpective and then in appraising the external effects of the campaign, shifts in numbers achieved due to the campaign.
The output focuses on execution, how internal factors affected the result, everything within the scope of Pr management, that could be better handled and improved upon next time, whereas outcome focuses on the unpredictable, uncontrollable public reaction.
What have I learned of research? It is the absolutely critical key to all PR practice, as without it, plans are made in ignorance, and results remain a mystery.