Outline: Research

Amal El Yahcoubi
Com 4310 Public Relations
Dr. Ibahrine

Chapter 8: Research

I. Essential First Step:
-Every public relations program or solution should begin with research. Most don’t, which is a shame.
-Research should be applied in public relations work both at the initial stage, prior to planning a campaign, and at the final stage to evaluation a program’s effectiveness.
-Early research helps to determine the current situation, prevalent attitudes, and difficulties that the program faces.

II. What is Research?
It is the systematic collection and interpretation of information to increase understanding.
A firm must acquire enough accurate, relevant data about its public, products, and programs to answer these questions:
--How can we identify and define our constituent groups?
--How does this knowledge relate to the design of our massages?
--How does it relate to the design of our programs?
--How does it relate to the media we use to convey our messages?
--How does it relate to the schedule we adopt in using our media?
--How does it relate to the ultimate implementation tactics of our program?

III. Principles of Public Relations Research:
The principles in setting standards for public relations research are:

1. Establishing clear program objectives and desired outcomes tied directly to business goals.

2. Differentiating between measuring public relations ouputs, generally short temr and surface, and measuring public relations outcomes, usually lore far reaching and carrying impact.

3. Measuring media content as first step in the public relations evaluation process.

4. Understanding that no one technique can be expected to evaluate PR effectiveness.

5. being wary of attempts to compare Public Relations effectiveness with advertising. effectiveness.

6. Organization should have a clear identified key messages, target audiences, and desired channels of communication. The more confused an organization is about its target, the less reliable its public relations measurement will be.

IV. Types of Public Relations Research:
Research is conducted to do three things:

1.Describe a process, situation or phenomenon
2.Explain why something is happening, what its causes are, and what effect it will have
3.Predict what probably will happen of we do or don’t take action

Applied Research:
Applied Research in Public Relation can be either strategic or evaluative.
--Strategic research is used primarily is program development to determine program objectives, develop message strategies, or establish benchmarks
--Evaluative research, sometimes called summative research, is conducted primarily to determine whether a public relations program has accomplished its goals and objectives.

Theoretical Research:
This research is more abstract and conceptual than applied research. It helps build theories in public relations work about why people communicate, how public opinion is formed, and how a public is created.
It is important as a framework for persuasion and as a base for understanding why people do what they do.
It can help practitioners temper management’s expectation of attitude and behavioural change resulting from public relations programs.

Secondary Research
It allows examined or read about and learn from someone else’s primary research, such as a library. It is also called “desk research”.
Among the typical sources of secondary research are:
---Industry trade journals
---Government
---Informal contacts
---Published company accounts
---Business libraries
---Professional institutes and organizations
---Omnibus surveys
---Census data
---Public records
---Online database

V. Methods of Public Relations Research:
Three primary forms of Public Relations dominate the field which are:
---Surveys: to reveal attitudes and opinions
---Communication: Communication between management and target audiences
---Unobtrusive measures: such as fact-finding, content analysis and readability studies.

Surveys:
Surveys come in two types:
1.Descriptive surveys
2.Explanatory surveys
Survey consist of four element
1.Sample
2.Questionnaire
3.Interview
4.Analysis of Results

The Sample:
It must be representative of the total public whose views are sought.
Random Sampling: equality and independence
There are four types of random sampling:
1.Simple random sampling
2.Systematic random sampling
3.Stratifies random sampling
4.Cluster sampling
Nonrandm sampling:
Come in three types
1.Convenience samples
2.Quota samples
3.Volunteer samples

The Questionnaire:
Researches should observe the following in designing their questionnaire:
1.Keep it short
2.Use structured rather than open-ended questions
3.Measure intensity of feeling
4.Don’t use word or words that have more than one meaning
5.Don’t ask loaded questions
6.Don’t ask double-barrelled questions
7.Pre-test
8.Attach a letter explaining how the respondents’ answers are, and let recipients know that hey will remain anonymous
9.Hand-stamp the envelopes, preferably with unique commemorative stamps
10.Follow up your first mailing
11.Send out more questionnaires that you think necessary
12.Enclose a reward

Interviews:
Interview can provide a more personal, firsthand feel for public opinion.
Focus group: It must follow the following guidelines
1.Define your objectives and audience
2.Recruit your groups
3.Choose the right moderator
4.Conduct enough focus groups
5.Use a discussion guide
6.Choose proper facilities
7.Keep it tight rein on observers
8.Consider using outside help
Telephone Interviews:
Mail Interview
Drop-off interviews
Intercept Interviews
Delphi Panels
Internet Interviews

VI. Evaluation:
Evaluation of public relations programs depends on several things:
---Setting measurable public relations program objectives
---Securing management commitment
---Determining the best way to gather data
---Reporting back to management
---Selecting the most appropriate outcomes

VII. Research and the Web:
Evaluating Web Sites
The number of times a Web Site is visited by an individual.
---Value of the web
---Intimacy
---Precision
---Timeliness
---Cost

Web research consideration :
Establish objectives
Determine criteria
Determine benchmarks
Select the right measurement tool
Compare results to objectives
Draw actionable conclusions

Project Proposal

Statement of problem:
Internal communication is considered a vital part in any private or public organization. With a successful internal communication employees can know their responsibilities and values as well as recognize the organization’s goals and objectives. In my Public Relations project I will take “Bank Populaire” (BP) of the city of Nador as my case study and I will talk about its internal communication. I was an intern in this bank and I have acquired a lot of information concerning its internal communication. Through my observation and experience I pointed out some problems concerning their internal communication that can affect employee motivation. Internal communication of BP of Nador in comparison with others BP in Morocco is weak and need to be developed.

Basic research design (Literature review):
My basic research design will be the internal communication of “Banque Populaire” of Nador in Comparison with other banks in Morocco especially (Rabat and Casablanca). I will use my knowledge, report and my experience in this bank as the main source. Also, I will look for sources in the internet about internal communication in organizations. The course book will be also a source that will help me create a good recommendation list for the Bank in order to improve its internal communication.

Research question :
What steps will be useful to create a good internal communication? How this will help to improve employee motivation and performance?

The rationale, and explanation of what the findings of this project will contribute in the future :
The findings of my project will contribute to help organizations be aware of the importance of internal communication. Also, my recommendations will be useful for them to improve their internal communication.

Communication process :
I will inform my audience about what is internal communication and persuade them about its importance through good arguments and give real examples or work place situations.

Background
I will talk about background information of BP internal communication, how employees communicate with each other, what are the means of communication they use.

Situational analysis :
I will talk about the history of “Banque Populaire” in Morocco.

Message statement
The message statement of Banque Populaire is the following: “An individual care is a common care”

Target audience:
My main audience will be employees of BP of Nador, than other organizations who do not have a good internal communication and want to improve it.

Key audiences messages:
My key audience message is to address the message that says how internal communication is important in any organization.

Communication vehicles:
I will try to create a blog for the Bank of Nador.

Timing:
§ 23rd September, 2007: Proposal due.
§ 3rd October, 2007: 1st draft of the project.
§ 4th October, 2007: Creation of the Blog.
§ 30th October 2007: Final Draft of the Project.

Outline: Management

Amal El Yahcoubi
Com 4310 Public Relations
Dr. Ibahrine

Chapter5: Management




I. Manegement Proces of Public Relations :
What are we attempting to achieve, and where are we going in the pursuit
What is the nature of the environment in which we must operate?
Who are the key audience we must convince in the process?
How will we get to where we want to be?

II. Reporting to Top Management:
For the public relations function to be valuable to management, it must remain independent, credible and objective as an honest broker.
Public Relations, rightfully, should be the corporate conscience.

II.Conceptualizing the Public Relations Plan:
Planning is critical not only to know where a particular campaign is headed but also to win the support of top management.
With proper planning, public relations professionals can indeed defend and account for their actions.
Setting objectives, formulating strategies, and planning are essential if the public relations function is to be considered equal in stature to other management processes.
Public Relations management process are:
1. Defining the problem or opportunity
2. Programming
3. Action
4. Evaluation

IV. Creating the Public Relations Plan:
Executive summary
Background
Situation analysis
Message statement
Audiences
Key audience messages
Implementation
Budget
Monitoring and evaluation.

V. Activation the Public Relations Campaign:
Typical public relations campaign plan:
Backgrounding the problem
Preparing the proposal
Implementing the plan
Evaluation the campaign.

VI. Setting Public Relations Objectives:
Do they clearly
Describe the end result expected?
Are they understandable to everyone in the organization?
Do they list a firm completion date?
Are they realistic, attainable, and measurable?
Are they consistent with management’s objectives?

VII. Budgeting for Public Relations:
The key to budgeting may lie in performing two steps:
Estimating the extent of the resources
Estimating the cost and availability of those resources.

VIII. Implementing Public Relations Programs:
Media relations
Internal communications
Government relations and public affairs
Community relations
Investor relations
Consumer relations
Public relations research
Public relations writing
Special public relations
Institutional advertising
Graphics
Web site management
Philanthropy
Special events
Management counselling;

IX. The Public Relations Department:
Department range from one-person operations to far-flung networks of hundreds of people.

The Public Relations Agency:
An agency has the added advantage of not being taken for granted by a firm’s management.

X. Reputation Management:
Helping to manage an organization’s reputation, that is, its brand, position, goodwill or image.
An organizatin reputation is composed of two elements:
1. The more “rational” products and performance
2. The more emotional “behavioral” factors.

XI. Where are the Jobs?
The future of the practice of public relations promises to be steady and strong.

XII. What does it pay?

XIII. Women and Minorities:
Today women who predominate the public relations work

Outline: Public Opinion

Amal El Yahcoubi
Com 4310 Public Relations
Dr. Ibahrine

Chapter4: Public Opinion

I. What is Public Opinion?
“It is the aggregate of many individual opinions on a particular issue that affects a group of people”

II. What are Attitudes?
Attitudes are based on a number of characteristics:
Personal
Cultural
Educational
Familial
Religious
Social class
Race

III. How are Attitudes Influenced?
-Strictly speaking, attitudes are positive, negative, or nonexistent.
-A person is for something, against it, or neutral.

IV. Motivating Attitude Change:
-Maslow postulated a five-level hierarchy that helps define the origins of motivation:
The lowest order is physiological needs
The second level is safety needs
The third level is love needs
The fourth level is esteem
The highest order is self-actualization

V. Power of Persuasion
“According to classic persuasion theory, people may be f two minds in order to be persuaded to believe in a particular position”:
- “Systemeyic” mode
- “Heuristic” mode.

What kinds of “evidence” will persuade?
Facts
Emotions
Personalizing
Appealing to “you”

VI. Influencing Public Opinion:
- Opinion is highly sensitive to important events
-Opinion is generally determined more by events that by words, unless those words are themselves interpreted as an event
-Ay critical times, people become more sensitive to the adequacy of their leadership.
-Once self-interest is involved, opinions are slow t change
-People have more opinions and are able to form opinions more easily on goals than on methods to reach those goals
-By and large, if people in a democracy are provided with educational opportunities and ready access to information, public opinion reveals a hard headed common sense.

VII. Polishing the Corporate Image:
Most organizations today understand:
- Corporate image is a fragil commodity
-To improve the image they must operate with the “implicit trust”

VIII. Managing Reputation:
Its value to an organization is indisputable.

Detailed Outline: What is Public Relations, Anyway?

Amal El Yahcoubi
Com 4310 Public Relations
Dr. Ibahrine

Chapter1: What is Public Relations, Anyway?


I. Prominence of Public Relations:
Five Trends are related to the evolution of Public Relation:
1. Growth of the big institutions
2. Increasing incidence of change, conflict and confrontation in Society
3. Sophistication of people worldwide as a result of technological innovation in communication
4. Growing power of public opinion in this new century
5. Expontial growth of internet based communication

What is Public Relations?
“It is a planed process to influence public opinion, through sound character and proper performance, based on mutually satisfactory two-way communication.”

II. Planned Process to Influence Public Opinion:
1) Research
2) Action
3) Communication
4) Evaluation

Professor Sharpe applies five principles to the public Relations process:
1. Honest communication for credibility
2. Openness and consistency of actions for confidence
3. Fairness of actions for reciprocity and goodwill
4. Continuous two-way communication to prevent alienation and to build relationships
5. Environmental research and evaluation to determine the actions or adjustments needed for social harmony.

III. Public Relations as Management Interpreter
Good public relations can’t be practiced in a vacuum. No matter what the size of the organization, a public relations department in only as good as its access to management.

IV. Public Relations as Public Interpreter
Interpreting the public to management means finding out what the public really thinks about the firm and letting management know.

Publics can be classified into several overlapping categories:
Internal and external
Primary, secondary, and marginal
Traditional and future
Proponents, opponents, and the uncommitted

V. The Functions of Public Relations:
Writing
Media Relations
Planning
Counselling
Publicity
Marketing Communication
Community Relations
Consumer Relations
Employee Relations
Government Affaires
Investor Relations
Special Public Relations
Public affairs and issues management
Web site development and web interface

VI. The Curse of “Spin”
Definition of Spin:
“The distinctive interpretation of an issue or action to sway public opinion, as in putting a positive slant on a negative story”

VII. What Manner of Man or Woman?
Characteristics for a successful public relations career:
Diversity
Performance
Communication Skills
Relationship building
Proactively and passion
Timeliness
Intangibles, such as personality, likeability, and chemistry.

Six Important technical skills :
Knowledge of the field
Communications knowledge
Technological knowledge
Current events knowledge
Business Knowledge
Management Knowledge.

Effective public relations practitioners must process, the following six requisites are imperative:
Pro communications
Advocacy
Counselling orientation
Ethics
Willingness to take risks
Positive outlook

Outline:What is Public Relations, Anyway?

Amal El Yahcoubi
Com 4310 Public Relations
Dr. Ibahrine

Chapter1: What is Public Relations, Anyway?


I. Prominence of Public Relations
What is Public Relations?
“It is a planed process to influence public opinion, through sound character and proper performance, based on mutually satisfactory two-way communication.”

II. Planned Process to Influence Public Opinion
1) Research
2) Action
3) Communication
4) Evaluation

III. Public Relations as Management Interpreter

IV. Public Relations as Public Interpreter
Publics can be classified into several overlapping categories:
Internal and external
Primary, secondary, and marginal
Traditional and future
Proponents, opponents, and the uncommitted

V. The Functions of Public Relations
Writing
Media Relations
Planning
Counselling
Publicity
Marketing Communication
Community Relations
Consumer Relations
Employee Relations
Government Affaires
Investor Relations
Special Public Relations
Public affairs and issues management
Web site development and web interface

VI. The Curse of “Spin”

VII. What Manner of Man or Woman?
Characteristics for a successful public relations career:
1) Diversity
2) Performance
3) Communication Skills
4) Relationship building
5) Proactively and passion
6) Timeliness
7) Intangibles, such as personality, likeability, and chemistry