RPIE -- Research -- Situational analysis -- Problem statement

Research (or information gathering) process

(From Study Guide, p. 23). Information gathering usually begins with an analysis of relevant secondary sources. Sometimes that's all you have time and money to do. The key considerations when determining the scope of research are 1) What do you need to find out; and 2) How you plan to use the research results. While secondary research may be enough in some situations, primary research usually is need to establish benchmarks for assessing specific later outcomes.

Five aspects of plan implementation (MAMNT)

1) Messages through each communication channel; 2) Actions taken as part of the plan 3) Monitor the results of actions/messages. Keeping track of program milestones 4) Number of people involved 5) Timetables, budget allocation, accountability (who is making sure each step is completed)

Three types of objectives

1) Outputs 2) Process 3) Outcome

Objectives are SMART

1) Specific (in terms of action taken and public involved); 2) Measureable; 3) Achievable; 4) Realistic; and 5) Time-specific

Evaluation (CMAID)

1. Collect data for use in research phase of the next program 2. Measure effectiveness against objectives. Behavioral change often is considered the ultimate example of public relations effectiveness. Social and/or cultural changes also show high public relations impact. 3. Adjust program, messages, activities before going forward 4. Identify ways to improve 5. Determine how members of each public interpreted messages.

Evaluation (uses, and how to link to public)

1. Evaluation of success depends on the quality of objectives 2. Outtakes, outputs and outcomes. Outtakes and outputs are measures of execution and strategy. Outcomes are measures of achieving objectives. 3. Every objective should include a statement of how its accomplishment will be measured 4. Evaluation helps in 3 ways a. verifies if public relations program was effective b. demonstrates the ROI of public relations c. provides information for refining future public relations strategies 5. Measurement should be included in the plan and budget

Planning elements (5)

1. Goals 2. Publics 3. Objectives 4. Strategies 5. Tactics

Nine principles for developing messages/selecting spokesperson

1. Message aligns with organizational goals 2. Message furthers program goals 3. Spokesperson must be credible and likeable 4. Ethical (honesty, accuracy, fairness, full disclosure) 5. Loyalty to employer 6. In the public interest 7. Builds relationshipsi9 8. Key public's needs 9. Key public's perceptions of threats

Informal research methods (10 examples)

1. Personal contact and observation 2. Key informants 3. Focus groups 4. Community forums 5. Advisory committees and boards 6. ombudsman or ombuds officer 7. call-in telephone lines 8. mail and email analysis 9. social media and other online sources 10. field reports

Formal research methods (3)

1. Secondary analysis. Using data collected by someone else. (Example: U.S. Census bureau data, data collected by commercial polling firms, online databases) 2. Content analysis. The application of systematic procedures for objectively determining what is being reported in the media. Commercial services such as Cision long have been used as the basis for content analysis. Content analysis only measures what is printed/broadcast, not what is said/heard. Also doesn't measure what the audience learned or if they believed the message. It does provide insidght on what will be on the public agenda in the future. 3. Surveys. Systematic queries of subsets of the population under study. Many types, but online is increasingly popular. a. mailed survey (traditional). b. in-person surveys c. telephone surveys (sometimes computer-assisted telephone interview, or interactive-voice response survey) d. online surveys. *Surveymonkey and zoomerang offer free downloadable sample survey questionnaires available for customizing. e. cross-sectional vs. trend or panel. Cross-sectional samples a population over a single point in time. Trend tracks the same respondents over time; panel tracks different samples from the same population over time.

Budget considerations (three basic; SOM)

1. Staff time 2. Out-of-pocket expenses (printing, web design, web hosting) 3. Materials

Tactics (five ways to determine most appropriate; TRALM

1. Timetable and resources 2. ROI 3. Ability to reach publics to achieve objectives 4. Legal and ethical 5. Multiple methods to reinforce message

Research considerations (2)

1. What do you need to find out? 2. What will you do with the results?

Research as it relates to defining publics (3 questions)

1. Who do we want to reach? 2. What do we want people in each public to do? 3. What messages do we want to communicate? (Is the goal to increase knowledge/change opinions/encourage a behavior?)

Scientific method

A method of procedure consisting in systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses. (dictionary)

Publics

A public is a group that is bound together by a common element. Before planning, key publics need to be defined. Objectives need to state which publics a strategies is designed to reach.

Situation analysis

All background information detailing the problem statement. This includes internal and external factors. Internal factors include an organization's policies, procedures and actions related to the problem. Another internal factor is a communications audit, which is a review of an organization's communication efforts to understand how it communicates with the public. External factors include the history of the problem outside the organization and the stakeholders involved. Stakeholder analysis is the process of identifying who is affected in a situation. Situation analysis can be expressed as a SWOT analysis (organizational Strengths and Weaknesses, as well as Opportunities and Threats in the external environment).

Objectives

An objective focuses on a shorter term than goals. Objectives are written after all research is completed on key publics. Objectives define: 1) What opinion, attitude or behavior you want from specific publics; 2) specify how much change you want to achieve from each public; and 3) when you want to achieve that change.

SWOT analysis

Analysis of internal and external factors of a problem. S is strengths (internal, meaning organizational); W is weaknesses (internal/organizational); Opportunities (external); Threats (external). Strategic implications: Strategies can be SO (use organizational strengths to take advantages of opportunities in the external environment); ST (use organizational strengths to counter threats in the environment); WO (minimize organizational weaknesses to take advantage of opportunities in the external environment); and WT (minimize organizational weaknesses and external threats)

Summative research

Assesses outcomes at the end of the program, may become formative research, establishing benchmarks for the next program

Informal research

Can be used to explore problems but can't be extrapolated to a larger population. Informal research methods dominate public relations research. (EPR, p. 274)

Situation analysis process

Cyclical process beginning with a tentative problem statement, followed by investigation of the situation, which leads to a redefining of the problem definition. Process continues for the duration of the program (Strategies and Tactics, EPR, page 272)

Secondary research

Data that was collected by someone else. Examples: reference books, computer databases, online searches, digital analysis of websites and social media platforms. (Strategies and Tactics, page 155)

Barcelona principles

Established in 2010, updated in 2015 1. Quantitative and qualitative methods should be used to measure 2. AVEs are not the value of communication 3. Goals and measurement are essential to public relations 4. Outcomes are recommended over outputs (measuring of) 5. Social media should be measured consistently with other communication channels 6. Transparent, consistent and valid (measurement should be) 7. Organizational performance should be measured

Implementation

Executing the plan and communicating

Action strategies

Focus on an organization's internal changes

Formal research

Formal research gathers information on an entire group (a census), or a scientifically representative portion of a group (a sample). Formal research uses the principles of scientific investigation, such as the rules of random sampling in surveys, to replicate results.If a sample is used, and it is a true random sample, results can be projected to a larger universe.

Goals

Goals are long-term, broad, global and future states of being. May include how an organization is uniquely distinguished in the minds of its key publics. Example: to be the recognized leader in our industry and to foster continuing public support.

Prioritizing publics

In planning phase, you identify publics. Ask whether a public can help or hinder your organization in reaching its goals and objectives. Also ask if the public can hurt your organization. (Study guide, page 26)

Process objectives

Inform or educate publics

Output objectives

Measure work done (i.e., issue 10 press releases this month), but does not measure the effectiveness of a campaign. Use is discouraged under the Barcelona Principles.

Primary research

New and original information generated through a research project and directed to answer a specific question. (Strategies and Tactics, page 153)

Qualitative research

Non-numerical research to seek insights. Example: Professional conducts focus group or interviews (also primary); or professional carefully reads news coverage or transcripts (also secondary). -- Strategies and Tactics, p. 154

Quantitative research

Numerically based research with larger samples of respondents. Example: professional conducts a large, national survey (also formal); or professional analyzes statistical data from a general social survey (also secondary)

Stakeholder analysis

Part of the situation analysis process. It's one of the external factors considered in a situation analysis. It's identifying who is involved and affected by the problem. How much do they use info in the problem situation? What kind of information do they want? How do they use the information? What predicts information use (how do they see themselves involved)?

Communications audit

Part of the situation analysis process. It's one of the internal factors considered in a situation analysis. It is the systematic documentation of an organization's communication efforts to understand how it communicates with the public.

Problem definiton

Problem definition begins with someone making a value judgement that something is wrong, could go wrong or could be better. Organizational vision and missions statements provide criteria for making that judgement. Goal states help determine when and if a real problem exists.

Formative research

Provides background on the current situation, guides planning, signals need for adjustments. Happens in Step 1 and 2 of four-step process

Public relations program failure

Public relations programs fail for at least four reasons (IROS) 1) People interpreted messages differently than you expected 2) People didn't receive the information or sought information elsewhere. 3) Objective information/counterarguments cannot always overcome established opinions 4) People seek information that supports their beliefs. As a result, they may reject or avoid your message.

Tactics

Specific elements of a strategy or tools for accomplishing a strategy. Examples include news releases, social media dissemination, meetings, community events

Outcome objectives

Specify changes in SOBA: support, opinion, behavior, awareness. Requires high-level thinking: changes must support organizational goals and demonstrate public relations effectiveness to management.

Planning

Step two in the RPIE process. At this point, you determine goals, publics, objectives, strategies and tactics

Strategies

Strategies are the roadmap to achieving objectives. Strategies describe how to reach your objectives. (Ex. "enlist community influentials to..." "accelerate involvement with..." "position the company as..." There are communications strategies, which target publics for change; and there are action strategies, which focus on an organization's internal changes.

Strategies (examples)

Strategies describe how you reach objectives. Examples: use of social media, media relations, public engagement. Not a strategy: scheduling a news conference, sending a press release (those are tactics)

Problem statement

Summarizes the problem. Written in the present tense, includes who/what/where/when/why and how. Does not assign blame or suggest solutions.

Research

Systematic gathering of info to understand a situation, publics and public relations consequences. The foundation of RPIE. Helps define the problem and the public. From EPR, page 285: research initiates, monitors and concludes the problem solving process.

Communications strategies

Target publics for change

Activities (tactical activities)

The details of tactics (for example, six meetings, four publications, three blog posts, one tweet per date). Activities have dates, indicate who is in charge, attendance and what outcome is expected.

Research, or information gathering, process

The information gathering process often begins with an analysis of relevant secondary sources. The key factors in determining the scope of the research are: 1) What do you want to find out; and 2) How will you use the research results? Primary research eventually may be needed to set benchmarks to assess later outcomes.