Journalists are increasingly wary of research proving something
beneficial only to the company that paid for it. They are right to be
so, but scepticism can go too far.
NICKY LOUTH DAVIES - MORI
'Doing objective research is a skill which few, if any, PR agencies
possess. Sampling and questionnaire design, analysis and reporting have
pitfalls that the market research industry has spent decades
understanding and avoiding. We have all seen questions that are leading,
samples that are self-selecting, analyses that are misleading - and
interpretations which are, as a result, wrong. Just as you would not use
a decorator to re-wire your home, you should not use a PR firm for
objective surveys. Ill-conceived research will damage a PR firm's
credibility. Good agencies understand proper research and evaluation
will feed into their clients' management processes, enabling them to
contribute to clients' success.'
VANESSA WRIGHT - CAMPBELL DISTILLERS
'It depends on a number of factors; the type of research - quirky vs
hard news; the research company creativity, timeliness, whether a topic
is appropriate and whether it can be linked to the brand. A crafted and
unique survey can generate excellent results, satisfying both the media
and the company. However, clarity about objectives is key. The aim
should be long-term brand-building, through a sustained approach to
revealing the character of the brand rather than immediate 'quick-hit'
coverage. Research needs to have been conducted by a recognised
authoritative company whose third-party endorsement carries weight.'
EUGENE HENDERSON - Daily Express
'The use of client-conducted research is self-serving and only goes to
convince many in the media that PROs shouldn't bother. Yet many seem to
be of the opinion that it is better to pump out an endless stream of
releases and pictures no matter what the results of the research. I'm
sure somewhere there is some market research proving that regardless of
how blindingly biased a so-called survey/poll is, it will find a home
somewhere in the news media. Perhaps the real problem lies in the
targeting of such research. Many agencies take the blanket approach.
Sadly the bin seems to await most client-backed research as I and many
in the press take the view: "Well they would say that, wouldn't
they!"'
CLAIRE SPENCER - MANNING SELVAGE & LEE
'"Three out of four women have bad hair days, according to new research
from leading shampoo brand Happy Hair Days": this is fun,
headline-grabbing research aimed at achieving column inches, while
linking the "Happy Hair Days" brand with a "good hair" solution. At the
recent IPRA Golden World Awards, seven out of 20 campaigns used this
type of research as an integral part of PR programmes. Historically this
type of research was poorly conceived and executed, due to ignorance
about sampling and methodology. The advent of planners and researchers
in PR has led to a better understanding of how to partner with research
firms to produce robust research to inform a campaign at the planning
stage and to evaluate effectiveness at the end. Research cannot just
generate news angles but it can benchmark attitudes pre-campaign and
measure shifts post campaign. I call that return on investment.'
