CHAPTER 5
RESEARCH:
UNDERSTANDING
PUBLIC OPINION
Presented by Group 3
07
TABLE
OF
CONTENT
Case study
THE NEED FOR RESEARCH IN
PUBLIC RELATIONS FUNCTION
Research
A vital function in the process of public relations
+ Provide the initial information necessary to plan public relations actions
+ Perform the important role of evaluating its effectiveness
Issues management - Research
A major part of public relations practice, must be informed at every stage by research
data
+ Identification issue
+ Scan environment
+ Analysis on the nest approach to be used
INTEGRATING CASE STUDY
CEDAR SPRINGS COMMUNITY HOSPITAL- SEGMENT 1
Background
the ability of
patient need
services???
What did they do? What is their findings?
Heard report from Low employee morale and
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATTION
physicians/doctors declining quality in patient
care
Physicians: Physicians:
The merger The merger
Change Change
environment structure
(More routine (Eleminate
and less duplication,
personal) more effcient)
Doctors
Physicians
THE
MERGER
TẤT CẢ LÀ TẠI THẰNG MERGER !!!
“You should mount a
campaign to make
employees more aware of
their responsibility for
providing patient care”
“It’s not enough
and need more
information in form of
secondary research”
What did they do? What is their findings?
Look into background of The hospitals formerly
the merger and the been competitors:
SECONDARY RESEARCH
relationships between Two very different
hospital employees and religious groups
medical staff
Two distinct
constituencies
Local newspaper
file
Hospital records
RELIGIOUS
GROUPS
TẤT CẢ LÀ TẠI THẰNG RELIGIOUS GROUPS !!!
Primary Research
What did they do?
A random sample of hospital employees - fill out a questionnaire about
various aspects of patient care.
Patients - a telephone survey in the same issues
What is their findings?
Hospital performance Other questions
Employee Patient Employee Patient
6.6/10 8.5/10
Informal Research
What did they do?
focus group
Informal Research
What is their feedbacks?
General patient care - Mediocre
Their specific areas The rest of the hospital
They Their departments
Their co-worker -
Helplessness and
sensed something
high level of stress
was wrong in the
and frustration
organization but
were not sure
Conclusion
COMPLEX
SITUATION
Do the campaign (suggested by physicians) without further research,
situation gotten worse
RESEARCH PROCESS
Preliminary Research Techniques
Informal research is a method of gaining an in-depth
understanding of an audience without the rigor of a more formal,
scientific method.
Preliminary research.
Record Keeping
Key contacts
Focus group
Casual Monitoring
The internet, Library and Database Sources
Record Keeping
Importance of record keeping
One of the most important skills necessary for public relations.
(comprehensive and accurate)
Practitioners: produce critical information at the moment’s notice ->
in/outside organization
When calling for information -> produce the needed data within a
relatively short time -> develop a network of internal and external
contacts (as a source of valuable information)
Technology use
Databases enable efficient information storage and retrieval.
Professionals must be proficient in technology and information retrieval.
Ensuring data quality (GIGO principle).
Key Contacts
Individuals who are opinion leaders in the community,
industry, or organization act as key contacts.
People who possess special knowledge or communicate
frequently with significant publics -> good resources
Although each person can give valuable information,
they may not represent the majority opinion.
For example: Feedback of doctors/physicians in case study
Cedar Spring.
Special Committees
Purpose of Special Committees Composition of Committees
Gather necessary information. Key communicators.
Identify issues before they become problems. Decision makers.
Suggest alternative courses of action. Opinion leaders.
Forms of Committees
Temporary (for a specific campaign).
Permanent (with periodic member replacement).
Focus Group
Definition & Purpose Advantages
Focus groups involve a small group of people
They offer in-depth understanding of opinions
sharing similar demographics, interviewed
and motivations.
using open-ended questions to explore their
beliefs and feelings.
The process itself can be valuable, as it shows
responsiveness to the public.
They provide qualitative data and insights into
nonverbal communication.
Case study: Hospital Cedar Springs
Limitations Applications
Results cannot be generalized to a larger Preliminary research to gather information before surveys.
population. Testing communication materials (e.g., commercials).
Understanding specific demographics (e.g., female students).
They may not provide sufficient reliable Supplementing survey data by providing deeper explanations.
information on their own.
Casual Motoring
Regular screening of incoming materials.
Monitoring news reports (print and broadcast).
Tracking online information (chatrooms, newsgroups, websites).
Analyzing mail, calls, and sales reports.
Limitations due to non-representative samples.
The Internet - Library & Database Sources
Internet:
Company websites, government databases, search engines (Yahoo!), specialized
databases (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, EDGAR).
Libraries:
Public and private libraries, reference librarians, computerized data retrieval,
government depositories.
Publications:
Media guides, trade journals, professional journals, reference books.
Directories:
America's Corporate Families, Dun and Bradstreet directories, Hoover's
Handbook, Moody's Manual, Standard and Poor's Register, Thomas Register,
Fortune Magazine directories, Black Enterprise Magazine's "Top 100".
Image of Directories
FORMAL- SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH TECHNIQUES
Formal research is becoming increasingly crucial in PR
A study by Walter K. Lindermann surveyed 252 PR professionals
to understand their preferred researcher techniques
Launch secondary sources before primary research avoid ask
questions that interviewee answered before.
Content Analysis
Research method to quantify verbal content of messages
Systematic observation (e.g., news clippings, chatrooms, newsgroups).
Analysis of competitor publications for strategic plans.
Survey Research
The survey method is the most common research process in public relations.
Purpose: Surveys are used to assess the characteristics of publics for planning and evaluating
public relations efforts. They help in separating publics, not grouping them together.
A survey involves examining the knowledge, perception, attitudes, and opinions of members of
various publics.
Data Types: Survey data is divided into demographic (age, sex, occupation) and opinion data
(responses about attitudes and perceptions).
Experimental Research
Experimental Research Defined: Two categories: laboratory and field.
Laboratory Experiments: Controlled environments, high purity, potentially low authenticity.
Field Experiments: Real-world settings, high authenticity, potentially low purity.
Examples:
Public Relations Uses:
Church foundation testing brochure.
U.S. government pretesting PSAs.
Pretesting messages (laboratory or field).
U.S. Department of Energy energy-saving
campaign field test.
Evaluating campaign effectiveness (field).
FREQUENCY: Field experiments are common in
public relations; laboratory experiments are less so.
COLLECTING FORMAL RESEARCH DATA
Descriptive and Inferential Methods
Descriptive Data:
Describes specific groups.
Uses descriptive statistics (averages, percentages).
Example: Employee demographic profiles.
Inferential Data:
Infers characteristics of larger populations.
Uses sampling and inferential statistics.
Example: Generalizing about consumer groups.
Sampling Importance:
Highlights the role of sampling in inferential data.
Methods for Obtaining Information
Observations
Interviews
Questionnaires
Interviews
Observations
Effective for eliciting information.
Potential for misuse due to informality.
Structured vs. unstructured.
Personal bias limitations.
Interviewer bias.
Structured observations: reliable but costly.
Need for trained interviewers.
Web Questionnaires
Questionnaires:
Most common, stable, inexpensive.
Unbiased design is crucial.
Measure knowledge, attitudes, opinions,
Mail, web, or in-person.
demographics.
Considerations Mail/Web Personal/Phone
Budget Anonymity Flexible
Purpose Uniform stimulus Higher response rate
Subjects Low response rate Expensive
Sampling Methods
Sampling is essential in public relations research.
Probability theory ensures representative samples.
Simple random sampling: equal chance of selection.
Systematic sampling: uses lists and intervals.
Random sampling is the most effective.
Data input is very important.
3. MEASURING
PUBLIC OPINION
MASS OPINION PUBLIC OPINION
represents an average carefully targeted
taken from a group with populations
many different opinions
reflects accurately the
averages tend to blur the feelings of each signifi
strength of some cant audience group
attitudes
provides some insight
useful for little into why these opinions
are held.
Mass opinion
Realistic analysis
EXAMPLES 1
Mass opinion
Realistic analysis
EXAMPLE 2
Associations for
People suffer
Consumers environmental
by pollution
conservation
EXAMPLE 3
Philanthropist Aware public Netizens
EXAMPLES 4
IDENTIFYING
PUBLIC
Latent Public
Aware Public
Active Public
MEASURING
PUBLIC OPINION
Environmental Environmental
Monitoring Scanning
Use formal systems for the monitoring,
observing trends and evaluating, and
changes in public disseminating of
opinion information to key
decision makers
Issues management,
discussed earlier, plan
strategic( policy)
EXAMPLE 1
Microsoft
closely
monitors public
discussions
about artificial
intelligence (AI)
EXAMPLE 2
Coca- Cola
Monitoring
health and
packaging
debates
EXAMPLE 3
Vinamilk
succeeds in
applying
environmental
scanning
method
EXAMPLE 4
Coca-Cola
succeeds in
applying
environmental
scanning
method
SPECIAL PUBLIC RELATIONS
RESEARCH TECHNIQUES
1.The public relations
audit
2. The communication
audit
3. The social audit
PUBLIC RELATIONS
AUDIT
is a large-scale study aimed at assessing the state of
public relations of an organization, both internally and
externally.
The main goal of this audit is to determine the
organization’s image in the eyes of the public and
plan for future improvements in its public relations
(PR) strategy.
RELEVANT Internal Publics:
PUBLICS Employees,
shareholders, suppliers,
customers.
External Publics
Environmental activist
groups, local
communities, social
organizations.
STRATEGIC
IMPACT:
Identifying the right public groups helps
businesses tailor their communication messages
more effectively.
Overlooking an important public group may lead
to communication crises or loss of public trust.
EXAMPLES:
Starbucks launched a campaign to
reduce plastic straw usage after
receiving feedback from
environmental organizations and
customers about the negative impact
of plastic waste on oceans.
=> This improved its environmentally
friendly brand image.
THE ORGANIZATION’S
STANDING WITH PUBLICS
Organizations use public opinion research, media content
analysis, and social media monitoring to measure their
reputation.
Helps businesses understand how their
brand is perceived by the public.
Strategic
Impact Identifies communication gaps to
address them proactively.
EXAMPLES:
Nike launches “Dream Crazy” ad
campaign featuring former American
football player Colin Kaepernick, who
became famous for kneeling during
flag ceremonies to protest racial
injustice.
ISSUES OF CONCERN
TO PUBLICS
Organizations monitor trends and issues that
matter to the public to develop appropriate
strategies.
Strategic Impact:
Anticipates potential risks and prevents
communication crises.
Adjusts PR campaigns to align with public
values and expectations.
EXAMPLES:
McDonald's recognized a growing
preference for healthy eating, leading
them to introduce salads and healthy
food options while using eco-friendly
packaging to attract environmentally
conscious customers.
POWER OF
PUBLICS
Organizations evaluate public groups based on their
economic and political scale to determine their level of
influence.
Strategic Impact:
Understanding the power of different public groups
helps organizations allocate resources and
communication strategies appropriately.
Highly influential public groups can determine the
success or failure of a PR campaign.
EXAMPLES:
Tesla pays attention to environmental activist groups since they
influence electric vehicle policies. If these groups oppose a new
production project due to environmental concerns, Tesla may
need to adjust its plans or collaborate with organizations to
address their concerns.
PUBLIC RELATIONS AUDIT
PROCESS BY JOYCE F. JONES
Step 1: Understanding the Company’s Perspective
Interview senior and mid-level management to identify
strengths, weaknesses, and key public groups.
Step 2: Understanding the Public’s Perspective
Analyze customer feedback, conduct community opinion surveys,
and monitor media and social networks.
Step 3: Assessing the Gap
Create a report analyzing the differences between internal and
public perceptions of the brand.
Step 4: Strategy Recommendation
Develop a PR plan to bridge the gap between these perspectives
and adjust public relations campaigns accordingly.
ORGANIZATIONAL
IMAGE SURVEYS
Purpose of Organizational Image Surveys
Assess public recognition of the organization,
leadership, products, and policies.
Identify positive and negative public opinions
about the organization.
Understand attributes the public associates with
the organization.
EXAMPLE:
Boeing conducted surveys following the 737
MAX plane crash incidents (2018, 2019) to
evaluate public trust in the brand.
APPLICATIONS OF
ORGANIZATIONAL Organizations use surveys to
compare their current image
IMAGE SURVEYS with their desired image. If
discrepancies exist, they
develop strategies to improve
public perception.
Example
Coca-Cola was criticized for
using non-environmentally
friendly plastic. After
conducting surveys, it launched
the "World Without Waste"
campaign, pledging to recycle
100% of its packaging by 2030.
COMMUNICATION
AUDIT
A Communication Audit assesses and measures the
effectiveness of an organization’s communication system.
Do employees receive the necessary information?
Is the information clear and useful?
Which communication methods are preferred (email,
face-to-face meetings, etc.)?
COMMUNICATION
AUDIT
KEY METHODS IN
COMMUNICATION AUDITS
1. Communication Climate Surveys
Evaluate the openness,
completeness, and effectiveness of
communication channels.
Ask employees or customers if the
information they receive is sufficient
and accurate.
KEY METHODS IN
COMMUNICATION
AUDITS
2. Network Analysis
Identifies key communicators within an organization and
examines whether communication follows the official
hierarchy.
Detect discrepancies between theory (the formal organization)
and reality (who actually holds the important information).
KEY METHODS IN
COMMUNICATION
AUDITS
3. Readership surveys
Identify which parts of your communication content are most
relevant to your employees or customers.
=> Then optimize your content to increase engagement.
KEY METHODS IN
COMMUNICATION
AUDITS
4. Content analysis
Measures the positivity or negativity of messages in internal
and external communications. Often used to analyze press,
social media, and internal messages.
KEY METHODS IN
COMMUNICATION
AUDITS
5. Readability studies
Assess whether the information is easy to understand by
measuring the complexity of the text.
Ensure that the communication content is appropriate for the
reading level of the target audience.
USABILITY
RESEARCH
The process of evaluating the understandability,
usability, and effectiveness of messages, media
platforms.
Ensure that messages are delivered correctly,
reach the right audience, and have the desired
impact.
EXAMPLE
Apps like Facebook,
Instagram,... often have beta
versions to test the software
before the official launch
USABILITY
RESEARCH
PR effort to include the design of
Widespread internet Web-based materials
use
Evaluating online messages for
Evaluation usability in addition to other
criteria communication standards
First technique was applied to product
Efficiency and software development
=> Help assess both the objective and
subjective responses of users to Web
sites.
The origin Definition
Social audits are generally
In the early 1960s when businesses attitude and opinion surveys that
and other organizations were measure the perceptions of
challenged to recognize their various publics about an
obligations to society organization’s social
responsiveness
Confined to issues of social
responsibility.
SOCIAL
AUDIT
EXAMPLE:
STARBUCKS AND
CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)
Starbucks conducts surveys on customer, employee, and
community attitudes about its commitment to social responsibility:
Fair Trade Coffee Policy
EXAMPLE:
STARBUCKS AND
CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)
Starbucks conducts surveys on customer, employee, and
community attitudes about its commitment to social responsibility:
Employee satisfaction with
salary, welfares and working
environment policies.
EXAMPLE:
STARBUCKS AND
CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)
Starbucks conducts surveys on customer, employee, and
community attitudes about its commitment to social responsibility:
Customer awareness of
plastic waste reduction
program through promotion
of reusable cups.
ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLICS,
RELATIONSHIPS
Professional relationships
Personal relationships
Community relationships
ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLICS,
RELATIONSHIPS
Demand a businesslike, service-oriented
Professional relationships approach to a public
Personal relationships
Community relationships
ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLICS,
RELATIONSHIPS
Demand a businesslike, service-oriented
Professional relationships approach to a public
Depend on a perception of trust
Personal relationships
Community relationships
ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLICS,
RELATIONSHIPS
Demand a businesslike, service-oriented
Professional relationships approach to a public
Depend on a perception of trust
Personal relationships
Require a supportive and active
organization in improving the social and
Community relationships economic interests of a public
ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLICS,
RELATIONSHIPS
Demand a businesslike, service-oriented
Professional relationships approach to a public
Depend on a perception of trust
Personal relationships
Require a supportive and active
organization in improving the social and
Community relationships economic interests of a public
=> Organizations need to be clear about the relationships they are
attempting to manage with various publics
CASESTUDY:
UNIVERSITY BLOOD DRIVE
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The bloodmobile of the local nonprofit blood bank will be on campus for
donations one week next semester. they asked your university to prepare a PR
campaign for this university-wide event.
You are a member of the Public Relations Students Society of America, tasked
with conducting research before developing a campaign.
The person in charge has asked you to find answers to questions like these:
Where would you find information on blood drives, blood banks, and blood
donors?
Who are your publics?
How would you find out what they know about giving blood from experience,
or what their attitudes are about donating blood?
...
He/She required you to design a formal survey research plan to answer the
questions, including:
Who you would sample?
How many participants you would need?
How you would administer the survey?
Write the questions for the questionnaire?
Question 1: Who are your target audiences?
Answer:
The target audience can be divided into 3 main groups:
College students
Groups of students have donated blood, have not donated, are interested but undecided
Ensure diversity in terms of major, gender, age to have a rich perspective.
Lecturers & School Staff
Set an example and encourage students to participate.
Support promoting the event through the school's internal channels.
Some faculty and staff may be able to directly donate blood.
Alumni & the surrounding community
Some alumni still have a connection to the school and want to participate in meaningful
activities.
People living near the campus may also be interested in donating blood.
Question 2: What preliminary research would you use?
Answer:
Use Focus group:
Understand psychological barriers: Some people are afraid of needles,
worried about health after donating blood, or have biases.
Identify motivational factors: Find out what might motivate students to
participate, such as gifts, certificates, or health benefits.
Test communication messages: Determine which messages are most
effective in inducing action.
Identify unforeseen issues: There may be reasons why students do not
participate that the campaign did not consider.
Question 3: What sources would you use to find out
the preliminary background information?
Answer:
Students are the target audience – They provide information about
barriers and motivators of blood donation.
Previous reports or statistics on blood donations on campus – If the
school has organized blood drives in the past, we can use old data.
Question 4: What formal, or systematic,
research techniques would you need to use?
=> Using Survey research
Why?
Collect data on a large scale: Can reach a large number of students
Quantify awareness and interest: Know how many people have donated blood,
intend to donate or refuse.
Identify barriers and motivations: Understand why students participate or do not
participate in donating blood.
Provide data for decision making: Help adjust communication strategy, choose
more appropriate messages.
Survey Method
Online surveys (Google Forms, SurveyMonkey)
In-person surveys (pen and paper, short interviews)
Question 5: What kind of questions do you
need to ask?
Some questions about demographic
Student Perceptions of Blood Donation
Have you ever donated blood?
If yes, what motivated you to donate blood?
Are you interested in blood donation programs? Why?
Do you know about the health and community benefits of blood donation?
Barriers that make students hesitate to donate blood
If you have never donated blood, what makes you worried or refuse to donate blood?
(Fear of pain, health concerns, lack of time, etc.)
What information do you need to feel more secure?
What can make you change your mind and donate blood?
Appropriate communication channels
What channels do you usually receive information about events on campus?
(Facebook, Instagram, Zalo, Email, School Website, Poster, etc.)
What kind of media content do you like?
(Infographics, short videos, testimonials from friends, stories of people who need blood, etc.)
How to attract students to participate
What factors might make you more likely to donate blood?
(Gifts, certificates, health benefits, fun activities, etc.)
Are you willing to invite friends to join? If so, what group activities would you like to have?
What ideas do you have to make the blood donation program more interesting and engaging, but
still meaningful?
TERMINOLOGIES EXPLANATION
Secondary research is research from sources already produced, such as books, magazines,
newspapers, published opinion polls, Web articles, and other electronic records.
Primary research is original research. It is needed when secondary research cannot provide the
answers to the questions.
Informal research is nonscientific research or information gathering.
Formal research is scientific research.
Focus groups select from a certain characteristic(s) of your audience. Focus group research is
considered informal research.
Descriptive data are bits of information used to describe something, such as a particular group of
people. Include percentages, averages, or actual numbers to summarize the characteristics of a group
or public.
Inferential data are the result of systematic sampling of a population, and you can infer from the
sample the characteristics of the larger group.
Sample is a subset of a population that is selected to give information from which the researcher can
make inferences about the larger group.
Simple random sampling is a research gathering technique that selects a subset of the larger group,
every member of the larger group having an equal chance of being selected.
Stratified random sampling is simple random sampling within each strata or subgroup of the larger
population.
THANKS FOR
LISTENING
Practice: Familiarize yourself with the
technology and setup.
CONCLUSION
Mastering public speaking takes practice,
preparation, and a willingness to grow. By
developing key skills, engaging your audience,
and continuously improving, you can become a
confident and effective speaker.
