PR Campaigns J4-554

January 12, 2010, Margy Parker

Today’s class timeInformal presentations by teams – client

background, meeting, scope of project

Research In-depth interviewsSurvey researchFormulate a questionnaire – case study

Assignments – January 14Client Report #1

Informal presentation

•Meet with your team for 10 minutes

•Decide who will say what

•Present

--self introductions

--client background

--first client meeting

--scope of your project

• Audience observations

In-depth interviews Explore perspectives on a particular idea,

program, or situation.

Are used if people uncomfortable talking about something in front of others, or to refine a survey.

Provide much more detailed info.

Require less advance organization (than focus groups).

In-depth Interviews Not generalizable.

Requires protocol for every step.

Requires a discussion guide.

Requires consent, bow out clauses.

Interviewer bias – needs attention, caution.

In-depth interviews – How to

Ask easy questions first – according to guideline.

Then probe (“Can you elaborate, give an example, explain?”)

Allow stories and tangents to develop.

Complete when same stories/themes start to be common.

Transcripts are analyzed for concepts, themes, lines of thought.

Survey Research – Why?

Describe “what’s up” with individuals

Establish the range of attitudes

Assess needs

Guide policy formation

Support funding requests

Plan for the future

Survey Research - PitfallsBreadth, not depth

Time consuming

Subject to sampling & measurement error

Lack of control

Cannot establish causality

Response rates tanking

Effective Questions

Focus directly on the topic or issue to be measured

Are brief, clear, simple as possible

Have language that’s’ easily understood

Address the purpose of the research

Ineffective QuestionsDouble barreled, double bind

Vague

Complex

Leading or loaded

Unrealistic recall

Constructing QuestionsClosed ended

easiest to analyze

Open endedgood for detailalways include one at end

Every question needs a purpose

– why do you want to know?

Types of QuestionsResponse scale

Likert

Linear – numeric

Semantic distance

Comparative

Types of QuestionsMultiple Choice

Yes and no (never for the future)

True and false (scales used more often)

Specific traits (gender, race, income, education)

Open ended

Types of SurveysSnail Mail

Phone

Personal (Intercept) Interviews

Online

SurveyMonkey

Constant Comment

Best Practices

Identify the area(s) of interest:

Think beyond your industry

Talk to a trade association

Reference PR sites;

Marketing Profs, Marketing Sherpa, PRSA

Best Practices

Check out the competition

Check research journal studies

Interview users of other similar products or services

Assignments – January 14, 15

Client Report #1 – Background, SWOT, Project Scope

Draft (print and email due to Margy – by class)

Comments returned a.s.a.p. – by end of day

Final due to client Friday, January 15

First weekly update report, January 15