Tipsheet is a new biweekly feature providing actionable advice
in an easy-to-read use, "clippable" format.
If you need a strategic primer on a certain PR topic, consider
Tipsheet your invaluable "cheat sheet."
Research and measurement of PR outcomes continue to grow in
importance as we head into 2003 with a business environment that
looks drearily familiar. In this first installment of Tipsheet, we
bring you tips and tactics for sound research and measurement from
two leaders in the field: Katie Paine, president of KDPaine &
Partners and chair of the IPR commission on research and
evaluation; and Mark Weiner, CEO of Delahaye Medialink.
Pre-campaign research is every bit as important as post-campaign
measurement - and may just be the key to getting the post-campaign
results you and senior management want to see. Paine advises PR
professionals to use the "Seven Ws" :
Seven Ws of Pre-Campaign Research
- Who are your audiences - what are the demographics and
psychographics? - What issues are important to them?
- What are they seeing now?
- Where do they go for information?
- What do they think about you now?
- What do you want them to do/think/say/write?
- What do you need to do about it?
Weiner counsels clients to take a fresh look at their PR
initiatives in light of today's business challenges and always
demonstrate PR ROI:
Considerations Before Your Next PR Activity
- Consider new external information regarding target audience
trends (including customers, media) in light of competitors'
activities - Consider new internal information - budgets, staffing and
organizational priorities (are your PR plans in line with those
priorities? - Do you have the budget and staff to implement your PR
activities or do you need to scale back activities that aren't
mission-critical? - Reassess your strategy vs. your execution - are you targeting
the right audiences and are your messages salient to those
audiences?
Finally, before you implement your campaign, learn from "the
enemy": take a careful look at what your competitors have done and
compare it to what you are planning:
Learn from the Competition
- First, determine who your competition is - think beyond the
"usual suspects" - Analyze competitors' performance in the media vs. your own
- Examine competitors' messages and strategies
- Assess your ability to adapt to or adopt from competitors'
successes - Learn from competitors' failures
(Sources: Katie Paine, [email protected]; Mark Weiner,
[email protected];
IPR Web site, http://www.instituteforpr.com)
Have a list of tips or tactics you'd like to share with other PR
professionals? We're open to strategies on a wide range of PR
topics.
Send an email to [email protected] including
the "tipsheet." Or, call Peggy Stuntz at 301/354-1762 to propose an
idea.