Formative Research

Analyzing the Situation, Organization

and Public
Formative Research –Process 1
 Avoid ‘shooting in the dark’
 Preliminary work of communication
planning:
 Gather information
 Analyze the situation
 Understanding context/ relevance
 Making wise decisions
To keep in mind
 Information obtained helps planning
 Professional judgment (experience
and expertise) remains the strongest
resource
Ways to conduct research
 Casual research – be a detective
 Recollect what is already know
 Brainstorm or interview clients, colleagues and
other individuals with experience and expertise
 Secondary research
 Look for existing information (organization files,
library search, similar cases in the Internet, etc.)
 Primary research
 When time permits, conduct applied research
techniques (surveys, focus groups, and content
analysis)
Analyzing the situation
 Crisis vs opportunity, how can an
organization make choices to
overcome
 Lead to a common understanding of
the issue before adequately
addressed
 Develop options in responding to the
situation
Issues Management vs Crisis
Management
Issues Management
 A process to anticipate emerging issues and
respond to them before they get out of
hand
 Involves potential change
 Approach: benchmarking

Crisis Management
 A process to deal with out of control issues
 Involves getting out of a situation
 Approach: reactive
Strategic approach to crisis
management
 Principle of existing relations
 Principle of media as ally
 Principle of reputational priorities
 Principle of quick response
 Principle of full disclosure
 Principle of one voice
Ethical aspects to consider
 Deontological
Rooted in a standard or moral code
 Teleological
Impact that actions have on people
Produces good consequences
 Ethical relativism
Reflect particular social norms
Basic planning questions
 What is the situation facing the
organization?
 What is the background of the
situation?
 What is the significance or
importance of the situation?
Expanded planning situation
Existing information
 Background on the issue
 Consequences of the situation
 Resolution of the situation

Research program
 What is the basis and accuracy of existing
information?
 How appropriate to conduct addt’l research?
 What information needs to be obtained?
Analyzing the Organization
Performance Visibility

Niche
Structure
Public
Internal
Perceptions
environment
Internal
impediments
Reputation

Supporters
External
environment
Competition
External
Opposition impediments
Analyzing the Organization
 Internal environment
 Performance: quality of goods and services, viability
of causes and ideas it espouses
 Niche: specialty, function/role it differs
 Structure: review of purpose or mission of the
organization, role within the organization
 Internal impediments: obstacles or limitations within
the organization

 Public perception
 Visibility: the extent to which the organization is
known
 Reputation: how people evaluate the information
they have
Analyzing the Organization
 External environment
 Supporters
People/groups who currently or at least potentially are
likely to help the organization
 Competition
Organization(s) that provide(s) similar goods/services
 Opposition
Organization/group that is fighting/against the organization
 External impediments
Social, political or economic factors interfering with the
organization’s ability to address the situation
Basic planning questions
 What is the quality of your
organization’s performance

 What communication resources,

including budget, are available?

 How supportive is the organization of

public relations activity?
Expanded planning situation
Existing Information
 Performance
 Structure
 Internal impediments

Research program
 What is the basis and accuracy of existing
information?
 How appropriate to conduct addt’l
research?
 What information needs to be obtained?
Analyzing the Public
 Public
 a group of people that shares a common interest vis-
à-vis an organization
 Publics
 Not selected, must be dealt with
 Homogeneous, similar in interests and characteristics
 Exist because of the interaction and interdependency
with an organization or face a common issue
 Markets
 Chosen, shared interest and common values
 Have characteristics that help the organization’s
bottom line
 Audiences
 People who pay attention to a particular medium of
communication and receive messages through it
Characteristics of a Public
 A public is distinguishable
 A public is homogeneous
 A public is important to your
organization
 A public is large enough to matter
 A public is reachable
 Categories of publics

Current Potential Financers Personnel

Customers Producers
Shadow
Constituents Suppliers

Secondary
Customers
Publics
Opinion
Competitors leaders
Allies

Opponents Hostile
Limiters Media Enablers Regulators
Forces
Key Publics, Intercessory Publics
and Opinion Leaders
 Key Publics
Identified as specific publics that are most
important to the communication
program/campaign
 Intercessory Publics
Publics that serve as an influential bridge
between an organization and its public
 Opinion Leaders
Independent. Has the respect and confidence
from the public, generate word-of-mouth
support
Analyzing Key Publics
 Stages of development:
 Non public: does not share issues with the
organization, no consequences exist
 Latent public: shares an issue with the
organization, but does not recognize the
situation or its potential
 Apathetic public: faces an issue, know it, and
simply doesn’t care
 Aware public: recognizes it shares an issue and
perceives the consequences as being relevant,
but not recognized to discuss and act on the
issue
 Active public: discusses and acts on the shared
issue
Analyzing Key Publics
 Public relations situation
Asses the public wants, needs, interest and
expectations related to the issue
 Organization
Consider relationship of the public to the organization
 Communication
Study the public’s communication habit & channels
 Demographics
Find out relevant information about the public
 Personality preferences
Consider psychological and temperament of the public
Basic planning questions
 Who are the major publics for your
organization?

 Who are the key publics for this

situation?

 Who are the intercessory publics or

major opinion leaders?
Expanded planning situation
Existing Information
 Customers
 Producers
 Enablers
 Limiters
 Intercessory Publics and Opinion Leaders

Research program
 What is the basis and accuracy of existing
information?
 How appropriate to conduct addt’l research?
 What information needs to be obtained?