Institute for Public Relations President & CEO Frank Ovaitt presented this lecture to public relations research students at the University of Florida. Exploring the role research plays in the communications field, he discusses how standards can benefit the practice.

1. Copyright © 2014 by The Institute for Public Relations
Why Are We So Confused About Research?
Frank Ovaitt, President and CEO
frank@instituteforpr.org @FrankIPR #i4pr

2. Copyright © 2014 by The Institute for Public Relations
About the Institute
• An independent foundation dedicated to the science beneath
the art of public relations™
– Supporting PR research
– Focused on research that matters to the practice
• Not a membership-based model – supported by program
revenues and generous contributions
• All research and publications are free to the profession,
educators and students at www.instituteforpr.org
• Sign up there for free email research letter
• Find IPR group on LinkedIn

3. Copyright © 2014 by The Institute for Public Relations
Board of Trustees reflects our field
CO-CHAIR
Ken Makovsky
Makovsky
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Adele Ambrose
Merck
Tim Baxter
Standard Chartered
Bruce Berger
University of Alabama
Amy Binder
RF/Binder Partners
S. Keith Burton
Brunswick Group
Rob Clark
Medtronic
Julie Craven
Hormel Foods
Peter Debreceny
Gagen MacDonald
Tracy Faulkner
Shell Oil
Michael Fernandez
Cargill
Rob Flaherty
Ketchum
Terry Flynn
McMaster University
CO-CHAIR
Oscar Suris
Wells Fargo
Patrick Ford
Burson-Marsteller
Matt Gonring
Retired, Jackson
Gary Grates
W2O Group
Chris Graves
Ogilvy Public Relations
Mark Hass
Edelman
William Heyman
Heyman Associates
Richard Jones
Guardian Life
Mark Kaplan
Mosaic
Margery Kraus
APCO Worldwide
Brian Lott
Mubadala
Rainer Mathes
PRIME Research
Thomas Mattia
Edelman
.
TREASURER
Gary Sheffer
General Electric
Tina McCorkindale
Appalachian State Univ
Jack Modzelewski
FleishmanHillard
Juan-Carlos Molleda
University of Florida
Torod Neptune
Verizon Wireless
Douglas Pinkham
Public Affairs Council
Andrew Polansky
Weber Shandwick
Jennifer Prosek
Prosek Partners
Linda Rutherford
Southwest Airlines
James Simon
Consultant
James Spangler
Navistar
Don W. Stacks
University of Miami
Kirk Stewart
APCO Worldwide
PRESIDENT & CEO
Frank Ovaitt
Institute for Public Relations
Michael Stewart
Edelman
Patricia Stortz
AT&T
Wendi Strong
USAA
Stephen Thomas
AIA Group
Rick White
WE Energies
Donald K. Wright
Boston University
HONORARY TRUSTEES
Don Bates
Media Distribution Services
Bill Nielsen
Retired, Johnson & Johnson
Ward White
Edelman
Lou Williams
Retired, The Lou Williams
Companies

4. Copyright © 2014 by The Institute for Public Relations
Three kinds (or more?) of research*
• Research used in public relations
– To guide and evaluate communications programs
– In other words, planning research and measurement
• Research on public relations
– To understand what we do and how we do it
– Benchmarking, best practices and the business of
public relations
• Research for public relations
– Our basic research and social science underpinnings
– Often borrowed from other fields
*Props to Dr. James E Grunig

5. Copyright © 2014 by The Institute for Public Relations
IPR’s priority research topics
1. What drives choice and changes behavior?
2. Organizational communication
3. Broader context for social networking and what it means
4. Restoring reputation in an environment of extremely low
trust
5. Models to predict the probability of public relationship
outcomes
6. Broad standards platform for public relations research and
measurement

6. Copyright © 2014 by The Institute for Public Relations
Coalition for Public Relations Research Standards
David Geddes, Ph.D., Chair
www.instituteforpr.org/researchstandards/

7. Copyright © 2014 by The Institute for Public Relations
• Coalition for Public Relations Research Standards
• Social Media Measurement Standards Conclave
Who?

8. Copyright © 2014 by The Institute for Public Relations
Excellence in public relations practice is enabled
by excellence in public relations research.
Excellence in research and measurement
requires widely accepted professional standards
to ensure research and measurement are
reliable, valid and consistent.

9. Copyright © 2014 by The Institute for Public RelationsCopyright © 2014 by The Institute for Public Relations
• “We can't afford dueling
measurement systems
anymore… develop standard
definitions and metrics now or
be left behind”
• “Create a standard
measurement system across all
programs/campaigns to deliver
consistent, comparable data”
• Industry experts must take the
lead in developing standards,
but customer ultimately ordains
a standard
Customer frustration
and role in standards

10. Copyright © 2014 by The Institute for Public Relations
What we mean by standards and why
they are valuable
• A published spec
– Establishes common language
– Tech specification or other precise criteria
– Used consistently as rule or definition
• Common language for comparison, increased reliability,
greater efficiency
• Foster competition, innovation
• Better measurement raises credibility

11. Copyright © 2014 by The Institute for Public Relations
From ISO
• “A standard … provides requirements, specifications,
guidelines or characteristics that can be used
consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes
and services are fit for their purpose”
• A published spec that establishes common language
• Standards can be definitions, metrics, processes,
protocols or guidelines
• ISO examples include food safety, quality management,
corporate social responsibility, market research

12. Copyright © 2014 by The Institute for Public Relations
Our six-stage process based on ISO
recommendations
1. Proposal stage
– Identify areas where standards are needed
2. Development stage
– Technical experts draft proposed interim standards
– Posted for review to broaden, deepen, revise draft
– Successive drafts until working group is satisfied that it
has developed the best technical solution
3. Customer panel approval
– Final arbiter of when proposed standard is ready
– Panel will include about six or more corporations,
major purchasers of PR research and measurement

13. Copyright © 2014 by The Institute for Public Relations
Six-stage process based on ISO
recommendations
4. Publication
– Publish as interim standards
– Application begins though process continues
5. Validation
– Most standards require validation to prove that they
actually measure what they say they do
– When relevance and effectiveness are established,
published as final standards
6. Review and revision
– Most standards require periodic revision due to
changes in technology and public relations practice
You are
here!
Copyright © 2013 Institute for Public Relations

14. Copyright © 2014 by The Institute for Public Relations
Initial members of the customer panel

15. Copyright © 2014 by The Institute for Public Relations
• Traditional media measurement
• Digital and social media measurement
• Communications lifecycle (awareness, knowledge, intent,
preference and advocacy)
• Return on investment
Delivered interim standards for adoption

16. Copyright © 2014 by The Institute for Public Relations
Return on Investment (ROI) standard
• ROI is a financial measure that should only be used where
both money invested (the “I”) and money earned or saved (the
“R”) can be measured in financial terms
• ROI should not be used when referring to results of non-
financial measures
• Total return on PR is both financial and intangible

17. Copyright © 2014 by The Institute for Public Relations
How everybody can get involved
• Review, comment on proposed and interim standards at
www.instituteforpr.org/researchstandards
• Expand the number of organizations in the Coalition
• Commit to the standards

18. Copyright © 2014 by The Institute for Public Relations
Resources
Coalition for Public Relations Research Standards
www.instituteforpr.org/researchstandards
Social Media Measurement Conclave
www.smmstandards.com
Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of
Communications
http://amecorg.com
Dictionary of Public Relations Measurement and Research
http://www.instituteforpr.org/topics/dictionary-of-public-
relations-measurement-and-research

19. Copyright © 2014 by The Institute for Public Relations
Final thought: You can have a nice PR career
clearing up confusion about “research”
Frank Ovaitt frank@instituteforpr.org @FrankIPR
Sign up for research letter at www.instituteforpr.org