John V. Pavlik’s new paper, “Mapping the Consequences of Technology on Public Relations,” explores what research tells us about the impact of digital, networked technology on our work. Anecdotal learning – from case studies to water-cooler conversations – is important. But sometimes we need to ask about the real research base for things we think we know. Pavlik breaks ...

This article originally appeared in Bulldog Reporter’s Daily ‘Dog. For more information, visit http://www.bulldogreporter.com/dailydog/. Since the dawn of public relations, PR people have sought to compute the link between PR and return-on-investment, primarily in the form of a PR-to-sales connection. Now, through new technologies and an advanced form of statistical analysis known as marketing mix ...

Think about all the issues that face CEOs at major companies: everything from ethics, safety and diversity in the workplace to environmental sustainability and regulatory compliance … all on a global scale. Failure to successfully manage such issues can cost a company its profitability or even its ability to survive. The challenge is compounded by the fact that the world can change in a minute. With the advent of the internet any single person on a mission among any of a CEO’s const ...

Tom Martin: Professional Support of Events Key to Furthering Education This column appeared in PRWeek, July 2, 2007, and is reproduced with permission. I recently attended two academically focused summits with some of the leading educators in our field. As a new teacher, it was both humbling ...

Many PR people take a pass at the entire concept of measurement for a simple reason. Blind, rank fear. They don’t know how, or they fear their research won’t hold up to leadership scrutiny. We hear “measurement” and immediately are assailed by unhappy memories – math homework, the tyranny of columns of numbers, complicated algebra. Heavens, it’s why a fair number of us wound up in PR – the warm embrace of words, the freedom of expression unbound by arithmetic rules, the lack of one, ...

Management wants data. How can anybody think otherwise in a business world ruled by six sigma, key performance indicators, balanced scorecards, dashboards and ROI. Yet studies continue to show that many public relations practitioners still do not use research to plan and measure their work. Lack of time and budget are often cited as reasons, despite the availability of low-cost (even no-cost) research methods. A ...

In 2006, an Institute for Public Relations survey identifying priority research topics put trust right at the top of the list. And what produces trust? The professional literature of our field suggests that transparency may be a key driver. Richard Edelman writes in the 2007 Edelman Trust Barometer that “continuous, transparent – and even passionate – communications is central to success” in today’s environment. The transparency/trust linkage seems to be everywhere – except in ...

“Exploring the Link Between Share of Media Coverage and Business Outcomes,” the second of two papers by Angie Jeffrey (VMS), David Michaelson (David Michaelson & Company), and Don Stacks (University of Miami), builds on an earlier work that may be familiar to regular readers of this column ...

“A new blog is created about once every two seconds. New videos are posted to YouTube even more frequently. Virtually everyone with a computer (98%) goes on line to search for information before making a purchase. Video search is taking over text search as the most popular form of searching. Politicians, marketers, and individuals are embracing new forms of social networking…at unprecedented levels.” So says Katie Paine (KD Paine & Partners, and member of the Commission on PR Mea ...

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