Wikipedia and public relations professionals have a long history. Since at least 2006, Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia, has asked public relations professionals to follow the “bright line” rule and make requests for changes to their company or client’s Wikipedia page through “Talk” pages instead of directly editing. In 2012, I conducted a survey of … Continue reading There’s Improvement, but Problems with Wikipedia’s Bright Line Rule Continue
Results of an experiment testing whether message or medium is more important when dealing with a crisis highlights the importance of choosing proper communication channels. The experiment included 1,677 participants who were given a fictional crisis scenario and one of three message types (information, apology, sympathy) via one of three mediums (newspaper, blog, twitter). Three … Continue reading Medium is Still the Message in a Crisis
With the tremendous growth of social media in public relations, using research and insights to guide decision-making and strategy relating to social media has never been as important as it is today. Along with the increase of social media research, more organizations are making their research publicly available. Similarly, colleges and universities are adopting open … Continue reading The Best Social Media Research in 2013: What’s Your Favorite Study?
My academic and professional careers have been eclectic enough that I’ve sampled the literature from numerous diverse fields. Most overlap little or not at all. (Safe to say I’m the only author published both in “Transfusion” and “Journal of Communication Management”!) Some, however, treat similar subjects, and on occasion the scholars in two fields actually … Continue reading Change Management Communication: Is It Somehow “Different”?
Most public relations practitioners would agree that blogs have significantly influenced how organizations communicate. Blogs cover a vast number of topics and there are several types – personal, organizational, news, etc. Organizational blogs are beneficial for their ability to bypass gatekeepers like the media, but in reality few people regularly read an organization’s blog. News … Continue reading Intermedia Agenda Building of the Blogosphere
Topic: Research, Science-Practice Knowledge Transfer Author(s), Title and Publication Latham, G. P. (2007). A speculative perspective on the transfer of behavioral science findings to the workplace: “The times they are a-changing”. Academy of Management Journal, 50(5), 1027-1032. Summary This article does not describe a research project but rather is a provocative essay regarding a long-time … Continue reading A speculative perspective on the transfer of behavioral science findings to the workplace: “The times they are a-changing”
IPR friends occasionally send me research conducted by their organizations with implications for public relations practice. I recently received an email from Richard Edelman with a report that shared insights into the role of sponsored content (created or curated by corporations) from a public relations perspective. Research led by Steve Rubel, chief content strategist at … Continue reading Monitoring the Shift to Sponsored Content
Look up “employee engagement” online at a bookseller, and you will likely find a numerous selection of volumes. Topics range from branding to productivity, from psychology to leadership. One topic recently caught my attention, as it seems to have become more relevant: generational differences in gaining employee engagement. It of course has relevance to PR, … Continue reading Multigenerational workforce in PR adds value, right?
Dr Mary Welch is a Senior Lecturer in Communication Management in Lancashire Business School, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK A generalist versus specialist debate is rumbling in academic circles. One camp believes that public relations and communication management (PR&CM) education can equip professionals with a generic set of knowledge and skills to see them … Continue reading It’s Time for T-Shaped Internal Communication Professionals
In a previous blog I wrote about the lack of good, basic secondary research being conducted and made available. This is often due to the proprietary nature of business—why let a possible competitor know how you created a measure, strategy, or campaign? Why do the competitor’s work? Secondary research informs the practice and helps the … Continue reading Second Thoughts on Secondary Research
In my last blog entry I talked about the developmental stage of a public relations initiative or campaign. Between then and now the public relations profession lost a true giant in education and practice—Jack Felton. I’ve worked with Jack for over 15 years. He was the force behind the “Primer of Public Relations Research,” especially … Continue reading Thoughts on the Passing of Jack Felton
This is a summary of a paper presented at this year’s International PR Research Conference. It received a “Top Three Paper for Practical Significance” award from the Institute for Public Relations. I’m a public relations pro trying to run his own business and help clients achieve their objectives. Social media companies that claim to … Continue reading Measuring Influence: 3 Paths That Research Supports