A View From The Receiving End

What Makes a Strong Business Case for a Public Relations Program? This week's unit materials covered a range of details in relation to creating a business case for a Public Relations Program. The emphasis (especially in the reading) was why it is so important to have a strong business case - and also what the characteristics of one, actually are. I have worked in the retail end of a major telecommunications corporation for four years. I already understand the basics of why it is so important to have a strong business case, it's practically obvious. In addition to the obviousness of why it is necessary, I am usually on the receiving end of internal Public Relations (PR) programs. Even as I write, there is an organisational incentive movement at my workplace that is is aimed at achieving three things:

1. Saving the company thousands, by reducing employee errors to 0% and emphasising organisational resources that will help us perform our tasks correctly.

2. Changing employee attitudes and behaviours through empowerment (training) and accountability (KPI's) - encouraging a 'get it right the first time' approach to everything we do and measuring us on it.

3. Improving the organisation's image with consumers through the seamless experience of having services with us.

I understood that I was subject to a PR program, but I only identified the goals that I have outlined above, I didn't understand how the rest had came to be. Austin & Pinkleton (2015) essentially clarified for me however, that the first thing my company must have done, was conduct quantitative research - sourced from internal data recorded and kept by us. They would have then discovered key issues that were contributing to unnecessary expenses.

"My understanding of 'researching', is that it is

a process of conducting a thorough investigative inquiry

into a situation, the factors that make up

or influence said situation, and the

influential or relevant entities that

are present within the situation."

Research revealed an area of opportunity that was impeding organisational success. Once the relevant information had been collated, they defined the target audience and formulated goals. So how did our PR team develop a strong business case for the employee PR program? Strong research was their foundation. The goals, execution and (ongoing) evaluation naturally followed their latter-chronological paths. In the case of my company, it is highly unlikely that executives would have approved a nation-wide campaign without knowing that it would yield a return on investment. Now that I know how to analyse our own programs, I am confident that our organisation's performance will lift and that I may even have a very good chance at being a part of that PR team some day.

The reading and the recognition of its real life application within my organisation have made me appreciate the value of quantitative research more than I did before.. Quantitative research is difficult to contradict and critical to an organisation. The only problem (I feel) is that it can be shallow in the fact that it does not understand or reflect motive. Qualitative data however can go beyond face value; causing the why and how behind an action, to surface. Personally, I employ both techniques when I am trying to get my own way in anything I do.

I am such an advocate for qualitative research however, because everything to do with people, is subjective. People are not 'fixed', but ever changing. I also happen to be doing a degree that is designed to specialise in just that - people. Thus I have reached the conclusion that qualitative research is the one for me, because it gets to the root of things. I know however that the method I employ will be influenced by the nature of the issue and industry; and that I will undoubtedly have to employ and value quantitative research, should I secure a position in the PR department of my organisation.