Final PRR Post

This will be my final post of the semester, and I am saddened by that, but today I will be speak about two of my classmates experimental research blogs. In Greg's blog, he gives a great description of experimental research, and why we need it in the industry. He goes on to speak about how the independent variable may influence the dependent variables, and he relates this to an Oregon hockey team's experiment for gauging fan attendance.  He mentions the fact that there needs to be an experimental group and a control group which  I thought was very important. Greg's Blog is very good, because he actually designed an experiment for the Oregon  Ducks. I enjoyed reading his description, and he created it like the one which was done in class on Experimental Research. He would be doing this by survey. He would do a pretest and post test for one, and then a pretest, experiment exposure, and the post test for another. He  would make it random as possible. He then put information about Oregon sports on each survey. Only one survey gave a little more incentive to go out to the games. He was looking to see if the incentive of a free winter hat would make a difference in the surveys that only had Oregon sports information on it. Overall I thought Greg's blog was great, and fine tuned.

The second blog that I took great interest in, was Meag's Sport blog. Meagan's blog caught my attention because it was based off an extremely famous, and gifted soccer player; Christiano Rinaldo. I actually knew a little bit about this experiment, that Rinaldo was doing, and watched him play during this summer's World Cup.  I thought it was a cool idea how Meagan thought outside the box, and used this as an example of experimental research.  Rinaldo noticed the new ball, being the dependent variable had changed. He experimented  and practiced with this new ball called, " The Jabulani", until he perfected his shots, which he used in his World Cup play. 

Experimental Research

As we talked about this in class, experimental research has many facets to its operation. There tends to be a certain need for control in experiments, certainly so the researchers have something neutral to base their findings off of. In  experimental research, there are hypothesis' which allow for the researchers to make an educated assumption on the outcome of their research before they begin the experiment. During experiments, there may be control groups and experimental groups. the control group does not change, while the experimental group is exposed to whatever it is the researchers are testing. Many times there are dependent and independent variables within an experiment.  The dependent variable is influenced by the independent variable ( which is manipulated, or changed).
In an experiment done with college students at a southern college, researchers studied how students viewed and perceived PR articles compared to news articles. The study was extremely interesting, and certainly made a ton of sense at the end. The Hypothesis, was that students would be more prone to believe a story if it had a multimedia aspect to it. A news article online with pictures, videos, and other links may seem to be more credible to students regardless where it may come from.
I found the independent variables to be interesting, because they manipulated who was reading what kind of articles. Some students may have only been exposed to newspapers with one picture and many words. This may show how students aren't intrigued by newspaper articles compared to other medias.
On the other hand some students were given more than one type of media and the choice to select either online news articles, newspapers, etc...
The hypothesis was correct, in that the students that were observing more than one type of media report, enjoyed the multimedia articles online better, because of the interactive web layout, which allows them to see pictures, videos, and links. All of those things may seem to make a story more credible. 
Credibility, accuracy, and bias were the dependent variable for the students to gauge.
The experiment was done well, and I agree with the outcome of the experiment. If I was given an article to read online with video and other links for a story, and a newspaper, I would probably want to read and be more likely to believe in the online article rather than just a newspaper article story.

Survey Effectiveness

Surveys are a very effective way to reach your audience.  They are fairly easy to construct, and are user friendly. People taking surveys, are given a choice of answers to select, so it is not that complicated for them to actually complete. It is important to know who your audience is, so you don't confuse the audience by using a vocabulary that is too advanced for them.  surveys are effective, because you can reach a broad audience and receive results fairly quickly.  It is important to consider your target audiences characteristics. Characteristics such as level or literacy, language problems, and geographical  issues should all be taken into account while designing a survey for a specific group of people. along with learning about their characteristics, the researcher should also make sure that the anonymity of the respondents are protected. Another factor to be aware of while creating a survey is the respondents personal information. Some things are very touchy to certain people, and they may take offense or decline to answer certain questions because they feel  infringed upon. Things such as personal finances, sexual behaviors, and drug use are things that should be taken into  high consideration before actually being used.

I think everyone has taken a survey before, and personally when I take one, I find some level of fun and interest in them.
I was looking online the other day at some people that create surveys for their website viewers. This website,smart girl used surveys very effectively. Now, the website clearly is a young to middle aged teenage female's website, but they have their niche and were looking for results on favorite music. A simple survey was conducted which got out to 476 people around the world last June.
The survey basically asked these young women about their favorite music, their least favorite music, and how they are incorporated into each girls lives. The statistics were given at the end, which allowed for everyone involved in the survey to view the results of others, along with the public. At the end of the survey, the participants were promised that their personal information, would be kept confidential, which is very important.

Blog Comments ( post 8)

This week we need to comment on each others blogs about qualitative research. As we have established, qualitative research is a method of research that emphasizes the participant's perceptions and attitudes. It is used many times to gain insights into people's  behaviors, concerns, beliefs, aspirations, and motivations alike. I personally spoke about focus groups in my previous blog relating to qualitative research, but Lisa's Blog spoke of a different form of qualitative research. She spoke about ethnographic research, and gave a real life spin on it. Ethnographic research is the observation of customs, beliefs, and behaviors of a certain culture or group for an extended time.

Lisa spoke about a television serious which is now being aired on MTV. Although MTV does not usually excite me, this show is different. Lisa wrote about The World of Jenks. Jenks is actually performing ethnographic research himself. He is actually  placing himself into real life situations within other cultures or unfamiliar situations to gain an understanding of the way others work. Lisa does a great job relating The World of Jenks to Ethnographic researching, and it now leaves that impression in my mind, that what he is doing in his show is ethnographic research. Lisa asks if she would let Jenks spend a week conducting ethnographic research with me. I would have to say maybe at this point, only because recently he has had some truly inspirational people on his show, and I would have to step up my game to be on it as well.

Straying from ethnographic research, was Francesca's Blog on social media. Social media can be used as a qualitative research method, and Francesca is proving why it may even be more effective than a focus group. Francesca goes on to speak about how Facebook, and Twitter are great vehicles for gauging such things like audience awareness, and their attitudes of course. She uses a nice example by sampling a new movie that is coming out. As an example she speaks about how a production company may release their movie trailer on YouTube, and on Facebook/ Twitter by adding a link. These links usually come equipped with comment and text boxes where fans can respond to the posts. This was certainly a great idea. At least I think it is a great idea because I find my self doing things such as commenting on movie trailers myself, especially on Facebook with friends and strangers. 

An example of a film that is advertising on Facebook is The Town. This movie has set up its own page, and allows users to " like" and comment on the film as well. I think that this is a great mode for advertising and public relations specialist to capitalize on.

Qualitative Research ( Nike Soccer)

Qualitative Research is a method of research that emphasizes the participant's perceptions and attitudes in a natural setting.  The researcher (s) is the primary data collector, who is looking for the participants input. This type of research differs from quantitative research because it is more focused on attitudes and beliefs rather than numbers, stats, and surveys.  Qualitative research can be done through  methods such as focus groups, interviews, panels, and field- studies.
 In a You Tube video, I observed a Nike marketer conducting a focus group on elite soccer players. The product manager conducted a focus group on current and future shin guards that will be released to the public. In the  Nike Soccer video, the product manager is looking to find the players attitudes towards each shin guard.  The man wants feedback to what the players, like and dislike about the product. At one point he asks, " what things do you think we have done well?  What things can we do a lot better." The manager  also refers to the players as elite, whether they are or are not, it gives the players a sense of importance while he is addressing them.

Since these players are elite, they are the prime focus for how to market to a larger following of soccer players. The younger soccer players may know many of these players, and of course they want to be like, and even imitate their favorite players. The manager draws relations to Ronaldo, and Rooney, who are great players. The people in the focus group also may take pride in thinking that they are being compared  to these incredible athletes.  The focus group is highly concerned on the attitude of the players, and why they  are choosing each specific shin guard.  The manager goes on to say that they aren't preparing these guards for a certain shape of player, or type of player, but for a style of player. So look and comfort may be possible things he took into consideration. Players in the focus group said that the tips they are giving to the marketer might be helpful in his marketing to the public, and may also better the product in some way.

In this video, we found out some attitudes of players, and possibly the main demographic which is going to be targeted. I feel the main demographic will be all teenage soccer players looking for style. The name Nike stands alone in athletics as the forerunner in the industry, which allows them to conduct surveys with these great athletes who probably received an incentive to do the interview and focus group. The players may have all been given new shin guards and gear by participating in the focus group.  This was a great example of qualitative research, and I enjoyed examining the video, and making connections to what  I have learned and seen in research class.

Blog Post 6

Unobtrusive research is the method of gathering data by means of receiving the information without a subject knowing that they are being observed. Knowing this, I was able to search other classmates blogs on unobtrusive research and have a decent understanding of this type of research. Being that I am a fan of Major League Baseball, and it is the Post- Season, I took a great liking to Jessica Tessier's blog on Roy Halladay and how blogs are great for unobtrusive researchers. Blogs have become very popular over the last few years, especially as more social medias emerge. Jessica's Blog, sports public relations was very intriguing and gave an insight on a fans perspective of Roy Halladay, a thirteen year veteran in the league's first playoff debut.

  

Now a social researcher doing unobtrusive research can hit the jackpot, by researching fans blogs, and professionals blogs.  Jessica says, " These blogs give fans or non- fans something to converse about. They also give great insight into blogger's views and opinions." I think think this is a great tool because with each blog comes a comment section. Many other people will read blogs and then post their own comments to the situation. This may very well help a researcher that is conducting unobtrusive research

The second blog I enjoyed was about social media's and the way it can influence unobtrusive research. Amy Hardman's blog was pretty cool, because it brought up some interesting ideas that I hadn't even thought of. According to Amy's Unobtrusive Research, social media's such as Facebook and Twitter allow insight into someone's life without actually being there yourself or questioning them. Things such as religion, race, gender, birthday, age, and favorite activities are all easily accessed when looking at someone's page. this is a great tool for researchers to use. 

Amy also made a great point by telling us that the researchers should also look at peoples statuses. She used a great example of one of her own friends.  "For example, one of my facebook friends Morgan* updated her status to say “its fine York Hill shuttle. I don't have a job or homework or any sort of life I have to get on with. Actually, I like waiting at the shuttle stop all day” expressing her frustration over the York Hill shuttle situation. If I was researching information on the successfulness of the Quinnipiac shuttle system, I would most definitely take this information into account (with Morgan being completely unaware of my withdrawal of information from her). "  

I agree with Amy. This is a perfect example of how researchers can use social media's to gauge their research prospects.  

  

Unobtrusive Research

            In research class, for the last two weeks we have been discussing the research known as unobtrusive research.   We learned the advantages and disadvantages of unobtrusive research along with what studies usually pertain to unobtrusive research.  It is obvious when using this research that we want to be unbiased, which is usually the situation with all research. 

            In class the first presentation about secondary unobtrusive research was very helpful in  the explanation of this research. Amy and Dave said, “ These methods allow researchers to study things from afar without influencing the process. This can eliminate or minimize many of the threats to validity of research that we have raised though out the course, such as reactivity and social desirability bias.”  This is true on many levels. If someone was being watched or interviewed, they are most likely to act differently. They may be more prone to do something that  they wouldn’t usually do or say when not being interviewed. It is natural for people to change their minds and act differently, because most people don’t want certain things to get out. This is especially pertinent when we are talking about touchy situations.

            A touchy topic could be seen through the one that was spoken of in class. The one professor talked about was the pornographic magazine sales.  Instead of interviewing people and possibly embarrassing them, the researchers actually went through their garbage to see who had bought pornographic magazines, and who hadn’t. This is a prime example of unobtrusive research. 

 In an online book, Methods of Social Research, I took interest to a study which was done on racial prejudice. This was  unobtrusive indirect  research being done along side of direct research. The direct research was seen through a survey on racial prejudice. People were questioned if they were prejudiced. The most common answer was "no". The researcher wanted to double check this direct research by performing some unobtrusive indirect research. So unobtrusive research can also be used as an additional tool in someones research. 

Unobtrusive research seems to be the most interesting to me, because it is always fun to see what kinds of different ways people will try and capture their research.

My comments on two blogs.

Since I  enjoyed the last blog that we did on research results, I decided to read other classmates blogs on research results.  I first viewed Paige Weiners' blog. Paige gives a good description of  research results and really incorporates some of the textbook's definition into the blog. She uses some great examples such as the one about terminology, and how to present it to certain audiences.

"If a fashion designer is fronting a new clothing line and is showing it to a series of people in the industry to communicate he or she’s idea’s it is totally acceptable to use “fashion terminology” that perhaps only those involved would know.  However, frequently a designer will showcase his or her new line along with the research she or he has done prior to arriving at that point to a general audience." says Paige (Paige's Blog)  I thought this concept  was tied into from her own example to the textbooks definition greatly.  For certain audiences it is extremely important to address them in a way they can interpret.

I also enjoyed when Paige spoke about the appendix. She gave a pretty vivid definition of what could be found in one. such as; sample surveys, frequently asked questions, and some quotes from satisfied customers. Paige did a great job on this blog for research results and I personally learned some new things about the fashion industries upcoming launch of beach clothing for Aruba.

The next blog I enjoyed was Chelsea Singer's blog on research. Her blog titled, "Interesting..." was in fact interesting to me. The post held my attention and basically just gave me a pretty good idea of what she had completed and discovered within in her internship experience at a magazine company. She made it clear that good representation of a client and doing the right amount of work for a client is far more beneficial for the celebrity, the PR practitioner, and for the company.
"First off, the person in the spot light gets a pleasant write up about them. Second, the account executive at the firm is noted as doing their job. And lastly, the public gets a strong view on the celebrity.", Chelsea said(Chelsea's Blog).  Chelsea also went on to speak about keeping good relations with different people in the media. People such as reporters, journalists, and all those who allow your work to be seen in the media. Maintaining good relations with the media, and keeping up a good reputation based on the merits of your own achievements and/ or clients is the way to be.

James Research results

Research results are very important when communicating to your audience.  Different audiences require different reports and explanations.  As the textbook shows, research reports must be conducted to fit the situation. If someone is writing a report for a college course, the report may be a bit more complex because it is going to be directed towards the professor. The professor has the knowledge to understand what he/ she is talking about. On the other hand if the report is going to be handed into a client, the report must be simplified into terms which one could  more easily interpret. Another scenario where the report must be simplified, is to the general public in an advertisement.  " reports are a critical final step in the research process. Research reports for academic purposes contain different items and are arranged in a different order than are research reports for business. Oral presentations bring up their own formats and needs for accompanying materials." ( 304 Jugenheimer)
An important aspect to a research report is the title, and brief explanation.  The title should be sufficient and not come off to broad or even too complicated. online bulletin board break through. This news release shows the importance of catching the audiences eye within the first paragraph. It gives a good brief description, and explains how it will affect the industry in the future. This will be used to create strategy and reports for management within a corporation.
Oral presentations are another major part of research reports. Oral presentations may be lively, and are usually strengthened by power points and handouts.

prr 332 research ethics

In this weeks reading on Research Ethics, the author stresses the simplicity yet, importance of ethics in research. Any research that involves other people, which is most can be potentially hazardous if breaking ethic codes. Making sure that people understand what they are being asked/ told is the most important thing I believe. Along with having people understand the research, the people conducting the research should also be unbiased in their reporting, and should not deceive anyone. Privacy is also very important in the matter of research ethics. If the subject is touchy, most respondents would not want their names to be released. The researcher must ensure the respondents that their identities will be kept anonymous or confidential.  To me most of this seems basic, but ethics can damage someones reputation pretty badly if they do things behind the backs of their business or the people they are doing research on.  Researching your facts, and getting them straight is fundamental. Nothing should be getting in the way of the truth. Research should not be tampered with.
What  I also found appealing was how some people will go so far as to disguise themselves as others when conducting surveys through telephone interviews. They tend to disguise themselves as someone that maybe the respondent would be more willing to speak with. An example in the book was someone possibly disguising themselves as someone from the department of transportation in order for the respondent to take the interview more seriously, or even take the interview at all. This goes against the people's will. They should never be tricked or deceived, because they have the right to voluntary surveys, and do not have to participate in them if they do not want to be.
An Article which I found to be quite interesting was written last week on a Chinese Biotics corporation. This corporation is a leading seller and distributor of dietary supplements in China. This distributor/manufacturer/ leading developer of dietary supplements has recently been accused of releasing false information about their corporation. This could be due to low stock investments or for other reasons, but China- Biotics, Inc.
The corporation announced Friday, that the rumors were false, and that they have never distributed false information about numbers regarding their stocks. This was very professional because they addressed the situation at hand, and acted in an ethical manner telling the public that the rumors are false. I know it is up for debate if the rumors are true or false, but it was wise that they even issued a statement. in the release, the corporation is said to be handling the situation with their legal advisers at the moment. This is vital to protect the corporations image and their managements credibility. PR news wire China Biotics

PRR focus ( Current Press releases and articles from PR Newswire.com)

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/reportlinker-adds-consumer-targeting-in-alcoholic-drinks-effective-marketing-and-innovation-strategies-by-gender-age-price-and-occasion-102346279.html

My blog will be focusing on interesting and recent articles from Prnewswire.com that I enjoy . As the semester progresses I will update and blog about current events that are hot in the public relations industry.

The article that struck my attention   by Nicolas Bambourg  titled, " Reportlinker adds consumer targeting in alcoholic drinks effective marketing and innovation strategies by gender, age, price and occasion" was very intelligent. This article connected extremely well to class discussions on public relations research, and the methods of research that go into any project. Although we haven't gone into much detail as of yet on the topic of what must go into a complete research project, we have now gained a small appreciation at the least.

 The article explains its objective, which is to gain a better understanding and find out where the market for certain alcoholic beverages stand. With today's struggling economy these businesses that are producing alcoholic beverages understand that people are drinking heavily as a whole. Reasons such as job loss, risk of job loss and so on, could be the causes. The public relations groups aren't looking for answers as to why, but who to target?  The article shows how the quantitative and qualitative methods are being used in order to answer questions such as;  What is the future for demographic marketing for alcoholic beverages?  Some of the reports objectives focused on demographics. The Hispanic ethnicity has a high percentage for certain alcoholic beverages, therefor the PR practitioners has their quantitative group, which they can now perform some qualitative research on. They may now target that Hispanic ethnicity because of previous research that showed that Hispanics are drinking more than any other demographic and that they are the ones who have already been targeted for marketing schemes.

Whether it is age, sex, or ethnicity that divides certain alcoholic markets, the PR practitioners are looking for ways to provide satisfaction to their customers. They have to look at what the economy is shaping out to be within the next five years along with the group of people who are purchasing their product. 

I enjoyed the article very much, and believed that it was very helpful in setting a good example of what needs to be put into consideration for a marketing plan. The way the article addresses the economy and certain classes struggles to maintain is an appropriate matter, and it is relevant to target a certain sub-sector of an ethnicity  when feasible, especially when you can see that although they are struggling to maintain their jobs or lifestyle, they are still drinking alcohol frequently.