Global Public Relations
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competition through media, electric databases, etc. The most often-used tools were the media and the
Internet; however, most research was conducted informally, and formal research was conducted less
often. The interviews showed that much research continues to be related to the media and publicity.
When asked to name research methods usually used, five interviewers included media-related research
as an important part of it; past media coverage was also a main source of research. One participant
assertively said, “The basic components are media. Media research. What has been written in the past
[in] the Internet [and] written media.”
One practitioner, a vice president of a global public relations firm in a Washington D.C. office, said
the first thing he needed to do to understand clients’ problems and make plans was always research. His
company used a variety of formal and informal research methods. He said, “Usually your client comes
to you and says, “I know my problem. I know what I want. And here it is.” We will never accept just
that, because it’s much more complex and deeper. It is ideal to have good research before.” He also said
his firm used several kinds of outsourcing services and resources for research, such as clipping services
and agency selection. Another participant, who also worked in a global firm for 12 years, said, “You
have to do a lot of listening and you need a lot of research very quickly, because things are moving very
quickly.” He mentioned that he took advantage of research facilities and networks that his firm had in
New York and Washington, D.C., even when he worked in an office in an Asian country.
Participants said they used various direct and indirect research methods to gather people’s opinions
about their clients. One participant said, “We wouldn’t just rely on talking to the client, we would
actually go to third parties; we would go to the members of some of the very publics [or] audiences that
our clients wanted to reach,” which reflected his comprehensive understanding of the importance of
research.
According to participants, research in international public relations was informal rather than formal.
A manager in a Korean agency said, “We do not have enough budget to conduct formal research, such
as Gallup, but we still need to know about customers to some degree.” She added that companies rarely
Convention