ABSTRACT
This chapter examines some of the ways that public relations (PR) people have used quantitative tools in support of projects. A PR campaign will begin with a brief which describes the situation, the target audience, the messages to be transmitted, the outcomes desired and a research plan, which kicks into action when the project is approved. Most sophisticated marketers have continuous research projects going, some focused on specific situations but smart marketing executives will also recognize the need for one-off research projects that are focused on a singular issue or event. Surveys are widely used by many organizations and have become a staple of news reporting and can be a powerful tool for PR. While pivot tables and reports can handle enormous amounts of data it is doubtful that anybody but the most intrepid and data-driven PR people will use it to its max.
