The textbook notes the most modern definition of public relations as, “a communication function of management through which organizations adapt to, alter, or maintain their environment for the purpose of achieving organizational goals,” (Wilcox, 4). One way to analyze the practice of public relations is to define it as two-way communication, which is used when it comes to market research. In order to have this two-way communication, the target audience must be clear. There are a variety of audiences that are reached or targeted throughout a typical day at, “The Focus Room.” Three specific studies that were being done the day that I shadowed Chris were on shampoo, toothpaste and baseball. Chris couldn’t give me the screener for the shampoo study for reasons that he could not disclose, so I will only examine the other two. Within each group is listed the target audience or the people that need to be recruited for the focus group. For the toothpaste study, they needed three groups of people, two of which had different demographics. The first and second group required that nine females be recruited, four between the ages of 35-45, and five between the ages of 46-54 years old. All of the respondents had to brush their teeth at least two times a day. Along with this, five of the women had to use the brand “Total” most often and four had to use any other brand besides “Total.” All of the respondents had to have tried something new to them in oral care recently, along with having an education level above high school and a house hold income of more then 36,000 a year. In group three, there was also another nine females that needed to be recruited, four of which were between the ages of 21-29 and five between the ages of 30-34 years old. The rest of the requirements for the participants were the same as group one and two, so the only difference in the target audience was the age. Along with this there are general specifications like the fact that they need to bring their current toothpaste to the group with them and must visit the dentist at least one a year, (See Item # 1).
The baseball study consists of two groups both of avid and casual Major League Baseball fans. The groups must consist of a mixed racial group including five English speaking Hispanics and 13-14 respondents per group, ten of which are casual fans. There needs to be an equal amount of men and women of all ages over 18 in each group, (see Item # 3). In all of the groups, there are certain guidelines that the recruiter must follow. If a person does not fit the description of someone that is needed for the group, for instance, if their household income is too low, then the recruiter must tell the respondent that they do not fit the profile for the study. The recruiter cannot tell the respondent why they were terminated or turned down, for ethical reasons. Along with the ethical reasons, like insulting a person because they do not make enough money, if the reason why they were terminated is disclosed, they can also call back and pretend that they make more money just so they can do the study and get paid for it. A person can only do a focus group about every six months, so they do not try to make a living off of the group and alter the results of the research as well.
Focus groups are a form of research that are used to define audiences and segment publics, form strategies, monitor competition and measure the success of any given product or service, (Wilcox, 126-127). The type of data that is obtained through these groups is qualitative through the means of a content analysis of the publics’ opinions. The insights that are obtained from these groups are helpful in allowing an organization or company to structure its message or help towards a hypothesis for any further quantitative research. In order to be effective in the field of research, it is crucial to be an effective planner, which is the goal of the relationship that Chris has with the clients. When strategizing the way that a company wants a message to be seen they need to look at four key aspects to research; facts, goals, audience and the key message. In order to figure out where a product or service needs improvement, one must look at the past trends, characteristics, competitors and the main users of the product. Once this information is obtained, it is important to note the impact that the product or service has on the public, for instance the necessity of the product, or how to portray it as if it is necessary for the average person to own. In order to do this, information about who buys the product or service is crucial so that an audience can be targeted and obtained. To finalize these strategic plans, one must have a specific mindset on how they will convey their message. All of this information can be obtained from both background research and focus groups, which makes them so necessary in the field of public relations.
With any type of research, whether it is a questionnaire, a survey or a focus group, there must be a certain code of ethics that is followed. There are basic ethics that every organization should follow that include, among other things, honesty, loyalty and fairness. The specific code of ethics that Chris follows when dealing with the clients and respondents is through a, “Research Participation Agreement” along with specific requirements, so that the results of the groups are as accurate a possible. Chris must sign a form that states,” In exchange for payment to the undersigned, the undersigned participant agrees to participate in a consumer research interview/discussion pursuant to the following conditions.” The form then goes on to say, “The undersigned agrees that eh information and ideas which the undersigned is exposed to and./or may acquire in this session is and will be treated as confidential subject matter of the company commissioning this research and will net be disclosed to third parties. The undersigned further agrees that any suggestions or ideas, whether verbal, written or recorded, generated during or resulting from the consumer research interview/discussion shall become the sole property of the company commissioning this research,” (see Item # 4). This ethical agreement that Chris must sign is necessary in order to have a group conducted within his facility and underlines all necessary ethical procedures that must be taken for a group to be conducted. Along with this, there are requirements that Chris must mandate in order to have a client conduct a group. He must make sure that no more than two people from any organization or group know each other. The reason why they make this a necessary requirement is because when people know each other, they tend not to be as willing to express their honest opinions on an issue, product or service. In order to avoid the possibility of inaccurate results, this requirement is carefully followed and strongly mandated within the firm. To protect confidentiality, they make sure that there are no “competitive” groups conducted at the same time along with urging respondents to sign a confidentiality statement when they sign in for the group, (see Item #5). This is an ethical process that all research must contain in order to be a valid from of information.
I found this assignment thoroughly enjoyable and a good learning experience in the field of Public Relations. Although I did have prior interest and knowledge in the field of market research, I was intrigued by all of details that needed to be configured before the recruiting had even begun. The process of planning, research and following ethical guidelines is crucial to the effectiveness of the communication efforts in locating the target audience. It is relatively easy to gage whether the communication efforts worked due to the fact that a focus group would not take place if all of these efforts were not taken into consideration and followed. Therefore, I feel that his communication efforts were very effective in that both of the groups were being recruited for as I shadowed him. I learned a great deal about all the guidelines that a person in market research must follow in order to have an effective and well run organization. I would be very interested in pursuing a career in something along the lines of what Chris does and I hope that he will be a good reference for me in the future. I was pleased to see that Chris followed all the ethical guidelines. It seemed so simple for Chris to lie to the clients just so that they would have the focus group in his facility. He could have allowed people to recruit respondents that were not qualified for a specific group, just so it would get filled, but he was very strict on not allowing anyone who did not fit the perfect profile for the groups. He was very professional and honest in to everyone, which is necessary when being in charge of an organization. I am fortunate to have gotten a glimpse into a field that I may potentially make my career in, along with learning the importance of strictly following all policies of being in the field of public relations and market research.
