En quoi la recherche en relations publiques diffère-t-elle de l’étude de marché?

If we put it in simple terms, PR research goals boil down to the following: • To get a better understanding of how to spread the word about your brand in the most efficient way. • To find out what exactly your target audience is interested in, what tone of voice it is inclined to, what topics range might resonate with its needs etc. • To define the right channels for reaching your prospects where they actually are. • To figure out what content formats would be the most actionable and meaningful for your TA with an eye on its regional specifics, job position, industry niche, business peculiarities, you name it. • To narrow down the journalists, media influencers, and industry opinion leaders that benefit your brand in terms of networking.

In my experience combining PR research and market research, organizations can gain a comprehensive understanding of their external environment and develop more effective communication strategies. The insights from PR research can be used to tailor messaging and engage stakeholders effectively, while market research helps identify target markets, customer needs, and competitive advantages.

While PR research primarily focuses on stakeholder perception and reputation management, market research provides insights into customer preferences, market trends, and competitive positioning. PR research helps shape communication strategies, message development, and relationship building, while market research informs product development, pricing strategies, and marketing campaigns.

On the other hand, market research is concerned with understanding the market dynamics, consumer behavior, and competitive landscape within a specific industry or target audience. It involves collecting data on customer preferences, market trends, purchasing patterns, and competitors' strategies. Market research helps organizations identify market opportunities, develop effective marketing strategies, and make informed business decisions.

For us, PR research proved invaluable during a crisis involving WordPress. A critical security flaw in a widely-used plugin impacted many client websites we developed. Panic ensued. Thanks to PR research, we swiftly grasped client concerns. We tailored our communication strategy, providing clear steps, security measures, and update timelines. Addressing fears promptly not only eased panic but also showcased our commitment. A situation that could have easily cost us future clients, ended up bringing us more clients.

In my experience PR research primarily focuses on gathering insights about the public perception of an organization, brand, or individual. It aims to understand how key stakeholders, such as the media, customers, employees, or investors, perceive and interact with the organization. PR research helps identify attitudes, opinions, and sentiment towards the organization, as well as the effectiveness of PR campaigns and messaging strategies. Its goal is to inform PR practitioners on how to improve reputation, manage crises, and build positive relationships with stakeholders.

PR research focuses on understanding public perception and managing an organization's image and reputation whereas, market research concentrates on gathering data about the market, consumer behavior, and product/service demand. PR research focuses on image, reputation, and public sentiment but when it comes to market research covers product development, pricing, customer preferences, and market dynamics. PR research addresses real-time issues and crises. Market research informs long-term strategies and addressing specific market challenges.