J494 TEST EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
LATEST UPDATE
2 Characteristics of Research
1. formulating questions
2. seeking answers
4 Research Methods (and key point)
1. Secondary Research
2. Interviews
3. Surveys
4. Content analysis
*KEY POINT: use multiple approaches that do not share the same weaknesses
Strategic Campaign
a systemic set of strategic communication activities, each with a specific and finite
purpose, sustained over a length of time and dealing with objectives associated with a particular
issue
Research Cycle (3)
Formation —> Process/Implementation —> Evaluation —> REPEAT
1. Formative Research (Before)
- provides data and perspective to guide campaign creation
2. Process Research (During)
- monitor implementation of the campaign to assess internal and external
outputs and signal adjustments when needed
3. Evaluation (After)
- assess the success of a campaign based on the achievement of the stated objectives
RISC
Research
- info needed to begin addressing the challenge
Insight
- relevant/actionable truth to guide the campaign
Strategy
- use of insight to change behavior/solve client challenges
Creative
- bringing strategy to life in a unique and ownable way
3 Typical Research Areas
1. getting to know the target public
- target's values, attitudes, behaviors, etc.
- how issue/or/product intersects w/ their lives
- target's influences, media habits
2. understanding the organization/issue/product
- past campaigns and their effectiveness
- positioning/messaging on various communication channels
- current reputations/visibility
3. learning from others
,- emerging trends, competitors, potential partnerships
Insight**
a powerful articulation of a relevant and actionable truth that guides a campaign
* part of/goes into findings
* useful for future actions of a campaign
#LikeAGirl Case Study (goals, research, insights, results)
goal:
- Always wanted to generate positive brand image/associations while increasing adolescent girls’
brand awareness
research:
- secondary research: found their past/current communication focused on how well the product
performs while competitors focused on young adults and reducing period stigma
- interviews/surveys: showed puberty was when "being a girl" became negative to women
insight:
- target girls entering puberty NOT young women
- empowering girls during puberty gives powerful messaging and will help brand image/positive
associations
results:
- Always brand equity had a double-digit percentage increase during the campaign compared to
declines among competitors
- the positive association went up from 19% to 76% with the phrase "Like a Girl"
9 Steps of Campaign Planning**
1. generate new ideas, goal setting
2. secondary research
3. primary research
4. reassess assumptions
5. establish goals/objectives
6. develop strategies
7. design tactics
8. create timeline and budget
9. evaluate
Reasons for Research (7)
1. better understand public(s)
2. identify potential problems/opportunities
3. make sound decisions
4. avoid mistakes
5. save time and money
6. justify efforts
7. benchmark for evaluation
Qualitative Research (definition, strengths, and weaknesses)**
, data that is gathered from unmeasurable qualities, such as interviews, focus
groups and observation
strengths:
- attempts to see through the lens of the target public
- can be good for understanding why and investigating processes
- important during formative research and the creative process
weaknesses:
- communication setting must be accessible
- meaning is filtered through the researcher (subjective)
- time-consuming
- difficult to generalize findings
Quantitive Research (definition, strengths, and weaknesses)**
data that is gathered from measurable qualities and can be expressed with numbers through
surveys, content analysis, and experiments
strengths
- tradition implies rigor
- numbers and statistics allow precise and exact comparisons and reporting
- generalization of findings*
- Especially important during the process and evaluation stages
weaknesses
- cannot capture the complexity of communication/human experience
- difficult to apply outside of controlled environments
- limited to answer choices
- reliance on numbers
Key Differences Between Qualitative and Quantitative Research*
Qualitative Research
- uses detailed descriptions
- participants are selected purposely (doesn't use probability/random sampling)
- deeply contextualized
- relies on interpretive frame
Quantitative Research
- uses numbers
- typically, participants are randomly selected*
- removes some level of contextuality
- relies on formal logic
Research Goals (RG)** (what does it answer?)
big picture statements that layout the major aspects of research needed to create an effective
campaign plan
* answers: "what is the purpose of this research?"
* should be useful in making choices about target public(s), strategies, messages and tactics
* each RG requires multiple research questions (RQ's)
Research Questions (RQ)**
narrows each goal into specific questions that need to be answered to accomplish that goal
* RQ's are attached to a specific goal that needs to be answered in order to accomplish that goal
* RQ's are NOT the questions asked in interviews (those are 'subject items')
Subject Items**
LATEST UPDATE
2 Characteristics of Research
1. formulating questions
2. seeking answers
4 Research Methods (and key point)
1. Secondary Research
2. Interviews
3. Surveys
4. Content analysis
*KEY POINT: use multiple approaches that do not share the same weaknesses
Strategic Campaign
a systemic set of strategic communication activities, each with a specific and finite
purpose, sustained over a length of time and dealing with objectives associated with a particular
issue
Research Cycle (3)
Formation —> Process/Implementation —> Evaluation —> REPEAT
1. Formative Research (Before)
- provides data and perspective to guide campaign creation
2. Process Research (During)
- monitor implementation of the campaign to assess internal and external
outputs and signal adjustments when needed
3. Evaluation (After)
- assess the success of a campaign based on the achievement of the stated objectives
RISC
Research
- info needed to begin addressing the challenge
Insight
- relevant/actionable truth to guide the campaign
Strategy
- use of insight to change behavior/solve client challenges
Creative
- bringing strategy to life in a unique and ownable way
3 Typical Research Areas
1. getting to know the target public
- target's values, attitudes, behaviors, etc.
- how issue/or/product intersects w/ their lives
- target's influences, media habits
2. understanding the organization/issue/product
- past campaigns and their effectiveness
- positioning/messaging on various communication channels
- current reputations/visibility
3. learning from others
,- emerging trends, competitors, potential partnerships
Insight**
a powerful articulation of a relevant and actionable truth that guides a campaign
* part of/goes into findings
* useful for future actions of a campaign
#LikeAGirl Case Study (goals, research, insights, results)
goal:
- Always wanted to generate positive brand image/associations while increasing adolescent girls’
brand awareness
research:
- secondary research: found their past/current communication focused on how well the product
performs while competitors focused on young adults and reducing period stigma
- interviews/surveys: showed puberty was when "being a girl" became negative to women
insight:
- target girls entering puberty NOT young women
- empowering girls during puberty gives powerful messaging and will help brand image/positive
associations
results:
- Always brand equity had a double-digit percentage increase during the campaign compared to
declines among competitors
- the positive association went up from 19% to 76% with the phrase "Like a Girl"
9 Steps of Campaign Planning**
1. generate new ideas, goal setting
2. secondary research
3. primary research
4. reassess assumptions
5. establish goals/objectives
6. develop strategies
7. design tactics
8. create timeline and budget
9. evaluate
Reasons for Research (7)
1. better understand public(s)
2. identify potential problems/opportunities
3. make sound decisions
4. avoid mistakes
5. save time and money
6. justify efforts
7. benchmark for evaluation
Qualitative Research (definition, strengths, and weaknesses)**
, data that is gathered from unmeasurable qualities, such as interviews, focus
groups and observation
strengths:
- attempts to see through the lens of the target public
- can be good for understanding why and investigating processes
- important during formative research and the creative process
weaknesses:
- communication setting must be accessible
- meaning is filtered through the researcher (subjective)
- time-consuming
- difficult to generalize findings
Quantitive Research (definition, strengths, and weaknesses)**
data that is gathered from measurable qualities and can be expressed with numbers through
surveys, content analysis, and experiments
strengths
- tradition implies rigor
- numbers and statistics allow precise and exact comparisons and reporting
- generalization of findings*
- Especially important during the process and evaluation stages
weaknesses
- cannot capture the complexity of communication/human experience
- difficult to apply outside of controlled environments
- limited to answer choices
- reliance on numbers
Key Differences Between Qualitative and Quantitative Research*
Qualitative Research
- uses detailed descriptions
- participants are selected purposely (doesn't use probability/random sampling)
- deeply contextualized
- relies on interpretive frame
Quantitative Research
- uses numbers
- typically, participants are randomly selected*
- removes some level of contextuality
- relies on formal logic
Research Goals (RG)** (what does it answer?)
big picture statements that layout the major aspects of research needed to create an effective
campaign plan
* answers: "what is the purpose of this research?"
* should be useful in making choices about target public(s), strategies, messages and tactics
* each RG requires multiple research questions (RQ's)
Research Questions (RQ)**
narrows each goal into specific questions that need to be answered to accomplish that goal
* RQ's are attached to a specific goal that needs to be answered in order to accomplish that goal
* RQ's are NOT the questions asked in interviews (those are 'subject items')
Subject Items**
