Unleashing the Power of PR: A Contrarian's Guide to Marketing and Communication(J-B International Association of Business Communicators)

Using dozens of case studies from well-known companies such as General Electric, FedEx, Procter & Gamble, Merck, Boeing, and Intel, Delahaye president and public relations scientist Mark Weiner offers a research-based model for creating and implementing public relations programs that will generate desired results and improve an organization’s ROI. Written as a highly accessible hands-on guide, Unleashing the Power of PR explains how to use market research methods to plan and evaluate public relations programs scientifically. The author explores the benefit of learning to speak to senior executives in a way that will improve communications and ultimately help strengthen PR performance and results. In addition, the book debunks common myths—such as “PR is impossible to measure!”—that undercut the effectiveness of PR and obscure its real value.

Table of Contents:
Foreword ix Preface xiii The Author xxi Part One: The Changing Landscape of Marketing and Corporate Communication 1 New Opportunities for Marketing and Public Relations 3 2 New Challenges Facing Marketing and Public Relations 21 Part Two: Using Research to Strengthen Public Relations 3 Measuring Public Relations Programming 47 4 Setting Meaningful and Measurable Public Relations Objectives 79 5 Using Research to Shape Public Relations Strategy and Tactics 107 6 Evaluating Public Relations Programs for Continual Improvement 135 Part Three: Transforming Your Public Relations Program 7 Real Business Results: Proving—and Improving—PR ROI 167 8 From Concept to Reality 191 Appendixes 1 Delahaye Executive Audit 201 2 Delahaye Media Demographic Audit 215 3 Delahaye Journalist Audit 229 Index 237 About the International Association of Business Communicators 248

About the Author :
MARK WEINER is president of Delahaye, the world’s most prestigious provider of public relations research, analysis, and consulting. After its founding in 1994 as Medialink Research, the firm acquired The Delahaye Group in 1999, adopted its name, and then became Delahaye in its current form. Delahaye is based in Norwalk, Connecticut, with offices in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Chicago, Illinois; Washington, D.C.; and London, England, with affiliates around the world. The firm provides research-based consulting in areas related to public relations, marketing, and corporate reputation and employee communications, with client engagements in forty countries. Delahaye’s research is used by the world’s leading companies to set objectives; develop strategy; and evaluate the performance of how their communication initiatives affect the attitudes, understanding, and behaviors of their target audiences. The firm currently employees a hundred researchers and analysts, who provide a range of attitudinal research, traditional and new media content analysis, and statistical modeling services. Since he entered the field in 1986, Weiner has been a frequent conference speaker and a regular contributor to leading professional journals, sitting on the editorial advisory boards of PRSA’s Strategist and PR News. In addition, he was the 2004 chair of the Measurement Commission of the Institute for Public Relations. He is a member of the International Association of Business Communicators, the Public Relations Society of America, and the Institute for Public Relations. Before public relations, Weiner was an editor and syndicated newspaper columnist with the McNaught Newspaper Syndicate after starting his career with the New York Times News Service.

Review :
Weiner… has left no stone unturned here; issues relating to audits, return on investment, new media and shifting objectives are brought forth. While that might seem very technical, Weiner's language is user-friendly and he carefully explains every aspect of the subject to avoid confusion. …Weiner's observations are peerless and his considerations set a new standard for the field. Mark Hall on Timessquare.com