Research for PR Playbook: Pitching a research battle
We all know the classic battle of the sexes story that can fall out of your crossbreaks. However, rather than sending out your survey and hoping for the best, why not go out with the explicit intention of sewing discord?
By researching two (or more) groups whose views are likely to clash, you can create a dynamic and newsworthy story, placing your brand or client as an even-handed umpire. This takes what might otherwise be a fairly static and bland headline and turns it into a dynamic and strong narrative.
What?s more, this approach can work for any type of audience or client whether you?re comparing the views of different members of the C-suite, dog owners vs cat owners, or mums vs dads.
Things to remember:
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- Repetition, repetition, repetition ? in order to make the results comparable, you?ll need to ask at least some of the same questions
- What do they say about each other? ? you can also look at how the groups view each other, bringing out additional insight and conflict
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Some examples
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- Firms split on who handles aftermath of cyber-attacks (BAE Systems) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-38907073
- What recruiters are really looking for in your CV: Infographic reveals expert tips on writing a job-winning application (Michael Page) http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-3395595/Infographic-reveals-recruiters-really-looking-CV.html#ixzz4nwntqRzB
- It?s true! Fathers are more likely to feed children junk food or a takeaway when their mother is away (Stanford University) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4698408/Fathers-likely-feed-children-junk-food.html
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