Ask the Expert: Identifying and Evaluating Research Suppliers
A Q&A with Beth Roed, VP of Business Development for Delahaye
How should I prepare to search for the right research company?
Answer: First, take a step back and make sure you have thought through what you are trying to achieve with a measurement program. Only after you have determined and prioritized your organization's specific objectives, and those of your department, will you be ready to have meaningful conversations with research suppliers.
For example, if your organization is extremely customer-focused, your primary objective would be to evaluate what your customers see, read and hear. Another objective, such as learning how your public perception compares to that of your competitors, may be a secondary priority for you.
The more you understand about your organization's unique requirements, the better you can tailor a solution that will have the most impact on your communications programs.
Should I involve senior management in my selection process?
Answer: Absolutely. Before you begin contacting suppliers, make sure you have a good understanding of how senior management, defines the success of the communications and PR function. One company's senior management team may value PR's contribution to reputation-building; another team may put more emphasis on driving traffic to the corporate web site to increase positive coverage. By engaging management early on, you reduce any risk factors inherent in your final selection and ultimately deliver what's needed and expected.
How do I choose a supplier when they all sound the same?
Answer: The devil is in the details. Based on your needs, you should look closely at the different services and areas of expertise that each supplier offers. For example, some firms only offer survey research, while others may only focus on media analysis. Be careful that they don't try to make your needs fit into their limited offerings. Your objective and needs should steer the process.
Some companies appear to offer a wider range of services, but be aware of whether their expertise exists in-house or is outsourced. Many of these companies will partner with outside suppliers, who may have varying degrees of quality and reputation to handle different services. Some of these partnerships last less than a celebrity marriage, resulting in lack of trend data when the partnership ends. Partnerships can look great on paper, but do not always pan out when the real work begins.
Needless to say, it's always a good idea to check references and actually speak to the person who you'll be working with. Given the amount of time and energy that goes into this process, you need to make sure that person has the expertise and background that you require.
Price will inevitably be a factor. Be mindful that "price" can be a misleading indicator. For example, if a particular service provider's annual fees are lower, but their system requires many hours to manage, the true cost will include your staff time. Similarly, some media analysis firms omit the cost of content while others include it. Content costs can equal the research fees, or can even exceed it. Conversely, if the research supplier's analysis provides strategic guidance which saves your organization millions of dollars, that too, should be considered in your "net" cost analysis.
What can I expect from a research supplier in this process?
You want to select a research supplier that truly listens to your needs and can offer a customized solution that is tailored to your needs. They should be asking good questions in order to understand your value system and definitions. For example, if you say you need to determine the ROI of your PR programs, does that mean you want to know how your PR is impacting sales, or that you want to achieve 20% of all industry coverage? A top supplier will guide you in the right direction and come up with solutions you haven't thought of.
We hope these answers provide a helpful guideline for identifying and evaluating research suppliers. If you have any comments or more questions on this topic, please contact Beth Roed at broed@delahaye.com
