These customers found the macho theme personally offensive to their lifestyles and had simply stopped buying the product. We open the door to failure whenever we don't know our audiences. In addition to understanding basic demographic information, business communicators also need to better understand audience opinions, attitudes and beliefs in order to communicate successfully. Public opinion research is one of the most effective tools available for understanding audiences. It's a vital element in strategic planning because it helps identify messages, target audiences, and communications vehicles.
Opinion research saves money in the long run by taking part of the guesswork out of strategizing.
It's cost effective to spend a portion of every public relations or advertising budget on opinion research before formulating a strategy for reaching audiences, rather than spending money later to find out what went wrong. Well-targeted communications designed with the benefit of research are also more cost effective than shotgun approaches. Types Of Research Surveys are the best-known type of attitudinal research. They yield quantitative data that can be scientifically projected to populations as large as an entire nation. Qualitative techniques such as focus groups provide candid feedback and insights on audience motivations and decision-making.