Generating Headlines that Matter: Research in PR Campaigns

Research isn’t a “bolt-on” to PR anymore. For organisation’s trying to build brand awareness in crowded markets, insight can turn communications from well-intended noise into measurable influence. The most effective programs start with evidence, not assumptions, and end with business outcomes, not just headlines.

PR is about trust, and trust needs proof

Your audience has more information, choice, and reasons to doubt than ever before. Whether you’re a tech scale-up, a sustainability leader, or a global enterprise, their first instinct is to ask: “Says who?”

Research answers that question. It turns a claim into a credible insight. It provides third-party evidence to elevate your messaging beyond corporate opinion, giving journalists, stakeholders, and customers something to believe. In practice, this means:

• Thought leadership that is genuinely authoritative, not just well-written.
• Campaign narratives backed by data, not marketing language.
• Reputation positions that are defensible, even under scrutiny.

For clients, this protects and strengthens credibility in a world where trust can be fragile.

Research makes PR strategic (and less risky)

A common hidden cost in PR is the wrong starting point. If a brief is built mainly on internal viewpoints and assumptions, even a brilliant execution can miss the mark externally. Research helps define the problem properly before the solution is shaped.

It will tell you who your priority stakeholders are, what they believe and need, what influences their decisions, and where your organisation can credibly lead the conversation.

It also reduces risk. Unresearched campaigns can misread culture, overestimate interest, or unintentionally trigger backlash. Research is a safety net by testing messages and identifying pressure points early, to help build narratives that fit external reality, not just internal ambition.

Instinct matters, but evidence wins

PR partners are hired for their experience, judgment, and creativity. Those things matter. But instinct is shaped by bias and proximity. When too close to a brand or issue, it’s easy to assume other people see it the same way.

Research provides the outsider view. It checks intuition against what your current and potential audiences think and do. The result is fewer resources wasted on angles that don’t resonate, stronger confidence in recommendations, and faster alignment across internal teams. Research doesn’t replace instinct; it makes it smarter.

Research creates stories that travel

Many clients want stories that don’t just gain attention for a week but build reputation over time, and original research is a way to achieve this.

The media always welcome new credible insight. When research exposes a surprising tension or cultural shift, it becomes a story engine powering earned coverage, thought leadership, owned content, events, and sales proof points. Done well, it won’t feel like a “PR poll,” but a meaningful contribution to your category – helping stakeholders make sense of change. And in a multi-market environment, research creates a shared foundation that can be activated.

What good PR research looks like (and why it protects you)

Not all research is equal. Weak studies can backfire fast when journalists or audiences question credibility. That’s why methodology matters.

Strong PR research is objective-led, representative, and carefully designed to avoid bias. It’s interpreted by experts who translate data into implications for strategy and messaging. Finally, it’s built for storytelling – turning findings into human narratives rather than just charts. It protects brands and ensures insight strengthens, rather than dilutes, reputation.

Research proves value in business terms

PR is increasingly held to the same accountability standards as other business functions. Leaders want to know not just what you produced, but what changed because of it. Research connects communications to outcomes.

It can measure shifts in awareness, trust, belief, preference versus competitors, and readiness to recommend, buy, invest, or partner. It’s not only tracking what people saw but showing what they thought or did as a result. By proving ROI, it builds confidence among decision-makers, protects investment, and informs future planning.

In summary

PR today is too visible, too fast, and too accountable to run on assumptions. Research gives communications clarity, credibility, and strategic edge – the ingredients needed to win attention and trust across markets.

If you’re considering a new positioning, a global narrative, or a campaign that needs distinctive authority, a research-led approach can help you move faster, safer, and with far greater impact. When insight leads, results follow.

Rachel Carter is Head of Research
at Arlington Research – the market
research expert team of
GlobalCom PR Network