How to get buy-in for your PR research campaign

So you’ve perfected your research brief. Now you need to secure the budget. The good news is that an effective research partner can be your strongest ally, because they can help you lead the conversation and demonstrate the value of thought leadership research, rather than simply rationalising the price.

In the following piece, I’ll arm you with the ‘show don’t tell’ evidence you need to demonstrate what a well-designed research strategy can do for your PR campaign.

Stop trying to justify the cost of PR research, do this instead

Most PR pros I speak to agree that this is getting increasingly difficult, particularly as geopolitical tensions and regulatory changes in Q1 led to a dip in marketing budgets across the country. But, the good news is that an effective research partner can be your strongest ally in helping to get the budget signed off.

We know that thought leadership research can significantly amplify PR results. We also know that thought leadership research can be the first step to actually get PR results, especially when your client or brand doesn’t have any announcements or news forthcoming. And that’s because original insights will give you a narrative no one else has.

Journalists don’t just need data, they want data

It bears repeating; thought leadership research is one of the best ways to generate unique statistics that stand out and get media attention. You might be reading this and thinking ‘well of course you’d say that’, and we get it. After all, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. So, consider this:

In a 2024 survey of 3,000 journalists, Cision found that 63% said they wanted data in the form of original research reports from PRs. They also found:

• 51% said PRs could make their job easier by providing data and key research

• 37% won't cover a product unless the pitch includes "data showing trends and problems the product is solving for my readers."

• 36% have used data visualisations in their work in the last year.

• The use of web polls or surveys in media content more than doubled (from 16% to 34%) between 2023 to 2024.

This signals a massive opportunity for PR professionals. By commissioning research, you could be pitching the very content journalists are actively looking for, significantly boosting your chances of media pickup

As if this wasn't compelling enough, Root Digital recently conducted an analysis of nearly 40,000 media headlines generated from digital PR campaigns between 2018 and 2024.

Their aim was to uncover the most commonly used and effective words in securing media coverage. These were the results:

The words ‘report’ and ‘study’ both appear in the top five, with other research-led words such as ‘survey’ ‘data’ ‘finds’ and ‘revealed’, all pointing to a strong media preference for content rooted in information analysis or clear insights. The evidence suggests that content based on research findings or expert opinion is more newsworthy, more credible, and more relevant to publishers seeking to inform their audiences.

The language of today’s headlines demonstrates the high value journalists still place on credibility and verifiable facts. In other words, PR research is still a potent tool to give your client or brand a significant edge when pitching to the press.

In my next opinion piece, we'll talk some more about the advantages of research for PR, and go beyond the headlines to walk through its benefits for credibility, visibility and ROI.