nfpSynergy is regularly commissioned to conduct communications research for a wide range of our not for profit or public sector clients, and often directly by a creative agency working for a charity. We have seen many times how valuable it can be in helping a campaign to fulfil its potential and ultimately help an organisation to meet its objectives.

In our experience, good communications research respects the expertise and creative instinct of the agency and the client, and seeks to create an environment in which constructive feedback and insight can be solicited from the target audience to ensure the elements of the creative are as relevant and motivating as possible.

Perhaps reflecting the creativity of the process of developing communications, there isn’t necessarily a formula for research which can be applied in the same way each time. Each brief will differ according to its own creative objective and the target audience, the point at which it has been decided to commission some research and the wider context of the communications environment.

In this briefing we will offer an explanation of the value of using research when developing communications materials, and outline a framework which can be used to guide the process.

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