Final Post

As the semester is coming to a close, this will be my final blog post.  I hope you have enjoyed my posts throughout the semester as I have given you a taste of Public Relations within the fitness and supplement industry.  However,  this week I will once again veer away from this topic and comment on two of my classmates' blogs for the last time.

A blog post that I found very interesting to read was Charlie Niland's post on experimental research within the field of medicine.  As expected, experimental research is vital in this field as scientists are constantly experimenting with different products and antibiotics to be able to put them on the market to benefit people's health.  Charlie touched upon the extent of experimental research that goes on within the field and also points out the question of ethics.  He provided a very informational article that talks about the role of ethics in medical developments, leaving readers room to think about the role of experimental research in the field of medicine. 

Another blog post that I found very interesting was Lindsey Hock's post on experimental research surrounding media violence.  Lindsey's post was very in-depth as she examined experiments that had been done investigating media violence to benefit major networks such as NBC and CBS.  She also provided an expeirment that was done by NBC in the 1970s so the reader can see how experimental research has evolved throughout the years.  The post was very informative in how experimental research was conducted to examine sociology and psychology of individuals to benefit a major network such as NBC.

And there you have it.  I hope you have enjoyed my posts each week throughout the semester.  I have learned a great amount of Public Relations Research within the fitness and supplement industry as well as other classmates' topics.  In conclusion, I ahve learned that a variety of PR Research methods can be conducted to benefit all industries throughout the world.

Experimental Research

This week I will focus my blog on experimental research, which plays a big role in the fitness and supplement industry.  Consumers are constantly conducting experiments on their own after purchasing different supplements.  For example, an avid user of supplements will record his or her statistics of weights while working out on a specific supplement.  Then, after a couple weeks of working out without supplements, that person may try another supplement and record statistics from lifts while using that specific product.  In this case, the control would be that person's lifts without using any supplements, making it very easy to manipulate each supplement to yield results.  Here is an article of an example of a supplement user conducting an experiment with a new product.

Another way experiment research is used within the industry is where companies hire "testers" to use their product then provide opinions and results after using the supplement.  This is an experimental method where companies can get intensive feedback from consumers who experience the product first-hand.

In my opinion, experimental research is constantly being done within the fitness and supplement industry.  Both companies and consumers are constantly conducting experiments with specific products to benefit both the supplier and the buyer.

Survey Research

This week I will focus my attention to surveys, which is a very efficient quantitative research method.  If conducted correctly, surveys are very beneficial while also being time efficient and inexpensive.  Surveys yield statistical data and can be used to discover a vast variety of information.

Surveys in the fitness and supplement industry can be used for a broad range of topics.  The most obvious type of survey is used to rate supplements on a number system.  For example, users are able to rate supplements on various online databases through a survey method.  A number system is given for each supplement where users can rate the products on a scale of 1-10.  This yields fast and inexpensive data for companies and other customers.  Secondly, surveys are used for companies to find out more information on consumers and how it will affect their consumer behavior.  Companies often conduct surveys to get the latest information on customers which will improve the way they market their products.  Another way in which surveys are used is within customer service.  These are surveys with basic questions regarding their latest purchase from that company.  In an industry where customers are dependent on others to help them make decisions upon purchase, a survey method can be very beneficial in evaluating a company's customer service.

As you see, surveys are a vital research method that can yield a variety of statistical data to inform both companies and consumers regarding the fitness and supplement industry.  In my opinion, surveys are the most efficient method of quantitative research because it is very time efficient and inexpensive.

Classmates' Blogs

This week I will focus my attention to my other classmates' blogs concerning the method of qualitative research within their specific topics.  As I read many of the blogs, I found that qualitative research is very common and beneficial to a variety of industries and topics.  It involves non-numerical strategies such as focus groups and observations.  By reading other classmates' blogs, I learned there is a use for these tactics in all industries.

First, I read about qualitative research within Sam's blog.  Sam talked about an article revealing qualitative research and its use in the fashion industry.  It was intriguing to discover how this time of research is so important to companies as they are constantly depending on feedback and reviews from clients to further their company success.  In an industry that is constantly changing, it is important for companies to use qualitative research to keep up with their clients and trends.

I also read Alyssa's Blog regarding qualitative research within the fast food industry.  Alyssa described how this specific industry requires a lot of qualitative research to keep up and surpass competitors.  As there are many competitors in this industry, it is vital to get the views and opinions of customers regarding both your company as well as others in the area.  For example, McDonald's and Burger King are constantly going back and forth offering the "next best thing" to surpass each other.  A lot of these actions are based on the qualitative research including focus groups and observations from customers.

In conclusion, by reading other classmates' blogs it is easy to see that qualitative research is important regarding all companies and industries.  Each topic has many uses for qualitative research in digging to find opinions as well as the "why" and "how" of specific topics. 

Qualitative Research

This week I will base my blog post around the realm of qualitative research within the fitness and supplement industry.  Qualitative reseach can yield a great amount of information for any industry.  For a basic definition, qualitative research is the gathering of data through non-numerical information which investigates the "why" and "how" of a certain topic.  This research can be conducted through many methods such as observation, focus groups, and discussions.  

As the fitness and supplement industry is very difficult to gather numerical data, due to irs prodcuts' complexities, qualitative research is consistently an effective manner in which companies seek information from customers regarding their products.  Qualitative research is conducted more than people think regarding fitness and supplements.  For example, a person at the gym consumes a certain supplement followed by others asking that person how he or she feels about that product.  Before you know it, there is a "focus group" of people discussing the effectiveness of supplements, in other words engaging in qualitative research.  There are many aspects that consumers want to be informed about before buying a product regarding the benefits and side effects of each product.  It is important to get other opinions on the product before making the decision to purchase that specific supplement.

Companies within the industry are able to conduct qualitative research through message boards and discussion forums as "average Joe's" continually discuss aspects of fitness and supplements open to the public.  Also, companies ar able to gather in retail stores that sell these products to discuss supplements and observe customers' purchase behavior.  Personally, before I purchase a supplement I conduct a great amount of qualitative research by reading discussions about that product, as well as observing others before I make my purchase.

In my opinion, qualitative research is vital in the fitness and supplement industry.  Methods of qualitative research are used by both the seller and the buyer in various ways.  In an industry where quanitative research is very difficult to gather, qualitative research thrives in effectively providing both the company and consumer with data and information.

Unobtrusive Research Elsewhere

This week I will focus on other classmates' blogs and how they relate to unobtrusive research methods.  Every blog i read had a valid situatuon where unobtrsuve research could be applied.  It contributed to the theory that unobtrusive research can be very beneficial to every industry.

The first blog I read was Charlie Niland's blog post regarding unobtrusive research.  This was an interesting post to read because Charlie stated that he conducted types of unobtrusive research with a first-hand experience at his internship last summer.  He conducted content analysis and looked up historical data on government representatives regarding stem cell research to then report back to his managers with the information.  This is an example of indirect measures of data collection as he was searching through historical data without the subjects knowing.

The second blog I read was Lindsey Hock's blog post.  As well as Charlie, Lindsey's post on unobtrusive research came from a first-hand experience from her internship at NBC.  She mentioned how NBC would use content analysis to measure the publicity of the network in different forms of media such as newspapers, magazine, and the internet.  She also mentioned the Neilson rating system, which reports the amount of audience viewing each different television programming.  This is called syndicated research and is a great way to monitor the publicity of a network or business.

In my opinion, unobtrusive research applies to every industry.  The data collected by this type of research can be very beneficial to any business to move ahead of a competitor.  As reading my peers' blogs, I realized that these forms of research are very similar to each other and pertain to the same goal to find out more about the public and industry, to ultimately move ahead of competitors.

Unobtrusive Research

An aspect of PR I will focus on in this post is unobtrusive research.  Believe it or not, all of us conduct, and are subjects of unobtrusive research each and everyday.  Unobtrusive research is the gathering of data without any formal or direct relation to the research subjects.  It can simply be observing subjects in specific enviornments to collect data to pertain to your study.  Unobtrusive data can also be gathered by published statistics or sources without the subjects knowing.

Unobtrusive research is very relevant to the Fitness and Supplement Industry.  In fact, most of the data that is gathered by companies in this industry is obtained by unobtrusive research.  One aspect of collecting data in this manner is through bodybuilding profiles and statistics.  There are many websites where anybody is able to create a profile, list their supplements, and provide their results and progress regarding their body and health.  The most famous site is a network called Bodybuilding.Com-BodySpace.  This is a social network of bodybuilders listing their supplements and progress.  Any person, from a supplement company or not, can go on the website and "creep" on each member's bodybuilding information.  This is an example of collecting unobtrusive research.

Another example of conducting unobtrusive research within this field takes place at supplement retailers such as GNC and Vitamin Shoppe.  Supplement company employees can gather data by going to these stores and observing the subjects that come into the store and choose what they want to purchase.  A lot of information can be gathered by subjects' body language, questions, and decisions made between supplements.  Once again, this is a form of gathering information from unobtrusive research.

In my opinion, unobtrusive research, including aspects such as content analysis and indirect measures, is how most data is collected within the fitness and supplement industry.  Companies greatly rely on obtaining information from subjects without them knowing.  This serves as a very important method in the industry.

Blog Reviews

Instead of a new topic, this week my goal is to examine other classmates' blogs and how they relate to PR aspects within the fitness and supplement industry in which I have investigated.  As I have been reading other classmates' blogs it is very interesting to understand the aspects of public relations in each industry and how they are very similar to my topic. 

The first blog I examined was Charlie Niland's blog, entitled "cniland's blog".  This blog was very appealing to me because I have a high interest in pharmaceudical marketing and one day will possibly pursue a career in that field.  I also found this blog to be very interesting because it was from a first-hand experience as Charlie was an intern at a medical marketing firm this past summer.  I found his posts on research and ethics to be very fascinating as he said while working at this internship he had to conduct research where he would occasionally find falsified identities.  It was also interesting to read about the continuous ethical debate on stem cell research and regenerate medicine.  This is a field where I would like to gain more knowledge and sense of the PR and marketing incorporated in the industry.

The second blog I decided to review was Lindsey Hock's blog, entitled "Lindsey's Blog".  Like Charlie's, this blog was also from a first-hand experience as Lindsey was an intern at NBC30 this past summer.  While reading this blog, it was fascinating to realize how much PR research goes into the broadcast of shows and events on NBC30.  For example, Lindsey goes in-depth about the Olympics being aired on NBC30  and all of the hard work and research that goes into having this worldwide event aired.  Her blog also brought up many intriguing points regarding ethics within the station.  Lindsey described the tv show, "Dateline", as crossing the line, for the sake of good television.  In a specific example, a sex offender took his own life after witnessing himself on the show, making it unbearable for him to live with himself.  This case brought up a major question of ethics regarding "how far is too far?".  It portrays the network as in some ways getting caught up in good entertainment television.

After reading many blogs and commenting on a couple, I have come to the realization that all industries, in a way, are the same.  Research and ethics have very similar characteristics within each industry you look at. In my opinion, all industries heavily rely on the PR research that is done, and have ethical problems where the difference between "right and wrong" is blurred.  It was very interesting to read others' blogs and notice how similar each industry is to each other.   

The Impact of Research Results

In the fitness and supplement industry, research is everything.  With the expansion of so many companies in the field, it is vital to constantly research consumers and their desires.  Especially in the muscle-building aspect, all companies research the effects of fitness products and supplements have on the consumer.  There are two major parts of research in this field.  One, is researching different ingredients and blends to put into a supplement.  The second, is the evaluation research from consumers through forums, message boards, and review boards.  

An aspect of PR Research within this field deals with the production of these supplements and the actual blends produced by the dietary supplement companies.  As more and more scientific research is done concerning different blends and ingredients, companies need to move fast to get these into their products before the next does.  For example, latest research on nitric oxide reveals that when nitrogen is held in muscles for a longer period of time, there is more time for protein synthesis and ultimately muscle-building.  After this research was conducted, companies rushed to get nitric oxide into their supplement products, such as the very popular NO-Explode.  Companies are constantly researching to look for that 'secret ingredient' to achieve better results within their customers.  After they achieve this goal, research starts back up again as customers reveal their results with companies and other customers.

 

One of the most popular ratings site for supplements is SupplementReviews.com .  Here, consumers are able to rate and review each product with an in-depth, first-hand experience.    The website is a goldmine for PR Research as there is a numbered ratings system, an area to submit a written review, as well as pros and cons for the product.  With all the supplements rated by many users, and averaged together, companies and customers are able to easily research these dietary-supplements with a click of the mouse.   

In my opinion, research is what keeps this industry moving.  The amount of customer reviews and ratings within the field is the most important aspect for companies as well as other customers.  PR Research is an ongoing circle that never stops within the fitness and supplement industry.  Not only is research being done for new supplements, but also evaluating customers reviews and ratings for their products.  90% of all PR Research is done in the evaluation aspect.  Research and Evaluation are vital in the rising sales of this booming industry.

Research Ethics: Are they forgotten?

As companies in the fitness and dietary-supplement industry dig deeper and deeper for that "over the top" product to sell to consumers, the lines of research ethics become more and more blurred.  The major reason for this is that the industry is not regulated as much as it should be.  Ever notice the "before and after" pictures in magazines advertising health products and supplements? Sometimes it doesn't look remotely like the same person.  Or how about those ridiculous claims on the label? Where has that 'guarantee' been proven?  Research ethics are on the decline regarding the fitness and supplement industry, which is a great cause of concern to us, the consumers.

 

 Most of these far fetched claims are made in the muscle-building world, such as MuscleTech Nitro-Tech's claim that by taking the powder you will gain 14 pounds of muscle in 2 weeks.  14 pounds of muscle in 2 weeks? Get real.  Where is the evidence to back this up?  However, evidence or not, customers see that flashy claim and get trapped into thinking it is liquid gold.  In my opinion, these claims are unethical as companies trick their consumers into buying these products.  

In addition, product labels frequently show percentages regarding the amount of people who have increased muscle mass, or the amount of people who have lost weight to get more of a firm body.  once again, where is this research being done? There are no credentials or evidence proving that this research isn't just made up to increase sales. 

Dr. Lindsay Moore's article, "An Industry in Crisis: Are Consumers Getting What They Deserve", points out the loss of moral standards and research ethics within the industry.  She touches upon the history of the industry and how ethics have worsened within the field.  She describes how incorporating pharmeceudical effectiveness opened the flood gates to supplement claims whether they are scams or not. 

 "These products intensified the implication of pharmaceutical effectiveness and drove the industry as ingredients in condition-specific formulations. They unlocked a Pandora’s Box of questionable products, unreliable dosages, absence of or minimal active ingredients, non-scientific claims, marketing hype, and, de facto, consumer exploitation."

In my personal opinion, ethics within the fitness and supplement industry are diminishing more and more.  People each day get scammed by fitness and dietary-supplement industries by their erroneous claims to get a better, healthier body.  This is not ethical, and the way I see it, the FDA needs to step in and place stronger regulations on the fitness and supplement companies who are scamming consumers.  Research ethics within the industry are very slim and will continue to diminish unless the government takes action.

Fitness and Supplement PR Focus..

Everywhere you look in social media, including magazines and the internet, products are advertised to promote the "better, healthier body".  Whether it's the model with six-pack abs on the cover of a health magazine, or a new cutting edge piece of equipment advertised on television by tan, oiled-up bodies, the fitness and supplement industries are everywhere.  Supplement stores such as GNC and Vitamin Shoppe are popping up everywhere as the interests in fitness and supplements grow within the public.  As being an avid fan of fitness and exercise, I have developed a great interest in the supplement industry and have also been a consistent buyer.  Beginning with the desire and determination to improve in high school sports, fitness has become an addiction for myself, as well as much of the public.

The focus of this blog is investigate the PR tactics and research in which fitness and supplement companies use to promote their latest, cutting-edge product to put you over the top of the competition for a better body.  Companies such as BSN and Muscletech spend an enormous amount of money on public relations and advertising to attract customers.  No matter which products are truly effective or not, companies consistently come up with ways to attract these buyers.  With the use of great public relations, these companies are able to sell anything they want, scam or not, to their broad target audience.  The focus of this blog is to examine these growing PR tactics within the fitness and supplement industries.