Institute for Public Relations

ABOUT IPR Founded in 1956, the Institute for Public Relations is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation dedicated to fostering greater use of research and research-based knowledge in public relations and corporate communication practice. IPR MISSION AND VISION: WE DO THIS THROUGH THREE KINDS OF RESEARCH: - Research in public relations, to guide and evaluate communications programs (in other words, planning research, and measurement) - Research on public relations, to understand what we do and how we do it (benchmarking and best practices) - Research for public relations – the social science underpinnings of our work VISION To be a global leader for the science beneath the art of public relations. MISSION IPR is dedicated to the science beneath the art of public relations™. We create, curate, and promote research and initiatives that empower professionals with actionable insights and intelligence they can put to immediate use. WHAT WE DO: OUR THREE STRATEGIC PILLARS PREDICT: The Institute has an extraordinary resource to begin to predict what research is most needed: many of the most successful professionals in our field comprise its Board of Trustees. The Trustees are communication executives of major global companies, CEOs and presidents of top-tier PR agencies, leading academic deans and professors, and successful consultants in the field. At the core of IPR’s mission is bridging the scientific rigor of academic leaders with the business-driven practicality of communications professionals. They know what insights they need now to further their practice, elevate their value and train their staff. They know what they don’t know and need to know — fast. They are also committed to diversity and inclusion so that our areas of inquiry are relevant in today’s marketplace. This is the market-driven starting point to set our research agenda. If research isn’t asked for by these thought leaders and if it can’t offer insight that can be applied immediately, we won’t fund it. Current priorities set by our Trustees include: What can restore trust in an environment of extremely low trust? What technologies will have the greatest impact on the practice in the year ahead? What is currently most effective in organizational communication? What are tested models to predict when public relations can affect outcomes? What are the true mechanisms of influence in the fragmented world of social networking? What are the emotional and rational drivers of choice and behavior? INVESTIGATE: Specific research studies are selected and directed by the Trustees, the executive leadership of IPR and by our Centers of Excellence and Commissions — groups of Trustees and other professionals steeped in their particular area of expertise. Our current groups are the Behavioral Insights Research Center, the Organizational Communication Research Center, the Digital Media Research Center and our longest-standing group, the Measurement Commission. Recently published research, studies, and lectures capture the topical relevance of our research: Disinformation in Society, The Marketing Value of Blockchain Technology, The Future of Corporate Purpose, Fostering Influencer Relations to Manage Fake News, Women in Leadership Communications, and The Role of AI in Building Engagement, to name a few. AMPLIFY AND ENGAGE: As an organization at the center of the communications and marketing field, we know that the most insightful research available today can’t make a difference if no one knows about it. A unique strength of IPR is its dedication to actively sharing all of its knowledge. We do this by publishing and promoting our own research and also by identifying and aggregating the best research from other sources and sharing it globally in our online Research Library, through our weekly Research Letter, and at events worldwide. We are the leading convener of communications professionals at events where thoughtful practitioners can absorb and contribute to research-based knowledge, including at our Annual Distinguished Lecture, our Strategic Communications and Research Conference, our global Research Symposiums, and the Public Relations Leadership Forum. We also partner with industry organizations, companies, and C-suite organizations to reach business leaders well beyond our field. And we attract professionals and students to our research through search optimization, an engaging monthly series on YouTube called “In a Car with IPR,” featuring thought leaders discussing their most recent research, and through regular free webinars to audiences worldwide on the most relevant topics of the day.