▶ More Cooks in the Kitchen: The vast majority of dads (75%) are more involved in raising their children than their fathers were, according to a recent study released by Edelman.
“America’s Kitchens: Redefining Roles and Values,” asked 500 moms and 500 dads about their household structure. Some of the results show a surprising shift in roles. The survey is notable in the changing types of influencers when it comes to consumer markets. PR folks need to be aware of the trend, as they craft campaigns targeting families both traditional and unconventional.
Here are some other stats from the study:
> Moms are the primary income source in 40% of households. What’s more, 25% of moms are now out-earning dads.
> More than half of moms and dads (65%) believe their eating habits are a direct reflection of themselves.
> More than two-thirds of the respondents indicated that a company’s values and community initiatives were a factor when they shop.
Source: Edelman
▶ What’s the Cost of Content Marketing? A recent IMN survey revealed that nearly half (49%) of its respondents have a content marketing strategy in place. And 33% are developing a strategy to implement in the future.
The survey respondents were composed of marketers from various sized organizations, multiple industries and titles ranging from consultants to CMOs.
Here are some other stats from the survey:
> A majority of respondents (67%) said they use a newsletter to distribute content to their customers and prospects.
> More than two-thirds of respondents (78%) said that they curate content. But 48% of the respondents said that they have faced permission and attribution issues in the process.
> Nearly half of the respondents (44%) cited lead generation as the most important goal of content marketing, up from 16% in 2012. PRN
Source: IMN
The Measurement Myth
Myth: The only way to connect PR with sales requires sophisticated and expensive statistical analysis using marketing mix modeling or data optimization.
Truth: While marketing mix modeling and optimization are great tools for companies and brands that have the resources (thousands of transactions a week, diverse market presence, financial resources), it does not mean that under-resourced organizations can’t make a similar connection between PR efforts and sales.
One simple way is to emulate the “sales funnel” using the characteristics of a media placement. At its widest, the sales funnel represents awareness and, as it tapers, the process represents the evolution from awareness to understanding to preference and then behavior. Here’s an example that may be used for either traditional or social media PR campaigns.
• “PR News is a newsletter” compares with awareness. This simple statement implies no judgment or recommendation. It is factual rather than “positive” or “negative.”
• “PR News is a weekly newsletter providing tips and tactics for the contemporary communicator” builds understanding.
• “PR News is the best source of news for and about the PR profession” builds preference. This statement is clearly subjective and delivers differentiation messaging.
• “PR News is available now via subscription online at https://www.prnewsonline.com/about/info, for a low cost of $797 for one year” drives sales. This statement tells the consumer when and how to act.
The key to paralleling the sales funnel is to gain agreement from the executive who evaluates performance in order to ensure that the approach represents his or her own criteria for the sales funnel.
While this method is not as statistically valid as modeling, it makes no claims beyond being a vehicle to demonstrate the degree to which PR contributes to sales by conforming to the sales process.
Mark Weiner is CEO of PRIME Research Americas. If you have a measurement myth worth busting, contact Mark at [email protected].
This article appeared in the August 12 issue of PR News. Subscribe to PR News today to receive weekly comprehensive coverage of the most fundamental PR topics from visual storytelling to crisis management to media training.