Katie Paine calls them "cyber-whiners," a reference to the huge
number of bloggers who, in a very short period, have altered the
online landscape -- and created another wrinkle in the
rough-and-tumble world of PR measurement.
Blogs, or online diaries that are now 34 million strong
(worldwide), have lately been making a fairly big -- though not
necessarily favorable -- impression on corporate America (see PR
News, Feb. 23). Now, a growing number of PR execs are starting to
wonder how bloggers influence their brands, products and/or
services. But targeting bloggers requires a subtle hand.
"The more you to try and control them, the more they bash you,"
says Paine, CEO of KDPaine & Partners (Durham, N.H.),
who is considered one of the profession's top measurement gurus.
"It's better to try and establish a relationship with them and
attempt to influence what they do...[But] there's no question that
there is now a higher percentage of bloggers are journalists."
Paine comments were made at a recent PR News-sponsored Webinar,
"High-Return Tactics for Measuring & Maximizing Your Media
Relations."
Bloggers actually play nicely into new types of thinking about
measurement -- the Holy Grail for PR execs who understand that
proving measurement to senior management means landing bigger
budgets. "You're trying to reach the influencers and valuable
prospects, not anyone with a pulse," Paine says.
She adds, "You have to prioritize your audiences and determine
who can bring the most benefit to the organization." Paine
presented a recipe for various measurement techniques, depending on
the objective(s).
Linda Rutherford, PR director for Southwest Airlines,
stressed that measurement does not live by media alone. Through
"source-coding," Rutherford has been able to trace nearly $2
million in Southwest ticket sales via click-throughs from
garden-variety news releases Southwest distributes (see PR News,
Oct. 27, 2004). "You have to understand the value of press releases
beyond the media," she says. "You're not just speaking [to the
press] but to the public."
(To listen to the Webinar, please go to http://www.prnewsonline.com.)
Contacts: Katie Paine, 603.868.1550, [email protected]; Linda
Rutherford, 214.792.4625, [email protected]
Influencing Outcomes: Finding What Works
Woworks
- The first spike was caused by our CEO's speech to the North
Dallas Chamber of Commerce when he announced SWA would no longer be
neutral on the law. - The second spike happened when the University of North Texas'
Bernard Weinstein released a study commissioned by DFW Airport that
showed a $787 million economic loss to the Metroplex area because
of Delta leaving DFW. - At the same time, Southwest also told media that it would set
plans in motion to repeal the amendment. - The third spike in January came when DFW announced an incentive
package for any low cost carrier that would serve DFW. It was also
sent to Southwest; Southwest announced it would decline the
offer.
Analytics show that the coverage was:
- 65 percent Dallas media
- 80 percent neutral
- 15 percent positive--mostly generated when third parties speak
out on the ridiculous, antiquated law.
Source: Linda Rutherford, Southwest Airlines