(This article was written by Nancy Sells, senior vice president of sales strategy & implementation at PR Newswire, and Ira Krawitz, vice president of evaluation services
at PR Newswire.)
Measuring the effectiveness of public relations has been a major challenge facing the industry for decades. Today, it is one of the hottest topics among PR professionals with
the savviest individuals understanding that measurement is key to the future of the PR industry.
The definition of measurement is the act of evaluating, based on determined criteria such as tonality, volume, share of voice, and so on, the aggregate coverage an organization
receives in the media. Proper measurement will provide a basis for which a PR practitioner can evaluate a PR program and determine if it is meeting its intended objectives and
the objectives of the organization.
According to a Spring 2005 PR Newswire survey of more than 2,500 communicators, 80% of respondents believe measuring how messages resonate with intended audiences will
be "somewhat to extremely important" in the coming year.
When The Demand Outstrips Supply
Despite the high demand for measurement and the numerous benefits it offers, very few companies engage in the practice. Why is this so? Very simply, the tools available to
the industry have been, until recently, extraordinarily costly and often cumbersome.
In 2004, PR Newswire conducted a series of 10 focus groups in the U.S. and U.K., each with approximately 10 in-house and agency-based communications professionals to determine
their interest and need for measurement services. The focus groups assessed the various measurement tools available on the market and discussed at length the types of tools that
would meet their needs.
On the whole, most recognized the need to measure the effectiveness of their communications programs but agreed that the services that were available were cost and time
prohibitive. People agreed, overwhelmingly, that the best type of tool was one that would allow each professional to choose what s/he wants to measure.
For example, some believed that measuring third party comments about their organization in the media was important, while others were interested in tracking their share of
voice versus their competitors. But all agreed that there are certain basic criteria that should always be measured:
- Volume of coverage
- Coverage by media type
- Comparisons with key competitors
- Ad equivalency values
- Quality of coverage
- Tonality of coverage (positive, neutral or negative)
- Pick up of key messages
The Need To Measure
Measurement is critical for a number of reasons. Before launching a campaign, an organization should know what messages already exist in the marketplace - whether driven by
the media, competitors or the organization's own efforts. This can help communications professionals to create messages that differentiate their company from the noise.
In addition, evaluating how an organization is being depicted in the media during a campaign can help the organization understand the impact of its messages, change its
messaging mid-program, and assess the quality of its coverage versus the competition.
Lastly, with fierce competition for budget and headcount, effective measurement provides tangible evidence to bolster a PR program and divert resources where they can be of
greatest benefit.
The most effective measurement programs begin with an agreement on what constitutes a successful public relations program. In other words, what criteria should be evaluated to
determine success. Expect to invest time initially to establish these criteria, but once they are set you should expect to receive regular evaluation reports that clearly
illustrate the success of your program and that can be easily shared with others in your organization.
Measurement is usually viewed as more objective and credible when conducted using an independent firm, system or tool. For a relatively low cost, you can measure volume of
clips and tone (positive/neutral/negative), share of coverage versus the competition, the size of the audience reached through all placements, and key message pick up. Today's
automated systems are so sophisticated that they need little human intervention and therefore cost less. Consider tools that provide a basic service but allow you to add on
criteria as needed. These services are very cost-effective and easily scalable to your specific needs.
ContactS: Nancy Sells, [email protected]; Ira Krawitz, [email protected].