Once the champagne fog of New Year's lifts and the well of vacation days runs dry, it's time to hit the ground running for another year. But like all January 1-inspired
initiatives - revisiting diets, recommitting to workout schedules - revamping one's communications department should not be omitted from the to-do list. Thus, the following five-
step strategy - outlined by Fraser Likely (president and managing partner of Likely Communication Strategies) and expanded upon by Matthew Gonring (vice president for
global marketing and communications, Rockwell Automotive) and David Rockland (partner and global director of research at Ketchum) in PR News' December
Webinar- takes the fear and loathing out of a long-term commitment PR measurement.
Audit the Organization's PR System
According to Likely, "Management hasn't shown much interest in process measurement. They want results with regards to the execution of corporate strategy, so [PR
practitioners] need to measure performance more directly."
The first step in doing so effectively is to shift the focus to result measures and, especially when there has been management/staff turnover, to assess the organization's PR
function. Because the New Year often brings new leadership and new initiatives, it's the most appropriate time to being implementing the approach.
While the time and money costs are substantial - Likely estimates it could take three to four months and cost $40,000 to $60,000 - the benefits are even more so: This
examination provides an assessment of the system's effectiveness and the overall communications climate, setting a standard by which to measure future outcomes.
Benchmark the PR Unit's Work Process
What better time to cut costs then the present? The C-suite will surely agree, and the PR department's frugality now may precipitate more generous giving as the year ages and
the ROI on PR becomes clear. Benchmarking the unit's work process (including approval and production processes, as well as procedural, HR and administrative practices) when it's
time to pinch pennies - or to better align workload with roles and responsibilities - can initiate departmental changes, demonstrate management capabilities and identify better
measurement processes, all of which benefit the communications team.
But the cost of, well, cutting costs isn't necessarily cheap: $25,000 to $45,000, according to Likely's estimates, though he says the ends justify the means: "If one wants to
show value, one has to measure, and it's going to cost money."
Beyond simply benchmarking the unit's work process, Gonring also emphasizes the need to benchmark the customer's loyalty. "Everything is aligned with customer intimacy," he
says. "Positioning is the roadmap. It's what you say and how you say it."
Rockland of Ketchum expands upon the benchmarking tactic by underlining the shift in importance from outputs to outcomes to business results. Outcomes mark the benchmarking
stage with pre- and post-campaign surveys that track the effects of messaging efforts. To take this one step further, Ketchum employs a tool called Brandbuilder that uses a
survey methodology to link outputs to outcomes to desired behavior. By allowing respondents to rate the client company, the competitor, and the companies the client would like to
emulate, it helps determine a reputation strategy. This technique provides an entrée into the third step:
Evaluate a Major Communications Campaign
This stage of the departmental facelift pits one of your major PR programs against that of a major client, stakeholder relations or community-relations program for evaluation
purposes. Doing this over a period of time (three, six or nine months, Likely suggests) can demonstrate the PR department's competencies; a behavioral change and ROI from
communications effects; and the PR value to the change initiatives of another department. If, as the old saying goes, part of where you're going is knowing where you're coming
from, then the start of the New Year in conjunction with this five-step procedure is a good time and place to figure it all out.
Review the PR Department's Operational Practices
Changes in the organization's management team or its internal clients - or just a routine departmental checkup - necessitates a review of operational practices, and with good
benefits: external validation of management, responsibilities, structure and practices. This stage can be executed in a two- to three-month timeframe at the cost of $30,000 to
$70,000, Likely estimates - a hefty sum, no doubt, but well worth it if the overall production level of the department benefits accordingly.
Study the PR Unit's Alignment with the Organization's Strategic Management
Finally, before the department's next strategic planning exercise, it's time to analyze the alignment with the organization's overall management. This effort demonstrates to
the management that the PR unit is aligned to support strategy execution and change management - all positive things when it comes to measurement.
Rockwell Automotive's "Listen. Think. Solve." mantra fits into this mold, further underlining the process of improvements to drive consumer loyalty and sales. And like all
processes that take steps to be achieved, this reevaluation of your PR department takes time - and money. But like all successful New Year's resolutions, it's the first step of a
long journey to continue elevating public relations to a stature that's meaningful, measurable and, above all, valuable.
Contacts: Fraser Likely, 613.727.8555, [email protected]; Matthew Gonring, 414.382.5575; David Rockland, 646.935.4083, [email protected]