While measurement mavens across the PR profession agree that clip counts are no longer the be-all/end-all, media monitoring still has a viable place in the communications
industry. In a recent survey of approximately 400 professionals, conducted by PR News and BurrellesLuce, respondents indicated that there is still a significant
amount of time, energy and emphasis placed on media measures.
"The things people are saying are the things we have always stressed: comprehensiveness of source lists and the editing process," says Sue Ross, vice president of marketing at
BurrellesLuce. "But [the results show] that no one has enough time; you have people trying hard to get coverage that interests them, and then you have people trying hard to get
rid of what they don't need."
Case in point: A substantial amount of time and resources are placed on organizing and distributing news coverage each month - 40% of respondent reported spending 10-20% of
their workload tending to media monitoring. Thus, the quality of the coverage they receive - and especially the form in which they receive it - becomes integral to making clips
count.
"Even though there is this mass of information that everyone has access to, there is still a certain amount of tension," Ross says. "First of all, [PR professionals] need to
see the coverage, and they need for it to be accurate. Then they need for it to be measured."
And measured it is - or at least should be. Eighty-eight percent of respondents said that basic measurement statistics on coverage was either very or somewhat important.
Perhaps more intriguing, though, was the preferred delivery method for clips. A whopping 91% of those surveyed said they want to receive clips either in their original printed
format or electronically with all charts and photos included. (Of those who prefer electronic delivery, 61% want clips to be sent via e-mail.) This gives way to the importance
of measurement metrics; by seeing where the story was placed in the news source, PR executives can assign weight based on front-page coverage, brief mentions, small sidebars, etc.
Then pinpointing the value return is easier, and it makes the measures far more significant.
State Of Substance
When asked about the biggest challenge faced when it comes to media monitoring, an overwhelming number of respondents cited accuracy of coverage, deciding how much specific
coverage is worth and actually collecting all the coverage received. This should prompt senior PR executives - and clip monitoring services - to aggregate data with special
attention to timeliness and scope. Covering national papers, magazines and broadcasts is great, but for the majority of clients, coverage will come from the regional and local
levels.
Then, of course, there is the issue of content. "It's important not only to get info on your clients, but on their competitors," says Missy Acosta, vice president and managing
director of Waterhouse Public Relations in Chattanooga, TN. "Noting trends is also important."
But PR executives should also note what is important but lacking when it comes to media marketing, according to Brenda Siler, national director of communications for the
United Negro College Fund.
"If we're looking at news coverage, it's difficult to get radio feedback," says Siler. "Plus, next to no one is covering African American press, excluding the national
magazines like Ebony. And what about the faith-based market? That's hugely untapped. So we end up subscribing to a monitoring service, but we also have all these
subscriptions to do by hand. It's tedious; you never can catch up."
Contacts: Sue Ross, 800.631.1160, [email protected]; Missy Acosta, 423.643.4977, [email protected]; Brenda Siler, [email protected].
Media Monitoring in 2006: A Quick Survey
1. What percentage of your staff time each month is spent organizing and distributing your news coverage?
- Less than 10%: 37%
- Between 10-20%: 40%
- Between 20-30%: 14%
- More than 30%: 9%
2. When deciding upon a media monitoring solution, how important is/are (on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being unimportant and 5 being very important)
Number of news sources monitored
- 1: 9%
- 2: 3%
- 3: 11%
- 4: 21%
- 5: 56%
Speed with which you receive your coverage
- 1: 22%
- 2: 6%
- 3: 14%
- 4: 24%
- 5: 34%
An editing process that ensures you only get clips that match your search terms
- 1: 5%
- 2: 9%
- 3: 18%
- 4: 25%
- 5: 44%
Pictures and graphics that are associated with the original article
- 1: 14%
- 2: 14%
- 3: 28%
- 4: 24%
- 5: 20%
3. Do you prefer to receive your clips:
- In their original print format: 12%
- Electronically with all photos and graphs: 38%
- Electronically with text only: 5%
- Both Print and Electronic Delivery: 41%
- Other: 4%
4. If you prefer to receive your clips electronically, do you prefer:
- The clips be sent via e-mail: 61%
- The clips be accessible through a secure Web portal: 35%
- Other: 4%
5. How important is it to you to receive basic measurement statistics on the media coverage you receive each month?
- Very important: 54%
- Somewhat: 34%
- Not too important: 12%
A survey of PR News and BurrellesLuce