It may not be a crystal ball, but PR execs can use all they help they can get on measurement: A new "Bibliography of Public Relations Measurement," developed by the Institute
for Public Relations and Tina Carroll and Dr. Don Stacks of the University of Miami. The bibliography covers general and advanced research topics, measurement scales and scaling
techniques, reliability, cases and research reports, peer-reviewed journals and other published sources of information on PR measurement. It also includes more than 125 citations
from leading measurement authorities. The document can be downloaded for free at
http://www.instituteforpr.com/measurement_bibliography.phtml.
The End of the Paper Press Kit?... Remember, we were supposed to be living in a paperless society by now so you might want to take this survey with a grain of salt. The Web
team at PR powerhouse Weber Shandwick recently polled more than 1,500 media outlets and found that an increasing number of them prefer electronic communications to paper
materials. The team took the pulse of a broad range of business, consumer, lifestyle and technology journalists to gauge their favorite ways to receive client news. Nearly 70% of
respondents cited the Internet and electronic communications as their top choice; fewer than 10% said e-communications had little value.
"Technology should never get in the way of the message, but make no mistake, it will have a profound impact on the way we communicate with the media in the future," said Mike
Spataro, executive VP, Weber Shandwick, Web Relations, in a news release. Reporters also cited faster access to PR contacts and easier to forward to appropriate people in their
organization as the reasons for preferring electronic communications. Weber Shandwick reps also asked journalists for their recommendations on best practices regarding sending
electronic media kits and came up with the following bullet points:
* Keep the subject line simple
* Don't "attach" documents or make the e-mail message too large
* Make your client/PR contact details easy to find
* Be sure to include access to "print-friendly" versions of all kit contents
* Consider widening the net - e-mail distribution allows you to reach media more economically, but always be sure your targets are appropriate