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Data has given us the ability to put science behind what was once considered an art. It makes communications more customized and targeted, predictive and quantified, FleishmanHillard SVP Brendan Streich argues. He uses the example of higher education to make his point about how to use data to gain business insights.

To mark Measurement Month 2019, PRNEWS and partner PublicRelay surveyed some 350 communicators about their attitudes toward measurement. The findings indicate PR pros are becoming more sophisticated in their attitude toward measurement, particularly with regard to gaining insight from data.

In this age of disinformation, PR pros are more important than ever, says the 2021 PRSA chair Michelle Olson. “If we do nothing except hold up the candle of ethics in business and in our organizations, we will have done our jobs,” she tells us in a wide-ranging interview.

PRNEWS joined with CS&A, an international crisis and risk firm, to survey the attitudes of PR pros about crisis pain points, levels of preparation and post-crisis education. While firms are doing better with their crisis preparation, there is still a long road ahead, the survey of some 200 executives found. In addition, post-crisis lessons seem way down the list, as does preparation for cybersecurity crises.

Along with Measurement Month, it’s the time of year when PR evaluation and funding questions arise for the coming fiscal year. Executives who invest in PR are becoming more discriminating. Moreover, they insist on data to back up their decisions. Here are 10 questions to help you use measurement to prepare your budget presentation for 2020.

It’s fitting that our traditional monthly roundtable this month centers on measurement. We asked about the state of measurement, issues that continue to exist and what’s ahead. In short, there’s guarded optimism for PR measurement, though there’s still concern that some communicators choose not to measure. In addition, the colleges seem to be doing precious little to encourage students to appreciate the need for measurement.

Charlene Wheeless, incoming chair of the board at Page and a VP for global corporate affairs at Bechtel Corporation, says CCOs must step up in new ways. In addition to their traditional business roles, CCOs need to become stronger leaders who bring additional value to society. She believes Page’s programs can help.

How can senior executives establish themselves as thought leaders via social media? Authenticity, transparency and timeliness are crucial, says Dominique Scott of APCO, who offers a four-point plan designed to launch a successful thought leadership effort.

In part II of a series IPR Measurement Commission chair Mark Weiner discusses new, supplemental approaches to measurement that promise to revolutionize PR. The spark for this uprising, he writes, is attribution analysis.

The Fraudnomics Summit last month in NYC made one of its goals eliminating the estimated $1.3 billion in influence marketing fraud. Unilever N America’s Casey DePalma McCartney told us communicators must think long term and holistically about the influencer ecosystem.