Measurement

South Dakota’s PR campaign around the state’s methamphetamine epidemic accomplished what it set out to do—create awareness around a state-wide health crisis. But the play on words, “Meth. We’re on it,” superimposed over pictures of… Continued

November is Measurement Month. I swear it is. Johna Burke, the intelligent and ebullient global managing director of AMEC, just wished me Happy Measurement Month. So I know I’m not totally mistaken. Despite events on… Continued

We’re guessing the sudden and untimely death of Deadspin (no pun intended) as a purveyor of no-holds-barred sports and social commentary will provide a case study for business students in what not to do with a successful endeavor. This post, from PR pro Dave Dykes and PRNEWS staffer Nicole Schuman, argues that the incident also offers a bevy of PR lessons.

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.

As we celebrate Measurement Month, there’s much reason to be optimistic about the state of PR and communications measurement. Still, there are a number of hurdles blocking the profession’s path, including some communicators’ choice to avoid measurement. We explore some of the major roadblocks and offer advice about how to overcome them.

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.

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.

At the PRNEWS Measurement Boot Camp on Oct. 17, representatives from Edelman Intelligence, Prudential, AMEC (the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication), APCO, UTC, and Paine Publishing urged communicators to eschew vanity metrics and metrics in isolation. They also expounded on the importance of measuring data that aligns with your company’s business goals and presenting data conclusions in clear and concise ways.