Communication Insight Pros Bring a Variety of Talents, Experiences to PR

PR data, research and evaluation continue to flourish in agencies, non-profits and corporations large and small. 60 percent of communicators in a new poll say they measure “always or often.” The availability of low-cost technology is one reason. An indication of the growing importance of research-informed PR is the emergence of dedicated data scientists employed within communication teams.

Edelman promotes its Data & Intelligence unit (DXI) as more than “350 research specialists, business scientists, data engineers, behavioral and machine-learning experts and data strategy consultants.” Even some boutique agencies employ dedicated research and analytics talent. Universities, from USC to Rutgers, offer advanced degrees in Communication Data Science.

To encourage those considering the field and inform hiring decisions, we spoke with seven corporate members of the Institute for Public Relations Measurement Commission.

Each delivers research-based insight and guidance to communication colleagues.

They are: Jen Bruce, Ph.D. (Adobe), Cindy Villafranca (Southwest Airlines) Laju Obasaju, J.