PRNEWS’ Digital Learning Series kicks off next week on Tuesday, June 18. As a preview to our final seminar later this summer, which covers the latest PR trends on measurement and data, we spoke with expert panelist Angela Dwyer, Head of Insights at FullIntel and Director of the Institute for Public Relations Measurement Commission, about some of the ideas being discussed in the PR measurement space today. Here are a few top trends.
Connecting Media Measurement With Outcomes
Media measurement has its place in proving outcomes for your organization, but it’s imperative to show that link between PR-earned media and outcomes, Dwyer says. “We need to show a connection. And media measurement is the bridge. You need to look at outcomes, because that’s the goal. Your goal isn't more news coverage or better news coverage. It's some type of behavioral perceptional change.”
And that’s what you should be measuring, she says, rather than attempting to prove 100% causation. “Media measurement, if you do it right, can show you that what you are doing on the communication side, on the PR side, is making a dent—and how.” Though the industry has been slow to make that connection, Dwyer’s work in the field suggests that progress is being made. “I'm seeing it more and more, finally—we’re having those conversations where we're laddering up to objectives, where we actually know what the objectives are of the company.”
Trust Is the Biggest Driver of Behavior
“It’s not really about big media, like it used to be, or getting the big reach numbers. It’s really all about trust,” Dwyer says. It's about tending to questions like, “where are people actually getting content that they trust?" and "what makes someone trusted?” She also recommends considering the type of content people trust—such as newsletters, for instance—and tying that into measurement. “If we have metrics that predict that this coverage is likely to influence your audience, or this is likely to build trust with your audience, and then there was more trust, then we can say you likely had an influence.”
Measurement in an Shifting Media Landscape
As the ways in which the public consumes media shifts, so do the PR industry's methods of measurement. For instance, Dwyer sees TikTok as the newest “broadcast channel,” or disseminator of news content. “Broadcast is one of the most trusted sources among older audiences,” she says. “And I think TikTok is the new broadcast. It's not two-way communication; it's not social media.” But it’s important to the measurement space, because “it influences how we measure content.”
Join us for Dwyer’s session, Best Practices for Media Measurement & Building a Framework, on August 14. Below is a snapshot of the full agenda.
Best Practices for Media Measurement & Building a Framework
Learn how PR departments are planning and setting specific, measurable and realistic KPIs and objectives to align with business goals. Plus, we look at how to build a measurement framework.
Leveraging Data to Measure PR Business Impact
Translate key insights, trends and performance metrics into compelling visualizations and narratives that drive informed decision-making and garner C-Suite buy-in.
Social Listening & Measuring Influencer Performance
Discover the most effective social listening tools for PR and comms teams and how moving beyond vanity metrics can strengthen the value of PR to the organization.
AI-Driven Measurement for Communicators
This session explores how AI is changing, and will change, how the industry measures PR performance, in particular relating to media monitoring and analysis.
Tools and Tactics for Measuring and Evaluation Reputation
We’ll look at tools available to PR professionals that assess public perception and provide data to measure reputational impact, capturing both qualitative and quantitative insights.