Tip Sheet: PR’s Crystal Ball: Embracing Predictive Analytics

The turn of events came mid-semester, when a gangly teen was called to the front of our music theory class. Asked to compose a short classical piece, he instead created an algorithm that instructed his computer to do the work. While the result was pleasant to the ear, it was also a bit unsettling. Soul had been replaced by science.
Had I not been witness to this, I may have gone on to earn my engineering degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Instead, I transferred out and began studying communications across the Charles River at Boston University.
Since then, I’ve been asked the question time and time again. Can the data-centric, logic-based sensibilities of an engineer coexist with the non-linear creativity of a PR professional? For our industry to prosper, there is only one answer. There is no longer an “either/or” option. Data skills must go hand-in-hand with creative skills.
THE REARVIEW MIRROR
We’ve all seen the standard PR metrics dashboards.