Measurement & ROI online and on-demand training courses are included for free as part of PRSA membership.

While analytics is an old idea, it has a new significance in public relations. In the past 15 years, we’ve evolved from rudimentary clip books to building databases detailing media that we generate. We now have the data to really play in the world of ROI measurement.

In the last 15 years, we have evolved from making clip books with scissors and tape to building datasets about the quality and quantity of tour media placements. We now have the data to make an impact in the world of ROI measurement.

Continue reading " Making an Impact in the World of Public Relations ROI Measurement "

Mark Weiner, CEO Americas, PRIME Research, presents Research 101: Learn to Create, Implement and Manage Research Programs Within Your Organization, on May 16, from 1–5 p.m. at the pre-conference session for the 2012 PRSA Health Academy Conference, held May 16–18 at The Inn at Penn in Philadelphia, PA. His session also allows attendees to bring their research questions and examples for review.

In this post, Weiner shares his insights on the changes and trends in, and value of effective research and evaluation, in public relations. Joyce Lofstrom, MS, APR, co-chair of the conference and director, corporate communications, HIMSS, posed these questions to him in an email interview.

Continue reading " Quality Research and Evaluation Matters: Q/A with Mark Weiner, PRSA Health Academy Pre-Conference Speaker "

Measurement & ROI online and on-demand training courses are included in PRSA membership.

I left Jessica, our account executive, at the office and boarded a plane for Hong Kong to attend the first ever Asia-Pacific Summit on PR Measurement. Delegates from Singapore, Greater China, India, Australia and other countries gathered on Feb. 29-March 1 to expound on the outcomes of previous measurements summits in Lisbon and Barcelona and, ultimately, advance the Business Case for Public Relations.

When I returned, Jessica was curious about what I learned. “I know that the Barcelona Principles set basic standards for PR measurement, and the Lisbon Summit produced a road map for measurement going forward,” she said. “But what happened in Hong Kong?”

Continue reading " Moving Toward Social Media Measurement Standards: Key Metrics to Determine Whether Social Media Initiatives Are Working "

Join David Rockland for his online training session, “Demonstrating the Value of the Work You Do — Part 3,” on March 20, 2012 3–4 p.m. EST.  This public relations measurement training sesssion is free to PRSA members.  

Jessica was back. This time she brought her boss Alana, a vice president.

“We have a problem,” Jessica began. “We’ve convinced more clients to stop using AVEs, but they keep asking what to replace them with.”

“And now we are planning for one of our largest global accounts,” added Alana. “The client wants goals with specific key performance indicators and a measurement plan. But the work we do for them covers everything from employee engagement to public affairs to CSR to brand marketing. How do we decide what the right success factors or KPIs are?”

Continue reading " After AVEs: Valid Public Relations Measures "

Join David Rockland for his online training session, “Demonstrating the Value of the Work You Do — Part 3,” on March 20, 2012 3–4 p.m. EST.  This public relations measurement training sesssion is free to PRSA members. 

Jessica was back with a big smile on her face. “Last month,  I almost got fired for a media analysis of the Bon Jovi party for the ‘Loved Ones Alarm Clock,’ showing a ‘return’ of $20 million in Advertising  Value Equivalents (AVEs).

“After we talked, I measured the quality of the clips and message delivery to the target audience: people who sleep alone.  And, we added questions to the client’s tracking survey to figure out increases in awareness and actual purchase. The client was so happy,  I got promoted to account executive!”

“Congratulations,” I told her.  “What’s up now?”

“This AVE thing won’t go away,” she replied.  “A different client is insisting we use them and multiply the results by 2.5, which she says is the ‘standard’ industry multiplier. I explained that AVEs are not the value of public relations. But the client doesn’t want to change what they’ve been doing for a long time.”

This has been a common conundrum following the PR community’s adoption of the Barcelona Principles in 2010 that called for an end to using AVEs. Here’s what clients and PR practitioners need to know:

Continue reading " Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE): What PR Practitioners Need to Know "