For those in the measurement community, November marks the start of Measurement Month – an initiative set up by the Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) to champion measurement best-practice.
Research shows that 70% of clients are looking for more sophisticated types of measurement and, amongst measurement providers, 68% say investment in new technology is the only way to compete effectively.
All sounds great, yes? The industry is becoming enlightened, AVEs are well and truly on the wane (just 16% admit to still using them), and most businesses (75%) want to report comms results alongside those of wider marketing activity.
Yet, as we head into Measurement Month, I can’t help thinking that this research doesn’t tell the whole story. Knowing what you should be doing is one thing, but actually doing it is a completely different one. My experience suggests that many businesses aren’t sure how to deliver impactful PR reporting and have been left in a no man’s land of measurement.
Which measurement tools are the essential ones to invest in? How do you prove that a national media article will increase a customer’s likelihood to buy your product in three, six, or even nine months time? And, in a crisis, how do you quantify the value of not being in the media?
Poor measurement is one of the greatest risks facing PR budgets at the moment. For years PR has traded on the widely-accepted notion that a good reputation will, ultimately, improve the bottom line. But, the C-suite are increasingly asking us to prove it. And with many other marketing disciplines able to show an immediate sales impact, many PR teams are under increasing pressure to prove why businesses should continue to invest.
The truth is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to PR measurement. The key to understanding whether your PR is working for your business lies in understanding what makes your business tick, your sales funnel, your comms objectives, and how to measure all of this effectively.
That’s why during Measurement Month, Citypress will be offering a limited number of free measurement masterclasses to PRCA members. The hour-long, one-to-one sessions can be used as members see fit. We’ll offer training on best-practice evaluation, work with members to troubleshoot their reporting problems, help devise new and more impactful ways to measure results or offer career coaching for those who want a career in measurement.
There are some great examples of impactful and persuasive PR reporting out there but agencies, in-house teams and media monitoring providers need to work together to make this the norm if PR is to keep its share of the pie.
Marianne Morgan is Director of Research and Analytics at Citypress a member of AMEC’s global young leader’s group. Throughout November, Citypress will be offering PRCA members a free measurement masterclass. To book your slot, email measurement@citypress.co.uk.