Measurement & Evaluation PR 313

Success of Failure? How will you determine if your strategic plan and campaign was a success?

How will you determine if your strategic plan and campaign was a success?

“ The Final Step” The final step in your planning is to determine how you will measure and define “success” This will be the metric used to determine if your campaign was a success or failure At the end of your campaign, you should evaluate based on the metric that was agreed upon at the beginning

The final step in your planning is to determine how you will measure and define “success”

This will be the metric used to determine if your campaign was a success or failure

At the end of your campaign, you should evaluate based on the metric that was agreed upon at the beginning

Why Evaluate? To document success To encourage future work To justify your expenses To improve your future campaigns To build credibility To determine a basis for the next campaign To promote the value of PR in your organization

To document success

To encourage future work

To justify your expenses

To improve your future campaigns

To build credibility

To determine a basis for the next campaign

To promote the value of PR in your organization

Things to Consider Was the campaign well planned? Did the recipients understand the message? What improvements can be made? Did you achieve your stated goals? Was the budget adequate? What is replicable for future campaigns?

Was the campaign well planned?

Did the recipients understand the message?

What improvements can be made?

Did you achieve your stated goals?

Was the budget adequate?

What is replicable for future campaigns?

Measuring Success There is a tendency for many PR practitioners to measure their output, rather than the achievement of their goals For example, collecting press clippings is not enough

There is a tendency for many PR practitioners to measure their output, rather than the achievement of their goals

For example, collecting press clippings is not enough

Measurement In order to measure success, you must first define it As part of your research and strategic planning phase, you and your client need to agree on realistic goals for accomplishment This ensures that your work will be recognized and disagreements will be minimized

In order to measure success, you must first define it

As part of your research and strategic planning phase, you and your client need to agree on realistic goals for accomplishment

This ensures that your work will be recognized and disagreements will be minimized

Examples A defined increase in sales A specific number of mentions in the press A measured increase in public awareness of a brand or service A pre-determined increase in customer direct inquiries about a product or service

A defined increase in sales

A specific number of mentions in the press

A measured increase in public awareness of a brand or service

A pre-determined increase in customer direct inquiries about a product or service

Clients from Hell The worst case scenario is ambiguous, ill-defined goals This invites the client to challenge your work and effectiveness

The worst case scenario is ambiguous, ill-defined goals

This invites the client to challenge your work and effectiveness

Clip Counting A physical counting of press placements will measure productivity This may not truly represent success There is a temptation to send out excessive releases to manipulate the perception of productivity (and add to the client’s bill)

A physical counting of press placements will measure productivity

This may not truly represent success

There is a temptation to send out excessive releases to manipulate the perception of productivity (and add to the client’s bill)

How to Get Clips Do not ask a journalist to send you a clip There are several services you can use: Cision Burrelle’s/Luce Press Clippings These services are now offered online

Do not ask a journalist to send you a clip

There are several services you can use:

Cision

Burrelle’s/Luce Press Clippings

These services are now offered online

Online Tracking Cision’s MediaSource CisionPoint

Cision’s MediaSource

CisionPoint

Online Tracking VMS PRtrak VMS InSight VMS QuickView

VMS PRtrak

VMS InSight

VMS QuickView

Real-Time Demo INSIGHT http://insight.vmsinfo.com/newdemo/ login: guest password: insight PRtrak www.brainshark.com/survdata/PRtrakDemoDirect Use WSU as COMPANY, and ‘student’ for all name info and [email_address] as the email address.

INSIGHT

http://insight.vmsinfo.com/newdemo/

login: guest

password: insight

PRtrak

www.brainshark.com/survdata/PRtrakDemoDirect

Use WSU as COMPANY, and ‘student’ for all name info and [email_address] as the email address.

Online Tracking Burrelle’s MediaConnect

Burrelle’s MediaConnect

Online Tracking TeleTrax

TeleTrax

Message Impressions These services track “media impressions” (a.k.a. “gross impressions”) to detail how many people were exposed to the message This factors in the circulation and/or reach of the media outlets that carried your message

These services track “media impressions” (a.k.a. “gross impressions”) to detail how many people were exposed to the message

This factors in the circulation and/or reach of the media outlets that carried your message

Example A campaign for a new soda is mentioned in several newspapers and magazines Add up the circulation of these publications to get the estimated “media impressions”

A campaign for a new soda is mentioned in several newspapers and magazines

Add up the circulation of these publications to get the estimated “media impressions”

Media Impressions Useful to track the penetration of a message However, the number can be misleading This number does not reflect how many people actually saw the message – only how many were exposed to it

Useful to track the penetration of a message

However, the number can be misleading

This number does not reflect how many people actually saw the message – only how many were exposed to it

Advertising Value Equivalency Since story placements are “free,” there is an equivalent dollar value for the exposure What would it have cost your client to get the same sort of exposure via paid placement advertising? The AVE calculates the estimated value of the exposure (in ad dollars)

Since story placements are “free,” there is an equivalent dollar value for the exposure

What would it have cost your client to get the same sort of exposure via paid placement advertising?

The AVE calculates the estimated value of the exposure (in ad dollars)

AVE AVE helps to justify the expense of your PR campaign costs However, it is not without controversy Not all media coverage is positive The value of the story space requires some subjective judgment and is prone to exaggeration

AVE helps to justify the expense of your PR campaign costs

However, it is not without controversy

Not all media coverage is positive

The value of the story space requires some subjective judgment and is prone to exaggeration

Systematic Content Analysis Many of these software programs track the intricacies of the media coverage Positive vs. negative coverage Relationship of the coverage vs. your competitors Contextualization of your coverage compared to the overall placement opportunities in the media outlet

Many of these software programs track the intricacies of the media coverage

Positive vs. negative coverage

Relationship of the coverage vs. your competitors

Contextualization of your coverage compared to the overall placement opportunities in the media outlet

Other Forms of Evaluation Monitor the Internet This includes “gripe groups” (anti-client blogs) Toll-free numbers How proactive are your customers?

Monitor the Internet

This includes “gripe groups” (anti-client blogs)

Toll-free numbers

How proactive are your customers?

Cost per Person It can be difficult to compare the value of impressions across various forms of media The CPM (cost per thousand) index helps you assign a dollar value to the expense of reaching 1,000 people in a particular media genre

It can be difficult to compare the value of impressions across various forms of media

The CPM (cost per thousand) index helps you assign a dollar value to the expense of reaching 1,000 people in a particular media genre

Calculating CPM Divide the total number of media impressions by the cost of your campaign Example: A $10 million campaign that reaches 100 million people would have a CPM of $10. (It costs $10 to reach 1,000 people).

Divide the total number of media impressions by the cost of your campaign

Example: A $10 million campaign that reaches 100 million people would have a CPM of $10. (It costs $10 to reach 1,000 people).

Monitoring Online Chatter PR Newswire recently launched eWatch , a service that allows you to track what people are saying about your client online

PR Newswire recently launched eWatch , a service that allows you to track what people are saying about your client online

Measurement of Audience Awareness How many people know about your message or campaign? You can conduct surveys to determine the “audience awareness”

How many people know about your message or campaign?

You can conduct surveys to determine the “audience awareness”

“ Audience Attitudes” How does the public feel about your company, brand, product or service? You can measure “audience attitudes” using benchmark studies that test attitudes both before and after exposure to the message

How does the public feel about your company, brand, product or service?

You can measure “audience attitudes” using benchmark studies that test attitudes both before and after exposure to the message

Audience Action What action does the audience take as a result of the exposure to your message? Do they buy your product? Do they talk about you? Did they request more information? Did they enter your contest?

What action does the audience take as a result of the exposure to your message?

Do they buy your product?

Do they talk about you?

Did they request more information?

Did they enter your contest?

Web Site Analytics Leaders in this space include: Google Analytics Omniture WebTrends Hitwise

Leaders in this space include:

Google Analytics

Omniture

WebTrends

Hitwise