PR Measurement: We answer the most common questions

published June - July 2006

As the old saying goes “You can’t manage what you can’t measure”.

Measurement and evaluation has continued to be a challenge for the public relations industry attracting much interest and controversy over the years.

While media content analysis has been available in Australia now for over 15 years uptake of the qualititative research is still quite low.

Research

Charles Sturt University shed some light on the low uptake when they produced the study Public relations evaluation in Australia- practices and attitudes across sectors and employment status   in 2003.  The article recently published in the Asia Pacific Public Relations Journal (Vol 6 No 2 2006) by Peter Simmons and Dr Tom Watson examined the uptake and barriers to measurement by surveying the pr practitioner community.

Some of the key findings indicated that “evaluation is perceived as essential to practice but is still talked about more than practised”.

Some of the key barriers identified to using measurement tools were lack of time, budget and lack of training.

So in light of that we wanted to give you some further insights into the area of media content analysis and answer some of the most common questions.

5 Common questions regarding qualitative media analysis

1. When should I enlist a media analysis organisation?

There are many times that you would want to engage a research firm. One of the most compelling reasons is if you are starting in a new role or you have a new client and need to get a snapshot of an industry or product profile in the media.  This can then also serve you as a benchmark for future analysis after your communication strategy has been implemented.

2. I am worried about the cost. How can I keep it affordable?

Firstly, be clear about what your key objectives are. There is no point measuring media content from the regional press if this is not your key target.  Remember most firms charge by the item.  The larger amount of items the more expensive it tends to be.

Keep in mind that many firms can do a stratified random sample of your key target publications - this means they take a sample of the key media types you are interested in giving you statistically valid results but at a reduced cost.

3. How much as a percentage of my overall communication budget should I allocate to research?

It is difficult to put a standard figure on it. A company with a high profile, problems and little knowledge of its reputation, brand image will generally need to spend more. A company with extensive research already completed will need to spend less to maintain the media insight.

The average amount spent would however be around  2-3% of the below the line budget (for PR, media relations, publicity, sponsorships, etc) Speak with you media analysis agency for more detailed breakdowns.

4. Do I need to know everything I want to measure upfront? Can I change my brief as I go along?

Much like media monitoring it is ideal if you have a well thought out brief formulated at the beginning of your measurement journey.  That way you will have a benchmark that you use to compare your results.  Having said that, it is fine to add new issues or messages to your brief.  A good media analysis agency should be alerting you to emerging areas as they arise. 

5. How can I get the most value from my measurement results?

Firstly ensure that you examine the results from the media analysis carefully. What information can you use to refine your communication strategy? Remember at the end of the day you are measuring primarily so you improve and target your communication strategy even further.

Finally, you can use the results from the analysis to show how your agency or department is doing.  Most analysis organisations provide the results in charts or graphs that you can easily drop into your existing documents.

Metrics Developments

The international evaluation industry is continually improving methodologies and related technologies. On a local level the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) is currently managing a Marketing Metrics Project. 

The objective of the project is to "Establish a framework of principles and processes together with a compendium of measures that will assist the measurement of marketing performance across all industry sectors".

The project looks at the following marketing activities: advertising, communications, market research, pricing and distribution.  The project aims to bring existing knowledge together in a Metrics Toolkit.

Interested in learning more? View the eight page summary of the Metrics Project

Like to read more on measurement?

Media Measurement 10 things you need to know

Measuring PR Success- AVEs rejected

Note: The author of this article is a senior Sydney-based independent corporate PR consultant who works with Australian PR Managers to help them evaluate and measure the effectiveness of PR programs. He also undertakes PR audits of PR Department structures and programs. In addition he provides specialist corporate PR and communications advice. He blogs regularly on PR and communications topics similar to those in this article.

 See comment on the implications to Australian PR Directors and Managers of a 2010 US survey on PR measurement.