November is measurement month, a time to step back and reflect on how effective your PR programs are, and examine how you may be able to improve your efforts.
Analysing specific outreach efforts is more straightforward than assessing ongoing, routine media monitoring, because there is a beginning, a middle, and an end to outreach programmes.
But that does not mean that it is difficult to design a measurement programme that measures your ongoing efforts. Although there is no definitive end to ongoing measurement efforts, benchmarking can provide you with the comparison point you need.
No matter your industry, having a measurement regimen in place can help to guide your PR strategy, allowing you to get the intelligence you need whilst managing important aspects such as cost and effectiveness.
Energy
Media monitoring for the energy industry can address multiple business concerns, ranging from overall public perception to CEO reputation to the siting of specific projects.
The energy sector encompasses a broad range of industries, from fossil fuels to renewables like wind, solar, and geothermal. Some issues will be overlapping, particularly for companies with diversified interests.
Public relations and communications work is critical to companies working in this sector. In addition to being something that nearly everyone uses, whether it is fuel for a vehicle or electricity for your home, cost makes a significant impression.
The combination of being a daily necessity, the prominence of environmental concerns, and the existence of highly visible advocacy groups has led to a deep understanding of the importance of having a good PR practice in virtually all energy companies.
These overlapping needs are a big reason why having a measurement program in place is helpful.
Measurement can help to surface which messaging is working with which audiences, for example. When energy bills are high, consumers may be more receptive to conservation messages, allowing for a pairing of pro-environment messages along with ways to save.
An effective measurement program for an energy industry business could track overall sentiment, assess messaging effectiveness, and monitor local and social media in the areas in which they operate, along with CEO and brand reputational analysis.
Government
Measurement of governmental initiatives is a key component of fiscal transparency. When government agencies are engaging in outreach efforts, it is not just helpful to know what works—it can be evidence of good stewardship of taxpayer money.
Government initiatives are frequently designed to improve public understanding and participation in health and safety efforts. Some examples are to reduce smoking rates, encourage health screenings and exercise, or to ensure that fire detection systems in homes are working properly. These efforts are designed to improve the health of citizens and can also alleviate pressure on public systems.
Successful programs will show an improvement in public health and wellness. Tracking how these communications efforts are being received can go a long way in demonstrating that public money is being spent effectively.
In addition to spending the public’s money wisely, tracking and measuring PR work can also help government agencies to better pinpoint subsequent efforts. Refining messaging and figuring out the most effective ways to reach certain audiences will allow future spending to be logically allocated.
An effective measurement program for a government agency could track messaging dissemination and effectiveness, along with social media response. Separating the content by state, county, or other governmental subdivision can offer additional insights into key message uptake and reception.
Finance
Credibility and trust are essential to financial firms, and a good PR and communications program can help to relay these important characteristics to the public.
A solid measurement programme can help to identify areas where these efforts are bearing fruit, and where they may be falling flat.
Financial firms must convey an impression of solidity and gravity, particularly when national or global markets are challenging.
Increasing accounts is a common goal of financial firms, which can include acquiring new clients or expanding new account types for existing clients. PR efforts can be tracked to see if programmes are reaching the right audiences, with the right messages.
An effective measurement program for a financial firm would track sentiment and key messages, and examine website and in-store account openings to determine if efforts are yielding new accounts.
Conclusion
These are just some ideas on how measurement programs can assist efforts in three targeted areas. Of course, measurement efforts should be tied to business goals, and for every organisation, there will be specialised considerations. A measurement program is rarely one-size-fits-all, so knowing what your goals are is essential to designing a bespoke program tailored to your needs.
