So, am I the only one that gets eerie when I hear the word measurement? Well, I have had to get very comfortable in that area because when analyzing data and communications evaluations, measurements are required! Both tangible and intangible! Evaluation is a tool to plan, reduce waste, and improve effectiveness by monitoring and testing inputs, outputs and outcomes in a continuous, integrated process from the earliest stages of planning, using a range of formal and informal methods.
As a general rule of thumb, strategic communications and PR professionals look at three types of levels for campaign measurement: communications output, communications outtakes and communications outcomes.
Communications output is the most basic way of measurement, evaluating the communications tools and materials that were used for the launch, such as press releases and social media posts.
Communications outtakes evaluate what has been achieved in terms of key message penetration and stakeholder engagement. These metrics include an analysis of quantitative and qualitative media coverage, share of voice, event attendance, Twitter chat attendance, number of social media likes and followers, and email newsletter opening rates. Outtakes measurements look at who engaged with the company and what was written/said about the company. However, we still don’t know how the outtakes have shaped the perception about the company and whether they have triggered behavioral changes.
This is why looking at communications outcomes is the best form of measurement. You can gage the actual impact of your communications program on the stakeholder perception and behavior; how the program moved the needle for your business. These metrics include perception/brand audits, social media presence analysis and, in some cases, lead generation.
Some of the measurement methods mentioned above are complex and difficult to implement. But thanks to data analytics, there are simple ways to incorporate effective measurement metrics into any product campaign or program on every level.
A strategic communication professional can begin to measure the impact of his or her own campaign by being able to have efficient and achievable goals. These goals are goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. By having a specific goal attached to your campaign, a strategic communication professional is able to know exactly what it is that his or her company is trying to accomplish. Without having a specific goal in mind, most companies do fail because of a lack of preparation and the absence of goal setting. In addition to having a specific goal, companies need to have achievable goals. As stated earlier, a strategic communications professional must be able to measure both the tangible aspects of a campaign and also be able to measure the intangible aspects as well. With measuring both components, the strategic communication professional is able to effectively understand how the campaign should work and also be able to communicate the information to its consumers and stakeholders.
When I first read the assigned articles for this week, I wondered, “what are intangibles?” I already knew the common definition of the adjective intangible, but I didn’t quite understand what the word meant as far as strategic communication goes. After reading the articles for this week, I concluded that intangibles are those innate qualities about a person or company that keeps people coming back or that makes them run away. Dictionary.com defines intangible as “(of an asset) existing only in connection with something else, as the goodwill of a business” (Dictionary.com, n.d.). These things include such qualities as trustworthiness, credibility, loyalty, and goodwill. It’s hard to measure these qualities, but it’s not impossible for companies to put in the effort to measure them. What it takes is effective communication and the strategic use of the tools that our technologically advanced society has afforded us to humanize companies and to create a conversational “voice” for organizations. I believe we can find these tools in social media platforms.
Using these methods of measurements, strategic communication professionals can measure the impact of their campaigns by looking at how well or poorly their campaigns do. If they use these methods poorly, they lose their audiences and potential consumers, and they damage the credibility of their brands. If they use these methods correctly, they will see increases across the board. So, how does all of this lead to measuring intangibles? At first, I wasn’t sure, but then I realized that through the agents’ blogs, videos, and social media sites, Ford was able to see just how much of a positive impact its campaign had on its potential customers. Its campaign exhibited all of the qualities that one would want in a brand—credibility, honesty, goodwill—and brought the company tangible results through sales and “likes” on social media sites. Ford’s target audience was able to see, through the agents, just how relatable the brand was to its consumers. In addition, the company was also able to show its audience how solid and trusting the brand is through the personal and genuine experiences its test drivers had during the Fiesta Movement campaign.
By allowing its stakeholders and its potential buyers to take the reins during the campaign, Ford was able to get the tangible and intangible success it was looking for with its campaign. Strategic communicators can learn so much from this campaign, because it showed how easy it is for companies to develop relationships with their customers. This campaign also showed how easy it was for the company to humanize itself through the words of its test drivers. Using some of the same methods Ford used in its campaign, along with organizational blogs that utilize a conversational tone, strategic communicators can build solid reputations for their companies that aren’t built solely on structured, mechanical methods of operation, but are also built on a more personal, human approach.
What are your views on evaluating and measuring a camping or PR plan? I would love to hear your thoughts! Please feel free to share my postings to your social media outlets, and I will see you back next week on theemillennialist.wordpress.com.
Peace & blessings to you all…
– Myra
thee millennialist 