Evolving PR to a Data-Driven Operation

Public relations is an art as much as it is a science – making it challenging to evaluate, analyze and benchmark efforts and success.

PR practitioners need to find ways of penetrating internal barriers and taking on the function of a cross-departmental contributor.

By working with departments to shape narratives, share metrics & objectives, and collaborate on campaigns, PR is able to: 1) Become the catalyst enabling increased impact via greater alignment and consistent messaging, and 2) Effectively demonstrate the value and return of good communications programs to both individual departments and the overall businesses bottom line.

Unlike marketing, PR is still in transition to becoming a more data-driven function and ultimately requires a different approach when using metrics. Often, the action- to-outcome relationship is not clear, making it complicated when using traditional metrics to inform PR decisions.

Good metrics are important to identify where incongruences lie within a company, enhance PR activities and align PR operations with business results. A mixture of quantitative and qualitative metrics should be leveraged to address both the scientific and artistic nature of PR.

Traditional measurement tools have become outdated; the focus has shifted away from content platforms and volume metrics toward actionable analysis. To quote Sandra Fathi, President of Affect, a New York public relations and social media firm, "PR and marketing pros tend to measure what’s convenient, not what matters."

It is easier to count the amount of tweets/shares of a message but much more difficult to address how a message is perceived by a community. Though it is more complex and requires cross departmental collaboration, it is important to create metrics that tie PR campaigns and press releases to the larger goals of the business.

When initially creating metrics for PR, simplicity is better than complexity – and it is crucial to create a plan and workflow around the data necessary to your specific organization. Below we identify six themes that can help companies and organizations on the path to installing an actionable intelligence program.

1. Decide what you need to measure.

This needs to be realistic and achievable. Working backwards is a great way to determine the key milestones that are required to move towards the desired outcome. Ask yourself, "How will I know when we have achieved X?" Make sure you also consider what would indicate that you are going off course.

Accept that not all things can be measured with numbers, and create a format that uses the type of measurements your company needs – whether quantitative or qualitative. Consistency is key when dealing with seemingly subjective data sets (e.g., sentiment). Remaining consistent will ensure your measurements do not get skewed, ensuring the integrity of your data.

2. Know what is and isn’t ROI.

"Your leadership thinks in objectives and outcomes, and you must track your progress towards their business targets if you want to measure successfully," sound advice again from Sandra Fathi.

Each business has its own metrics to determine success; the challenge of a data driven PR operation is to effectively align your PR analyses with the metrics your business uses, as well as educate and inform the business leadership on the new metrics you are creating.

It is important to have a means of tracking effort versus results as well, consider "where am I spending the most time and how does that lead the business?"

For example, track the investment of internal resources required to craft a press release or blog post, and then monitor the relative impact it has on increased web traffic, sales inquiries and media interviews. This type of tracking makes it possible to relate resources and time to specific results and will help prioritize efforts when planning content and future campaigns.

3. Start small.

It is easy to overwhelm and drown in data if you jump in the deep end too quickly. Begin by verifying what you think you know (you may be surprised) and then focus on the known unknowns before worrying about unknown unknowns. Try to remain objective when looking at how your company and brand fits into the world.

For example, you may want to start by looking at your company as a standalone entity first – and then evaluate how the brand fits into the macro business world. Remember to think objectively during this evaluation. Ask yourself "how well does this align with our communications objectives?" "What is working, what is not working, and why?" From there, you can begin to develop the answers that drive your business to results.

Match your desired solution to your needs now, but be mindful of your needs in the near to medium future. Start small and pay attention to the quality of your data over the quantity.

4. Track as you go along.

Make the challenge more manageable by taking multiple small steps rather than one giant leap. This also offers room for error as you go along; many small errors are par for the course. Pay attention when they happen, be honest and realistic, and then adjust accordingly.

As you evolve, you will start to think of other elements you would like to understand and measure. =It is common to make adjustments as you grow and begin to digest the data.

Be sure to balance costs with data sample sizing – relevance and accuracy trump volume in most situations.

5. Implement a sustainable measurement program.

Get support from the other key stakeholders in your business, e.g. marketing, corporate affairs, IR, and sales. If you can demonstrate that this project is underway and needs their attention and focus, it will be easier to get their time when you need help to educate, advise, or request support from other business leaders.

Once they are able to see value in the reporting, there is potential for stakeholders to give insight into what other data they would like to understand. This opens the discussion for more resources to deliver improved support going forward.

Driving good metrics is an ongoing team effort that requires cross departmental collaboration.

6. Find help!

There are multiple places you can go to seek help from people and organizations that have experience in creating metrics for PR. Agencies, individual consultants, solution providers, and peers have expertise and advice that can help you along your journey.

The importance of PR is growing rapidly and marketing cannot do the job alone. When both departments compare metrics, objectives and collaborate on campaigns, the overall outcome increases significantly.

Add to this investor relations, corporate affairs, sustainability and risk management – and immediately it becomes clear that without internal buy-in on clear goals and objectives, simple things like consistent narrative and messaging become an impossibility.

As the chief communicator, it is the role of the PR professional to weave these all together and to deliver the message that leads the direction of the business forward.

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Apollo Otika, based in San Francisco, is Commercial Manager for Nasdaq’s Media Intelligence Solutions business.