Last November, Cision held #CommsCon18 – our first ever communications congress where we brought together the biggest and best in PR and spent a whole day discussing the state of the industry with high-profile panel events, keynotes and debates.

But this year we’re going to approach things a little differently and will be hosting a variety of smaller, themed events throughout the year as part of the CommsCon franchise – so what’s next?

On June 25, we bring you CommsCon X INSIGHTS – the first event of our series and which concentrates on comms measurement and proving ROI in an era where AI and machine learning are looking to transform the PR industry.

In a world of big data, we will be discussing why it’s more crucial than ever before for communicators to maximise their humanity with authentic, creative and effective campaigning – and how to utilise the theory of ‘people plus tech’.

A full agenda can be found below.

Details:
Tuesday, June 25
Ministry of Sound
103 Gaunt St
SE1 6DP

08:30 – 13:00

Agenda

09:00 – 09:45 | Session 1: Insight into reality​

Discussion of PR measurement inevitably focuses on what to measure, but when to measure is just as pertinent a question.

Campaign activation no longer just involves tactical activities, but also continuing strategic evaluation. Rather than devising and implementing a campaign strategy and hoping that it works, the best comms strategists measure the ongoing effectiveness of campaigns, allowing them to change tactics and strategy to maximise its effectiveness based on initial results.

In this session, our speakers will showcase examples of campaigns where communicators have used measurement and evaluation to analyse performance and tailored their tactics to help the activation achieve its goals.

Then, in a panel discussion, they’ll discuss the best ways communicators can use evaluation to ensure campaigns are nimble and can be adjusted to produce optimum results.

Sarah O’Neill, PR & communications manager, EMEA, Kellogg’s​
Kate Jones, head of media and PR, Macmillan
Orla Graham, senior client insights manager, Cision

09:45 – 10:15 | Session 2: Keynote – Cision​

At one point in history, the most advanced media intelligence tools were scissors and glue. Now, Earned Media Management is powered by AI and machine learning.

In this keynote address, Cision will present its vision of the future of Earned Media Management technology and its capabilities. This session will:

  • Demonstrate the power communicators will have at their fingertips to find influencers and journalists aligned to their target audience
  • Explain how AI will help you discover and measure the discussions you need to take notice of
  • Detail how you will be able to see the impact your comms work has made on both your target audience and organisational objectives.

10:15 – 10:45 | BREAK​

10:45 – 11:30 | Session 3: How does PR prepare for the age of AI?

Public relations has always been a people business. Its very name defines it as relating to the public, with “people” skills like relationship building coming to the fore.

As we know, many new forms of technology including AI could lead to big changes both in how communicators work but also what communicators will need to talk about.

In this session, our speakers will explore the potential impact of new technology on PR – how it has changed the way they plan campaigns and measure impact through to the stories they are telling.

Each speaker will present their view on how new technology and in particular artificial intelligence is making a difference to the way they work.

They’ll then participate in a moderator-led discussion and Q&A which will focus on the insights AI will bring not only for comms professionals, but also for B2C and B2B conversations in general.

Kerry Sheehan, AI in PR vice chair, CIPR
Lucy Linthwaite, external relations leader, IBM
Emma Thwaites, CEO, Thwaites Communications

​11:30 – 12:30 | Session 4:  How to measure magic​

The days when magical campaigns premiered in print or on TV are over. Storytelling is now social-first, with brands aiming to weave content into our daily lives.

While the comms industry excels at social storytelling, it’s less accomplished at demonstrating what impact this has on their audience, beyond the number of likes and shares a campaign has garnered.

A panel of experienced comms and social media professionals will explore how brands should go about social storytelling and how this differs for B2C and B2B businesses. The panel will also explore the different ways businesses can tailor their message for social audiences and discuss how evaluating content using the right metrics sharpens their output.

William Bonaddio, social media editor in chief
Jenn Day, search and engagement lead, Colgate-Palmolive
Chris Talago, VP PR and communications, JAPAC and EMEA, Oracle