Best practice in PR measurement

Gorkana kicked off AMEC’s Measurement Month with a webinar on Best Practice in PR Measurement where Giles Peddy, group MD at LEWIS, and Paul Hender, head of insight at Gorkana, explained the importance of AMEC’s Integrated Evaluation Framework and how comms professionals can use the free tool to prove, and improve, the effectiveness of their work.

Giles Peddy

Measurement and evaluation is high on the agenda for PR and comms professionals, Hender explained in the webinar, but still more can be done to help them put measurement best practice into action.

AMEC’s Integrated Evaluation Framework is a key tool to help PR and comms professionals – at all levels – to do this, said Peddy. He explained that the framework should be accessible, easy to use, and should help put PR and earned media work within the context of wider media, marketing and social activity.

During the session, chaired by Philip Smith, head of news and content at Gorkana, Hender presented a case study of the award-winning ‘Missing Type’ for NHS Blood and Transplant and showed how the framework tool works in practice.

Here were a few key takeaways from the session:

PR professionals acknowledge the importance of measurement

AMEC research cited during the webinar found that, of those industry professionals surveyed, 75% thought that evaluation was ‘very important’ for comms professionals. Quantitative metrics are the most popular form of metric (67%) used.

In addition, 47% of communicators have heard of the Barcelona Principles but, Hender added, more can be done to help them put these principles into action. The research showed that only 11% of respondents use the principles within their own organisation, and only 25% had heard of the Valid Metrics Framework.

The Integrated Evaluation Framework provides campaign measurement support

Peddy explained that the new framework, which was launched at the annual AMEC Summit in June 2016, is a free online tool with an intuitive tile-based design.

Created by an AMEC working group, the framework was constructed with input from AMEC, Gorkana, the Government Communication Service, The University of Sydney and LEWIS. It provides step-by-step guidance for PR teams looking to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns.

The tool allows PR professionals to easily outline their goals and objectives, strategy and results or ‘measurements and insights’, a section which includes boxes for ‘output’ ‘out-takes’ ‘outcomes’ and ‘impact’, all important elements to consider when evaluating the success of a campaign.

Measurement should reflect the disappearance of ‘silos’

The new framework reflects the changing nature of the PR industry, Peddy added. PR and comms professionals are now responsible for a broader range of media, including paid, earned and owned elements.

As Hender and Peddy agreed, there is more of a need than ever for PR practitioners to prove outcome to their clients or businesses in the form of demonstrable business results.

• Click here to download a copy of Gorkana’s latest White Paper on Analysis Best Practice
• Gorkana’s next Measurement Month event will be a panel looking at measurement in relation to PR and integrated campaigns. The event on 28 September will examine the practical challenges faced by comms practitioners when putting measurement plans into practice, as well as the tools and support they may be able to benefit from