However, it is not that simple, since the goals and objectives must be established from the beginning to be able to follow it properly and although there are common criteria, there is not really a standard.
PR measurement has evolved, yet the question of how to measure its effect has dogged the industry for years. As a collective, the industry had often lagged behind other disciplines such as marketing and SEO, in demonstrating return on investment (ROI) and how PR coverage ultimately benefited companies or brands.
Those who have always been in the midst of this hurricane are the print or “traditional” media, which, although many people consider them dead, the predictions about their disappearance may be exaggerated, since there are still a number of publications that have preserved respectable, knowledgeable and loyal audiences, which keeps them relevant in the media landscape, so coverage influence should not be discounted.
Getting a print publication is still beneficial and keeps a brand or spokesperson in front of a desired audience; the difficulty is, beyond having your name or trademark in a headline, to judge what have been the commercial or reputational benefits of this earned media coverage.
Press coverage is still measured in a more traditional way, which makes it difficult to quantify, but you can generally gauge some success of a PR campaign based on the type of coverage you get in specific publications that are related to your target audience. .
We know it’s not enough to keep track of how many grades you get and use that information as a sign of success. But you’re also not quite sure how to present real data and nuanced statistics that demonstrate tangible success (or room for improvement) in a way that the customer, or the company, understands and appreciates.
Katie Delahaye, executive director of Paine Publishing, presented during the Measurement and Media Conference, a scorecard that would be worth taking as a resource to establish your own criteria for measurement purposes, easy to interpret and at the same time, with flexibility to add or enrich concepts with specific needs.
The report card is self-explanatory: instead of simply using the famous AVE (Ad Value Equivalence), it is measured based on how positive the publication is against its overall goals. The more positive, the more points. In the same way, points are subtracted in those items that could damage the brand or reputation.
This record compares the measurement of the quality of the publication in two columns, defining what is positive and what is negative. The first proposition, for example, establishes whether the message leaves the reader more inclined to work for, buy or invest, or even less inclined to oppose it. The column next to it qualifies the opposite.
Then contrast whether or not it contains one or more positive/negative messages.
Another point is whether the event or program is mentioned or not. If the title of the note is positive or adverse. If it contains an endorsement from a third party or a criticism and finally, if it is supported with a desirable image or the opposite
Each of these categories is given a score previously established with the client and this measure is maintained throughout the campaign. This idea serves as a solid base for infinite customization, offering the possibility of adding fields for different themes, according to your own needs, such as:
- How relevant the medium is to its audience
- Amount of audience reached
- Affinity/Relevance of the medium
- If there are links to your social networks or website
- Tracking metrics, including new purchases after posting, new followers, or website visits
The list has ample capacity to incorporate whatever metrics of interest, positive and negative, into this chart or scorecard, even create a completely personalized one in your own corporate language.
Measuring the success of a PR campaign has always been difficult to quantify, however there are some standard metrics your PR team should look at when evaluating press coverage and this may be one option to make them more clear, easy to interpret and compare in the short and long term.
