Measuring the ROI of Public Relations: Five Experts Weigh In

By Molly Borchers, Sr. Communications Strategist

Public relations and business growth go together like peanut butter and jelly. The last new restaurant I tried? It was because of a good review I read in a local magazine. The last lip-gloss I purchased was the darling of Allure beauty editors. The last business software I evaluated wasn’t because of some advertisement. It was through word of mouth. And as we often say at my company, PR is the ultimate word of mouth.

In fact, the famed Guy Kawasaki recently came out in support of PR as the way to get the most bang for your marketing buck:

“Brands are built on what people are saying about you, not what you’re saying about yourself. People say good things about you when (a) you have a great product and (b) you get people to spread the word about it.”

But despite this advice, I know of many companies who would rather devote their entire marketing budget to advertising. For marketing people, advertising is easier to wrap their hands around. Leads and quantifiable metrics, like click-through-rates and page views, often make marketing people look good in front of their bosses. In advertising, you can often see directly how people are moving through the funnel. With public relations, it’s a bit less tangible.

To further complicate things, actually measuring ROIthe return-on-investment (ROI) in PR is a seemingly herculean task. I hate to say it, but marketing directors and PR folks seem conflicted on measurement. Some are (still) using the antiquated Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE) metric. Others come up with statistical correlations that are tailored to each client’s needs. Some are adopting the Barcelona Declaration of Measurement Principles. Others are measuring tactics like reach and number of placements, rather than outcomes (like increase in sales or website conversions).

So, to help you better advocate for a slice of the marketing pie, I have asked five experts to provide their best practices on PR measurement.

In the beginning, ask “Why?”: Shonali Burke (@shonali), ABC, president and CEO of Shonali Burke Consulting, Inc. knows a thing or two about measurement. She is Adjunct Faculty at Johns Hopkins’ M.A. in Communication program, founder and curator of the #measurePR hashtag and Twitter chat, and owner of the popular blog/community, Waxing UnLyrical. To start, Shonali says that one of the most important questions to ask when trying to figure out how to measure the success (or failure) of your campaign or initiative is, “Why?” Why” are you investing time and resources into a particular campaign? What do you hope to get out of it? Ultimately, your PR efforts should support your business objectives, so don’t stop asking, “Why?” until you get there.

Agree on measurement goals upfront: Shonali says that her biggest challenge in measuring the ROI on PR is that some companies sometimes think of measurement as an afterthought. Her advice is to bring it front and center. In fact, she doesn’t sign contracts until she and her client have agreed on the measurement goals they’re working towards.

Deirdre Breakenridge (@dbreakenridge) is CEO at Pure Performance Communications, adjunct professor at New York University, and author of five books. She agrees with Shonali on setting measurement goals up-front. But she says you also need to determine in the beginning how to quantify and benchmark progress over time.

Don’t just analyze outputs – also benchmark against competition: Aaron Brown (@abrownFMPR), senior vice president at Fahlgren Mortine, says that his method of measuring share of editorial discussion resonates with his clients. This approach requires analysis against key competitors within target strategic areas in a defined set of media. So, if technology is an area of emphasis for the brand, how is it performing on technology-related topics against competitors in the most influential media outlets?

Broken-Silo-2Break down the silos: Deirdre Breakenridge likes making the connection between spikes in PR coverage, website traffic and then conversions to leads/sales, but says it’s important to work closely with other areas of marketing, web and sales to have access to data that may not be readily available. When you break down the silos you can show a more accurate picture of ROI.

Julie Wright (@juliewright), president of (W)right On Communications agrees with Deirdre. She thinks of PR as fitting with the flywheel concept in the book Good to Great by Jim Collins. When you are doing many things right across social media, PR, branding and more, you can achieve a better overall outcome than when you take a siloed approach to your communications.

Aaron Brown says, the best measurement approach crosses silos and accounts for earned, owned, paid and shared media. This helps to account for all of the ways target audiences engage with the brand. Failure to incorporate these areas of marketing and communications leads to a measurement report with holes.

Use social media for a two-way dialogue: Jennifer Dulles (@DStreetTweet), president of D Street PR, advocates for social media listening. Today, we can poll audiences, ask people their preferences and see where they are going. It’s a much richer world for measuring results than back in the days when we had to hire a survey research firm for pre and post-telephone surveys. When brands need to measure sentiment or gauge whether opinions changed, they can simply ask.

Give it time: Julie Wright says that moving the needle and making an impact requires a sustained commitment. However, many companies are looking for a one-time silver bullet to timeachieve their communication goals. If you think of communicating with your stakeholders in the same way you think about it with your spouse, you know it is not a process that you turn on and off at will or just give it your all every once in a while. Predictable, consistent and, of course, interesting communication is the key to building trust and relationships with your audiences.

Ultimately, in our data driven world, it’s a challenge to show dollar-for-dollar the value of public relations. But PR does have its benefits, even if we struggle to explain them. Julie Wright said the best measurement tool she ever had was a line out the door at her client’s store after an article hit on their product. How’s that for value?

Originally posted on Huffington Post.

Why PR is Becoming a Visual Game (and How to Win)

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Remember when you were a little kid and your parents asked you to pick out a book to read? Did you gravitate toward the one that was a sea of black-and-white letters, or the cool one with lots of colorful, eye-catching photos?

In high school geometry, which was the better textbook? The one that wrote out how to determine the surface area of a trapezoid, or the one that showed you?

Even now, are you more engaged and likely to retain information with presentations that are strictly verbal, or ones that have graphics and charts?

It’s a fact: human beings are visual creatures. As a general rule, we remember 80% of what we see, compared to 20% of what we read and a small 10% of what we hear, a New York University psychological study found.

Applying this to PR, an industry in which the main objective is to communicate positive messages about a brand or person, Wharton School of Business researchers determined that presentations based on visuals were found more compelling and convincing than those that were only verbal.

Furthermore, 67% of the audience in the study said that merging visuals with verbal aids were all the more effective. So how can we, as PR professionals, leverage these findings to the advantage of our brands?

Get Social

With the popularity of visually-driven social media networks like Pinterest and Instagram, there’s no time like the present to socialize your PR strategy.

pinterestPinterest is especially great since a pin can link directly back to a website. If you pin a PDF of your fresh press release and put some compelling preview text in the description, your audience will not only want to read that particular release, they’ll be taken to your news room, blog, etc. and likely read many more. And check out your team. And explore your website.

In an industry like hospitality, make sure to load your website and e-menu up with lots of great photos showcasing your space, food and amenities. With one click, users will be on your site and one step away from making reservations.

instaInstagram isn’t to be forgotten, though. Although it lacks the referral power Pinterest has (at least for now), it’s a great vehicle for furthering community relations efforts or raising awareness of your brand offerings.

For example, nonprofits can benefit immensely from showcasing their volunteer efforts and positive impact in real time, while a fashion line can post sneak peeks of their new collection and the behind-the-scenes design process to get fans excited to buy.

With a few well-placed hashtags, even non-fans will be in on the action. Networks like Facebook and Twitter, as well as outlets like blogs, can also add to your visual storytelling power in their own unique way.

Create a Better Press Release

Notice I say “create” rather than “write.” That’s because although words still rule in PR, the changing face of the industry requires a little something extra for maximum connectivity and traction from both consumers and media.

As mentioned last year in our piece on putting together a great press release, adding just one photo to a release will increase views by 14%. Applying elements like more photos and video continues the upward trajectory, culminating in 77% higher consumption when visual education tools like infographics comepolaroids into play.

This all depends on the industry, too. B2C brands will do well with high-quality photos of their products or properties, while B2B people may be more receptive to charts and graphs.

As with any PR effort, think about your target audience when adding visual elements to collateral like press releases.

Get Ready for Your Close-Up

If you’re not sprinkling video into your PR plan at least occasionally, you should be.husky

ComScore found that in the US alone, people watch more than a billion online videos every day. Why?

They’re dynamic, typically easy to consume and people equate them with entertainment. Video makes it simple and fun to showcase brand philosophy, spread the word on updates and give a glimpse at the human side of a company, which consumers love.

If you’re trying to rebrand a respected, but traditionally conservative corporation, try a regular feature showcasing employees doing volunteer work or shadowing them for a day on the job. If you’re a tech-savvy company, dabble in mixing up your written press releases with video ones.

Video is also a great tool for media relations. At (W)right On, we’ve had great success creating client b-roll and sending on to news stations for high-quality, late-breaking event coverage – plus, it allows you to pick and choose the footage you want to show off. And, video is a fast way to introduce people to who you are as a company, piquing the interest of potential customers, media influencers and even investors.

What other ways have you found visuals instrumental in a successful PR program? Tell us in the comments or find us on Twitter.

Our picks for the top PR, marketing and social media campaigns of 2014

Top PR and Social Media Campaigns of 2014

As 2014 comes to an end, our team reflected on some of the best PR, marketing and social campaigns the year had to offer. Whether it was as extreme as Ebola or as casual as ‘Alex from Target’, here are the top five that made the cut (in no specific order):  
  1. Phillip Singh, Intern: AT&T #SummerBreak campaign
AT&T launched a social media campaign for Summer 2014 that followed a group of eight high school graduates as they spent their final months together before venturing off into the real world. The campaign was such a huge hit that AT&T launched a second campaign the same summer with a new group. The campaign was successful because it massively appealed to the target audience: teenagers. AT&T was able to combine the things that the teens of today can’t get enough of: reality television, cell phones and just about every social media platform out there. The “cast” of friends uploaded YouTube videos, Instagram posts, and Snapchats on the #SummerBreak account which garnered a huge following. It was extremely personal and interactive because followers were able to see the adventures (parties, roundtrips, beach days, etc.) in real time as they were happening, instead of watching an edited episode. This could very well set precedence for the future of reality entertainment and I think its genius. AT&T Summer
  1. Danielle Cobb, Communications Coordinator: Doritos #crashthesuperbowl campaign
For the past couple of years, Doritos has launched Super Bowl campaigns where customers can create their own commercial in hopes of it being aired during the big game. User generated content is always a win in my book. It’s a great way to have people engage with your brand, build awareness and source content all at the same time. Plus, people come up with awesome ideas that Doritos probably wouldn’t have on their own. Doritos
  1. Molly Borchers, Senior Communications Strategist: How a humble little ad became the world’s biggest marketing win
This isn’t actually a campaign, but an advertisement turned viral. Enter the MailKimp. MailChimp, an email marketing company, underwrote the first season of the podcast Serial, which is the most popular podcast in the world. (We’re rabid fans here at WOC.) The quirky little ad, heard before every episode, became a meme itself thanks to an adorable mispronunciation of the brand name (listen here: https://soundcloud.com/mollyfitzpatrick-2/mailchimp-promo-on-serial). Serial producers actually created the ad, getting people on the streets of NYC to read the lines. Then started the buzz on Twitter. Serial2 Serial Serial4 This humble little ad is the runaway marketing success of the year, with more viral success than many Super Bowl ads that cost millions of dollars to air on TV.  From Oct. 3 (the day the show premiered) to Nov. 21, 1,300 tweets mentioned the hashtag #MailKimp. More than 2,400 tweets mentioned Serial and MailChimp together, equivalent to about 12 percent of the 20,200 tweets related to the email vendor during the same timeframe. The ad even spawned a MailKimp Twitter handle and people are gushing about it on Reddit. How’s that for brand awareness?
  1. Julie Wright, President: Community Outreach for a High-Density Residential Development
This was my favorite (W)right On Communications campaign of the year. We organized a series of community open houses for a client with a 13-acre redevelopment project in a tight-knit, well established coastal community. Our team did a great job getting the word out and driving attendance. We coordinated closely with all of the project’s stakeholders—developer, property management, architect, traffic consultants, landscape architects, engineers—to make sure everyone was prepared to speak accurately on the project and answer neighbors’ questions. Traffic, construction timeline, parking, safety, density, height—neighbors had a lot of questions about how they would be impacted by the increase in density. At the open house, we provided visual displays and handouts, directed neighbors to online materials and invited them to attend a series of open houses. We followed up via mail to all neighbors, thanking those who attended and notifying those who couldn’t attend about the online materials and open houses. Overall, we created many opportunities and methods for people to learn about the project and provide their input. Several people came forward to say that they really understood how the project could improve and enhance the neighborhood. Community Meeting
  1. Erica Schlesinger, Communications Strategist: Lay’s “Do Us A Flavor” campaign
This year, Lay’s held their second “Do Us A Flavor” contest where fans were asked to submit their ideas for the next big chip flavor. It had a big enough “WTF” factor (read: interest) to create buzz past the initial “ask” – with flavors like Cappuccino, it was hard not to join the conversation. The campaign leveraged a number of popular digital mediums, especially social media, to get and keep the audience involved. It also built upon an existing popular campaign – sometimes, sticking with classics is the way to go. Lay's    

In a Relationship-Based Industry, the Most Important One is with Your Client

On most agency websites you’ll see some variance of the old cliché “PR is all about relationships.” Successful agencies have strong relationships with journalists covering the beats relevant to their clients and with industry movers and shakers who can open doors. The best PR pros also have relationships with leaders at complementary organizations for collaborations that amplify their results. In PR, it is all about relationships, but the most important relationship to nurture and grow is the one you have with your clients. Luckily, there are easy ways to make sure clients feel the love and remember your name the next time their friend’s company is asking where to find good PR help.

First, don’t send follow up emails. We’re all guilty of the “just following up” notes. Some appreciate the friendly ping as a reminder that something is outstanding on their to-do list and it shows the agency’s ownership of a task. But does it really? Owning a task means you’re seeing it through and making sure you’ve done everything within your powers to achieve the objectives. Ask yourself, “Does shooting a follow up email help me achieve the goals of the project?” Your note might remind them that they need to take action, but what you’re really seeking is the result from their action. Instead of just following up, help them take action. If you just need the client to make a decision, give new insights or perspective to shake them loose. This will also serve as a reminder. If more is needed, for instance, when the client owes you a bylined thought leadership piece, take a first stab at it so they have something to respond to. Even if you missed the mark, it could help them visualize what they want to the piece to look like and they’ll appreciate you getting it started. Which leads to the next point…

Make sure you’re making your clients’ lives easier. PR agencies’ role in business is to help the client make more money. By promoting them, we provide them additional opportunities to do what they already do — whether providing more of their service, selling more widgets or making a larger impact for their cause. Everything we as PR professionals do can be boiled down to whether or not it made it easier for our clients to make more money. In the process of implementing your brilliant communications strategy, you’ll likely run into a log jam. In your eyes, the log jam is caused because you’ve taken a project as far as you can and now it’s in the client’s hands to take it across the finish. It’s true that sometimes it can’t be your face in front of the camera for the morning news segment. However, outside of physically being your client, I’m willing to bet that there is always something more you can do to make their life easier while staying on track with the strategy. Waiting for input on messaging and design for that campaign launching soon? Send them examples of effective campaigns along with a few that tanked and provide some context to better guide their thoughts. Companies and brands hire PR pros because they aren’t experts in communication, we are. Often they’re indecisive because they don’t understand the nuances that separate a good campaign from a great campaign. Make their life easier by helping them feel informed and empowered. A bonus outcome is that they’ll appreciate you for the campaign strategy and results even more.

One of the simplest ways to support a strong client relationship is to provide agendas at all meetings. Whether it’s a quick FaceTime chat on a new tactic or a strategic brainstorm with all the decision makers, providing an agenda tells the client there’s a purpose for the meeting. It’s subtle, but this reinforces agency value. Agendas remind clients why they are spending 60 minutes meeting with you instead of doing something else. Clients appreciate when you value their time and in return, will value yours as well.

Finally, make connections for clients. This is the most impactful tip as you could provide an additional bottom line benefit for their organization. When you’re networking, think about how each person you meet could benefit from connecting with your client, or vice versa. Your new contact might not be a prospective customer, but if it helps achieve the overall goal, (see paragraph one) your client will appreciate it. In addition to providing value, it also shows the client you’re thinking about them and their goals even when you’re not billing.

As Maya Angelou famously said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Be intentional with how you make clients feel and when you foster that relationship, you’ll set yourself up for success.

What Show Business’ Most Recognizable Names Can Teach Us About PR and Branding

Pop Culture branding image

Jay-Z. Lady Gaga. Kim Kardashian. Whether these names make you giddy or gag, there’s one thing for sure – you know exactly who they are. With longstanding stints in the public eye, these celebrities have establishing a recognizable, trademark presence and personal brand down to a science. Even if you’re not looking to make yourself the next rap-repreneuer, eccentric musical goddess or love-to-hate pop culture fixture, this group delivers some great takeaways that can inform developing and innovating branding and messaging in just about any industry.

Jay-Z

Jay said it himself: “I’m not a businessman; I’m a business, man.” This guy has his hand in more projects than most people manage in a lifetime – besides his obvious source of primary income as a rapper, he owns record labels, liquor brands, nightclubs and more. The backbone of his brand is elevating himself as a high-class jack of all trades, but with a twist – it’s not his businesses that make him, but the other way around.

What he can teach you: Build yourself or your brand up to be the authority, the reigning expert. Identify areas where you can position yourself as a thought leader, early adopter or innovator and capitalize on them. If you’re like Jay and can truly master a number of empires, by all means, do it and do it proud. However, it’s far better to be absolutely stellar at one thing than to be just ok at many – that will build a reputable, strong presence within your industry or with your customers.

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga is a chameleon when it comes to her style du jour – who could forget her infamous meat dress? – but her brand has been consistent from the start. She lives the old Oscar Wilde adage, “There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” Gaga uses her quirkiness and willingness to dance to the beat of a slightly different drummer to stay on people’s radars, as well as her passionate devotion to human rights causes.

What she can teach you: I’m in no way suggesting a lawyer or C-level executive must oversee meetings in a bedazzled egg capsule to maintain industry relevancy and garner attention. But, it is important to build your own brand of weird – it may not even be weird in the literal sense, but just how you set yourself apart from your competitors. Why are you different than them? It also never hurts to attach yourself to a cause, whether it’s fighting for better content marketing or making sure your organization spends time giving back. Just one thing – if it’s the latter, please be genuine. There’s nothing worse than using a philanthropic cause just to look good.

Kim Kardashian

Ms. Kardashian cultivates a wide-eyed, vapid persona that makes her seem… well, dumb. But you know what? I’d bet you the whole Kardashian-Jenner and West fortune she’s not.  Think back a decade. No one knew who Kim Kardashian was. And although she may not have burst onto the scene in the most flattering light, she definitely rose above it and has built herself an empire. Sure, she’s famous for simply being famous, but she’s effectively leveraged that to build businesses and amass a fortune that is nothing to sneeze at.

What she can teach you: You can make a comeback. People make mistakes, and these people run companies and develop brands. Maybe a new logo didn’t sit well with diehard fans or a social media manager made a snafu on Twitter. Acknowledge your error, listen to your audience and put a plan in motion to make it right. It always helps if you can laugh at yourself a bit, too – the humanity will be appreciated. Plus, if you’re on the radar for doing something not-so-great, a well-executed new strategy will be even sweeter once carried out.

What other celebrities do you think have PR and branding down? Let us know at @wrightoncomm.

(W)right On Communications Launches WOC Intelligence

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New survey reveals San Diego County residents strongly favor SeaWorld fireworks

SAN DIEGO, August 21, 2014 – To gauge stakeholders’ opinions – from hyperlocal through national markets – and leverage those detailed insights for data-driven decision making, San Diego public relations firm (W)right On Communications has created WOC Intelligence.

(W)right On’s new research capability is one of the first of its kind among San Diego-based PR agencies. WOC Intelligence is a market and public opinion research service that strategically helps reveal the heart of key issues through expert survey development and skilled analysis.

“It’s part of our core values to work with client partners to develop intentional and strategic campaigns that produce exceptional results,” said Grant Wright, CEO and managing partner of (W)right On Communications. “Since intelligence gathering has long been a critical part of how we develop strategic communications plans, WOC Intelligence continues (W)right On’s investment in the right tools to ensure our strategies are informed by the best information available.”

Based from (W)right On’s Vancouver, BC, office, Director of Research and Analytics Hamish Marshall is at the helm of WOC Intelligence. A former advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada, provincial premiers, city mayors and dozens of elected officials, Marshall has strong experience throughout the USA, Canada and UK in all data collection methods to provide critical insights for strategic planning, marketing and other organizational activities.

WOC Intelligence conducted a recent survey of San Diego County residents on a variety of topics coinciding with the agency’s key practice areas in hospitality and tourism, energy and water usage, and health care. Among the results, WOC Intelligence found that the majority of San Diegans think SeaWorld should continue its fireworks. 74 percent of San Diego County residents are in favor of keeping the SeaWorld fireworks. 15 percent are either moderately or strongly opposed and 11 percent said they weren’t sure. The results did not vary between City of San Diego and South or North County residents, nor 18 to 34 year olds versus other age groups.

An online survey questioned 375 San Diego County residents between July 21 and July 24, 2014. Results weighted by age, gender, income and County region, with the margin of survey error being +/- 5.1%, 19 times out of 20.