Evaluation and Corporate Communications

Richard Houghton

Agency Doctor@agencydoctor

richard@agencydoctor.biz

07803 178 037

Evaluation – evolution or revolution

1999

Reality Check

No Silver Bullet

X

No Single Number

Influence is not easy!

− Shifting opinions− Encouraging action− Creating advocates

Every campaign has distinctive objectives

Every campaign being run in unique context

Every organisation sees success differently - targeting different outcomes

PR rarely works in isolation

Maybe Why so Many Focus on Outputs

Just 10% of evaluation providers always measuring target audience changes as result of communications

Only 7% always required to determine business results from communications

2014 AMEC International Business Insights Study

Output Out-Take Outcomes

VALUE OF UK PR INDUSTRY2013 PRCA CENSUS

£9.62 billion

An Approach

Barcelona Principles (AMEC 2010)

1. Importance of goal setting and measurement

2. Measuring the effect on outcomes is preferred to measuring outputs

3. The effect on business results can and should be measured where possible

4. Media measurement requires quantity and quality

5. AVES are not the value of Public Relations

6. Social media can and should be measured

7. Transparency and replicability are paramount to sound measurement

Gary Sheffer – Vice President, Communications & Public Affairs

Our responsibility to be as smart and strategic as possibly can

Growing expectation from C-suite

New model of Corporate Communications demands better understanding of audiences

“Relies on identifying and activating corporate character and then building advocacy at scale”

We are equipped to be more effective and measure more

Public Sector Leading the Way?

Alex took over in 2012 little or no evaluation of £500 million spend (£1b)

Now mandatory across all communications

No promotion unless can demonstrate evaluation expertise

‘Horizon scanning’

− Elaine Philips DEFRA− Social media tools to provide real time

alerts

Alex AikenExecutive Director for

Government Communications

Communications Objectives

• Developing Measurable Communications Objectives

• If not measurable how do we demonstrate value and success?• Can be understood by those outside of corporate comms

• Development:

• Specific• Measurable• Achievable• Relevant • Time bound

“If you’re not evaluating against objectives you’re just monitoring!”

Richard Bagnall, MD Prime Research & Director, AMEC

Communications Objectives

• Credit card business objective:• Increase the number of people applying for cards

• Communications objective:• Action – attract more people to web and social channels to see benefits of

card• Audience – ABC 1, London, £30k+ per annum• Timescale – six months• Measurement – 10% increase

Communicate the benefits of being a Cardmember in order to increase number of visits of ABC1 Londoner by 10% to Card sites and channels in

next six months

Setting KPIs

• Demonstrate progress

• Milestones not objectives

• Identify tactical successes

• KPIs for credit card objective could include:

• Increase in positive sentiment around Card ember benefits on social channels• Change in interest in target demographic• Ratios of likes and posts on Facebook page

• Can aid creation of objectives

AMEC Measurement Framework

AMEC Measurement Framework

Designed to allow for:

− Planning− Monitoring− Measurement of results

Against individual and tailored objectives

Get you and your teams thinking about all stages of communications

− Planning− Setting achievable targets− Choose appropriate SMART metrics− Tell the story of the value delivered for your organisation

Marketing / Advocacy Funnel

Awareness

Knowledge

Consideration

Preference

Action

Exposure

Engagement

Influence

Advocacy

Impact

Advocacy Funnel / Table

Exposure Engagement Preference Impact Advocacy

Exposure to content & messages

Interactions in response to content on owned channel

Earned social conversations

Ability to cause or contribute to a change in opinion or behaviour

Effect on target audience

Can include financial impact

Others making the case for you

Includes positive sentiment, recommendation, call to action/purchase

Paid, Owned and Earned

Paid: Channels you pay to leverage – paid search, display ads, sponsored tweets etc.

Owned: Channels you control – website, blog, Twitter Facebook, YouTube etc.

Earned: Customers and/or stakeholders become the channel with their content

Paid, Owned and Earned Social Media Measurement Framework

EXPOSURE ENGAGEMENT PREFERENCE IMPACT ADVOCACY

PAID

OWNED

EARNED

www.amecorg.com

Programme, Business and Channel

Programme Metrics:

Metrics directly tied to your programme or campaign objectives

Business Metrics: Metrics designed to measure the impact to the business / organisation of the campaign or initiative

Channel Metrics: Metrics that are unique to specific social media channels – Twitter, Vimeo, Facebook, LinkedIn etc.

Program, Business and Channel Social Media Measurement Framework

EXPOSUREENGAGEMEN

TPREFERENCE IMPACT ADVOCACY

PROGRAMMETRICS

CHANNELMETRICS

BUSINESSMETRICS

www.amecorg.com

Making it Work

1. Plan with Smart Objectives

• Start with agreed SMART objectives that are aligned with desired business outcomes

• What will success look like for each?

2. Select a framework

3. Populate

• Try and get a balance across the framework• From output (exposure) to outcome (advocacy)

Making it Work

4. Data

• Identify what will need to be collected• In-house – free tools – providers

5. Measure

• In appropriate time-frame – daily, weekly, monthly, real-time or end of campaign

6. Report

Plot your current metrics on one of the Frameworks. Where do they cluster?

Top Tips

What is success for each step?

THEN agree objectives and KPIs

Make sure objectives are SMART

Ask three times of each metric – what does it show? Is it of value?

Define clear measurement periods

Look for insights not just results

Do you need to realign resources as go for best results?

Review, adjust and improve

Further Reading

The PR professional’s Definitive Guide to Measurement

− http://prguidetomeasurement.org/

AMEC’s short course in social media measurement

− http://amecorg.com/amec-college/new-short-course-in-social-media/

Evaluating Public Relations: A Guide to Planning, Research and Measurement

− Tom Watson and Paul Noble

Evaluation and Corporate Communications

Richard Houghton

Agency Doctor@agencydoctor

richard@agencydoctor.biz

07803 178 037