Public Relations Research and Evaluation:

1

• Public Relations Research and Evaluation
• Evolving From Why
• Mark Weiner
• Delahaye
• IABC International Conference
• June 2005

2
Our Premise

• PR is as much a science as it is an art
• PRs ROI is quantifiable
• Advancements facilitate rather than impede the
  creative process
• Research and evaluation are no longer a matter of
  who where when or why its now a matter of
  what and how

3
What Well Cover

• Overview to Research methods
• Research tools that steer the PR process
• Research applications for driving ROI

4
Three Tools for PR Research

• Media Content Analysis
• Survey Research
• Statistical Modeling

5
Media Content Analysis

• Frequency
• Reach
• Presence of Key Messages/Spokespeople
• Tone
• Impact
• Front page / Lead story
• Initial mention
• Extent of mention
• Dominance
• Visuals

6
Media Content Analysis
7
Media Content Analysis
Tone
Positioning
Key Message Reach
Reach in Millions of Impressions
Reach in Millions of Impressions
Key Indicators by Division
8
Surveys The Executive Audit

• A brief survey of those internal public
  relations clients who have an impact on PR
  funding goal setting and evaluation.
• The purpose to gain mutual understanding
• Results are used to initiate and formalize
  dialogue to set objectives to reduce risk and
  prove success in the context of executives

9
Surveys The Executive Audit

• Assess needs and preferences Evaluate current
  performance Improve over time
• Professional Attributes Writing media
  relations problem-solving skills etc.
• Activities and Tactics Press releases
  interviews media events etc.
• Measures for Success Volume message delivery
  awareness attitudes sales etc.
• Media and Messages Credibility importance

10
Surveys The Journalist Audit

• A brief telephone survey of journalists at media
  that matter
• The purpose to gain the feedback you need to
  improve the quality and quantity of your media
  coverage
• Results are used to refine the organizations
  interactions with journalists and to eliminate
  potential barriers to better results

11
Surveys The Journalist Audit

• Assess needs and preferences Evaluate current
  performance Improve over time
• Professional Attributes Responsive informed
  accessible etc.
• Activities and Tactics Pitch calls press
  releases exclusives events etc.
• Rate performance versus competitive set

12
Research and the PR Process

• Preparation
• Setting Objectives
• Developing Strategy
• Executing Programs
• Evaluation
• Refinement

13
Application Preparation 10 Questions

• What are your organizations goals and
  objectives
• What are your departments goals and objectives
• Who are your internal clients and what matters to
  them
• What other departments will be affected
• What other programs are currently underway
• Who is your target audience
• Who influences that audience
• Which media do they read watch or listen to
• What are your key messages

14
Application Setting Objectives

• Goals and Objectives are different. Objectives
  are
• Reasonable they can be accomplished
• Dont Front-cover stories in Fortune Forbes in
  Q3
• Do 80 of stories have at least two positive key
  messages
• Meaningful they prove value and drive PR forward
• Dont 100 clips
• Do Improve Impact Score in key media by 20 by
  year-end
• Measurable specific outputs outcomes
  time-frame
• Dont Generate significant buzz
• Do Improve awareness among prospects by 10 in
  Q4
• Tied to the goals and objectives of the
  organization

15
Application Developing Strategy

• The ideas and tactics by which objectives are
  achieved
• Target market identification and profiling
• Message engineering
• Media engineering
• Spokespeople selection (internal and external)
• Event creation

16
Application Developing Strategy

• Target Audience Profiling
• Media Engineering
• Message Engineering

17
Application Message Engineering
High
Importance
High
Low
Competitors Performance
Low
Low
High
Your Performance
18
Application Message Engineering
19
Application On-going Evaluation

• Value and Return on Investment are different
• PR Value Return on Expectation
• Contextualizing results in light of Exec Audit
  results
• PR Return On Investment
• Savings Improving efficiency and reducing waste
• Cost avoidance averting catastrophe
• Generating revenue and profits delivering on
  business goals and objectives

20
Cost Avoidance Dodging Disaster
21
Cost Savings Doing More With Less
Frequency
Press Releases Citing The Company
22
Generating Sales
Aware of Company Advertising 50
Not Aware of Company Advertising 50
23
Generating Revenue
Percent
24
Generating Revenue
Percent
25
Generating Revenue
26
Generating Revenue
27
Generating Revenue
Cost per Acquisition by Channel

• Cost per Acquisition via OTM 63
• Cost per Acquisition via Targeted ITM 103
• Cost per Acquisition via Non Targeted ITM
  47
• Cost per Acquisition via Advertising 95
• Cost per Acquisition via PR 15
• Cost does not take into account lift to OTM
  yield from news coverage and advertising.

28
Generating Revenue
29
Generating Revenue
0.79
Brand Volume
0.14
Factor 1
-9.80
Factor 2
0.00
Factor 3
1.96
Factor 4
2.14
Factor 5
0.93
Factor 6
7.33
Factor 7
-0.61
Factor 8
-1.29
PR
30
Generating Revenue
2500
1000
2000
750
1500
Vol per MM Impressions
MM Impressions
500
1000
250
500
0
0
Campaign 1
Campaign 2
Campaign 3
Effectiveness
Impressions
31
Generating Revenue
32
Generating Revenue
33

• Public Relations Research and Evaluation
• Evolving From Why
• Mark Weiner
• Delahaye
• mweiner_at_delahaye.com
• 203-663-2446
• www.Delahaye.com