So many research and/or measurement-related sessions to see at this year’s PRSA National Conference. Looking forward to attending all of these and live tweeting via @CARMA_Tweets and/or @alanchumley…keep an eye on @shonali’s #measurepr hashtag:
Communication Measurement on a Shoestring Budget
Sunday, Oct. 17: 8am-12pm
Location: Georgetown West
You have researched your audience, you understand your organization’s direction and you have executed your plan — but is the message clear? Did your audience see the communication vehicles carrying the messages? Is the communication program helping to change behavior and improve the bottom line?
In this interactive workshop, you will explore:
- Ways to determine whether your communications are effective, even on a shoestring budget.
- How to use observational measurement techniques for messages, channels and outcomes.
- Ways to find free research resources, internally and externally.
- Using pilot/control groups to show the impact of different communication strategies.
Presenter:
Angela Sinickas, ABC, IABC Fellow, is president of Sinickas Communications, Inc., an international consulting firm that helps organizations plan and measure successful communication, including 23 percent of Forbes’ Global 100 largest corporations. She is the author of the manual, How to Measure Your Communication Programs, as well as more than 125 professional articles. Sinickas has conducted presentations in 26 countries, and has earned 17 international communication awards. She teaches an online graduate course in communication assessment for Northeastern University.
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Measuring and Communicating New Values in Today’s Media Landscape
Sunday Oct 17, 3pm
Location: Georgetown West
Martin Murtland, vice president and managing director, Dow Jones & Co.
Cindy Droog, APR, senior public relations specialist, corporate communications, Amway
Communications success is no longer limited to a front-page story or a three-minute television segment. Success can be defined as winning over Mommy bloggers or, more to the CEO’s interest, an increase in revenue. Learn from a real-life business case study, which centers on how Amway measured the impact of social media on its brand globally, and gained a perspective on how the brand was being disseminated in social media outside the United States. You will learn how to identify key influencers, best practices in traditional and social media measurement strategy, and ways to link the “buzz” to business outcomes — the type of communications measures for which executives are really looking.
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How to Demonstrate the Effectiveness of Your Government Relations Program
Sunday Oct 17, 4.45pm
Location: Columbia Hall 2
Enrico “Rick” L. Callender, director of government relations, Santa Clara Valley Water District
Rachael Gibson, management analyst, Santa Clara Valley Water
Government relations and public affairs are often seen as immeasurable programs by many CEOs. Yet, how do you measure the effectiveness of relationships and advocacy efforts? Why should an organization or business be a member of an association? Should we be utilizing associations for all of our advocacy efforts? This workshop will provide the tools to demonstrate how to effectively measure and show the return on investment of your government relations program.
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Quantifiable Objectives: The Key to Proving PR Value
Sunday, Oct. 17, 4.45pm
Location: Columbia Hall 10
Mark F. Weiner, chief executive officer, PRIME Research
While the most straightforward measure for proving public relations success is often “meet or beat measurable objectives,” setting quantifiable objectives is one of PR’s most vexing challenges. In this session, learn proven techniques for setting objectives for success, as well as how to start fresh by assessing which priorities drive the PR value. This engaging workshop will greatly enhance your ability to improve PR performance, and enhance client buy-in and alignment for PR by linking objectives and results with the overall goals of the business. Walk away with an “objectives-setting manifesto” for establishing quantifiable objectives and building The Business Case for Public Relations™
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Measuring Federal Government Communication Efforts: Top 10 Mistakes and Lessons Learned
Monday, Oct. 18: 9.45am
Location: Columbia Hall 11 & 12
John Zogby, president and chief executive officer, Zogby International
Steven Millman, senior associate, Booz Allen Hamilton
Whether preparing the public for and educating about H1N1, meeting the needs of victims of natural disasters, or equipping and informing our military, the effectiveness of the federal government’s communications has never been more critical. This interactive panel shares real-life case studies from the U.S. military and other federal government agencies, with a focus on the effectiveness of the clients’ communication strategies and methods. This session also will explore practical tips on how to avoid the 10 most common mistakes in communication measurement.
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Measuring Customer Communication Outcomes: Identifying the Impact of Different Campaign Elements
Monday, Oct. 18: 11.30am
Location: Columbia Hall 11 & 12
Angela D. Sinickas, ABC, IABC Fellow, president, Sinickas Communications, Inc.
Using multiple communication approaches, you undoubtedly make customer communications more effective — but which approach created which response? Was it the public relations, the ad, collateral or event that impacted the outcome, or was it a combination of them all? Using easily adaptable examples, discover various research techniques that isolate the impact of several communications on customer outcomes. Also, learn how to calculate return on investment (ROI) for an entire communications campaign, or its elements.
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Measurement in the “Age of Now”: A Common Sense Guide to the Business of PR
Location: Monroe
Shonali Burke, ABC, principal, Shonali Burke Consulting
The explosion of social media has shined a new light on the measurability of our profession. However, many practitioners still put far too much emphasis on the tracking and measuring of outputs, not outcomes. In this session, you will receive an overview of how measurement has and has not changed, and the most practical way to tackle it. Learn how to identify what key performance indicators (KPIs) are, and how to connect your efforts to your organization’s KPIs. Also, learn how to measure successfully on a budget.
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Reputation, Employee Engagement and Other Measures of PR Value
Monday, Oct. 18: 3.30pm
Location: Columbia Hall 3 & 4
Louis Capozzi, APR, Fellow PRSA, adjunct professor, New York Unversity; and CEO, retired, MS&L
Helen Ostrowski, APR, retired chairman, Porter Novelli, adjunct professor, NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies
Katie Paine, chief executive officer, KDPaine & Partners
Public relations has the unique ability to provide the “big picture” as it relates to issues that business and marketing executives worry about. Today, some of the issues at the forefront are reputation, trust and employee engagement. A panel of distinguished industry experts debate and discuss PR’s role in building, maintaining and evaluating an organization’s reputation. Learn the role employees play in carrying out an organization’s strategy and building its brand with external constituents. Hear how measuring results of efforts in these areas demonstrate the value of PR.
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What’s the ROMI of Social Media, Online Video and Press Releases?
Tuesday, Oct. 19: 8am
Location: Jefferson
Laura Sturaitis, senior vice president, media & product services, BusinessWire
Greg Jarboe, president and co-founder, SEO-PR
According to Pew Internet & American Life Project tracking surveys, 88 percent of Internet users use a search engine to find information; 62 percent watch videos on websites like YouTube or Google Video; 47 percent use online social networking sites like Facebook or LinkedIn; and 19 percent use Twitter or another status-update service. Which one of these new public relations opportunities delivers the highest return on marketing investment (ROMI)? Also, with so many ways to engage customers across the social media landscape, are press releases still necessary? Panelists will discuss real-world examples and techniques to get the most mileage from PR in the Web 2.0 world, including the use of press releases and digital multimedia. Learn to work hand-in-hand with your Web team to see how visitors are getting to your site and moving through it.
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Building C-Suite Trust Through News and Social Media Monitoring ROI
Tuesday, Oct. 19: 8am
Location: Cabinet
Jeff Trexel, chief executive officer, Infoition News Services
Linda Odorisio, vice president, U.S. Communications, CGI Group
Savvy public relations executives earn C-suite trust by spending dollars on actions that boast a clear return on investment (ROI) and align with business objectives. Join session presenters for an interactive dialogue on news and social media monitoring ROI. Launch points are data collected from five Fortune 500 corporations and a best practices case study showing what is working inside a multi-billion dollar corporation. Learn how to earn C-suite trust, or risk being ignored.
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PRincipal of PRooph 
Alan,
Thank you for promoting measurement sessions at the PRSA Conference. The topic is in demand, as you’ve indicated. The measurement-related sessions yesterday were full and the curiosity intense.