Media Measurement Made Simple (not)

Earlier this week the CIPR Marcomms Group hosted an evening discussion on measurement as part of AMEC’s Measurement Month. The event at the CIPR in London hosted 4 speakers, being:

• Richard Bagnall, AMEC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, PRIME Research (UK)
• Giles Peddy, Group Managing Director, Lewis,
• Jerry Ward, Managing Director, Press Data
• Stuart Bruce FCIPR, Leader CIPR Task and Finish Measurement and Evaluation Group

The title of the event was ‘Media Measurement Made Simple’. On reflection this title could be viewed as link bait…..

As we all know, measurement is not easy. This tweet from Stephen Waddington just about sums it up:

 

Beyond the obvious AVE bashing the speakers gave some genuinely great advice on things like the role of measurement, expectations, workflow and techniques. The speakers where in chorus on the topic of segmentation of measurement by output, out-takes and outcomes, placing the emphasis on the final category, being the hardest to prove and the most rewarding.

I found value in the discussion on the use of AMEC’s Integrated Evaluation Framework amecorg.com/amecframework. It is a cost-free planning, execution and measurement aid. It won’t score you or tell you if you are any good. Instead it is a structure and aid, providing clues and tips for the process, points to be aware of and way of recording progress, being mainly segmented by the PESO model (Paid, Earned, Social and Owned).

Depending on your point of view and experience the silos around PR, Advertising and Marketing are become less important and distinct. If that is the case then the PESO approach will resonate strongly.

My over-riding feeling is that measurement needs to see itself more in the context of cause and effect. At the planning stage PR’s need to ask themselves what success looks like, and from this form their measurable objectives and goals.

One of my favourite slides was by Giles Peddy and sets out how Lewis has reworked the framework to feel more like an open rotating process, rather than a single journey.