Communications as Ikor

PR의 효과 측정 1 

 

이 바로 앞 이슈로 케쳠 사장님이신, Drobis씨가 하신 말씀 가운데 가슴 깊이 남는 것 하나가 (물론 모두 버릴것 없는 지적이셨지만) 바로 PR의 효과 측정에 대한 얘기였습니다.

 

어떤 기업도 눈에 보이지 않는 것에 아무 의미 없이 투자하지는 않습니다.

그러나 아이러니컬 하게도 많은 기업들이 효과가 측정되지 않는 PR에는 꽤 아까운 돈들을 투자를 합니다. “PR은 가랑비 같아서 장기간의 노력을 해야 겨우 소기의 목적을 달성할수 있다.” 맞는 말입니다. 이는 때때로 우물에서 숭늉을 찾으시는 분들께 적절한 명언이되고 있습니다. 그러나 가랑비도 어느정도 맞고나서는 젖은 옷을 짜내어 얼마나 많은 빗방울을 지금까지 맞았는지 확인할 필요가 있습니다.PR 은 상품이며 과학이기 때문입니다.

 

Communications은 Art다. 학부시절에 가슴 찡~하게 듣던 말입니다.

PR도 Art입니다. 그러나 그 시행 결과의 올바른 측정이 가능할때 진정한 Art일 수 있습니다.

 

제가아는 한 교수님께서 이런 말씀을 해주시고는 했습니다.

“Professional Service를 파는 너희들이 성공적인 결과를 달성하도록 클라이언트를 도왔다면 사람들로 부터 “전문가!”라는 칭호를 듣는다. 그러나 비관적인 결과를 초래했을때는 “사기꾼!”이라는 말을 듣는다.”라고 하셨습니다. 저는 이 말씀을 가슴 깊이 새기고 있습니다. 사기꾼이 되지않으려고…

 

PR인들은 결과의 측정이 없는 상품을 팔고있습니다. 소비자인 클라이언트들도 그냥 그렇게 넘어갑니다. 물론 효과측정을 하려면 참 복잡합니다. 귀찮습니다. 또 어떤 프로그램은 효과측정이 불가능하기까지 합니다. 그렇습니다.

 

그러나.. 저희가 Professional로 취급을 받으며, 명예롭게 은퇴하기 위해서는 꼭 필요합니다. 항상 하나의 서비스 팩키지 정도로 생각하면 그냥 쉬울겁니다.

 

앞으로 효과 측정에 대한 클라이언트의 적극적인 투자와 에이젼시의 능동적인 관심이 필요합니다. (경쟁력을 위해서..이전 이슈에서 언급된 것 기억하시죠?)

 

이번과 다음 이슈는 PR 효과 측정에 대한 이슈를 다루기 위해 미국의 가장 권위 있는 PR효과 측정 연구소인 플로리다의 Institute For Public Relations의 “Guidelines for setting measurable public relations objectives”를 싣습니다. 올해 5월경 쯤에 발표됬었습니다. 내일은 제작년에 발표되어 PRSA랑 도용 시비를 벌이기도 했던 또하나의 명작” “Guidelines and Standards for measuring and evaluating PR effectiveness”를 소개해 올리겠습니다. 기대하십시오.

 

한국 사회에서 PR인들이 최고의 전문가 집단으로 인정받을 때를 기다립니다.

그럼 먼저 “홍보!!!”

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PR의 효과 측정 1 (자료) 

<<참고자료>>

 

GUIDELINES FOR SETTING MEASURABLE

PUBLIC RELATIONS OBJECTIVES 

c 1999, THE INSTITUTE For Public Relations Research & Education

 

This Booklet Summarizes The Ideas, Thoughts and Suggestions

Of An Institute for Public Relations Research & Education

Special Task Force Seeking To Set Industry-Accepted

Minimum Criteria For Evaluating PR Outputs and Outcomes

 

 

CONTRIBUTORS

 

 

Katharine Delahaye Payne

The Delahaye Group, Inc  Mark Weiner

MediaLink

Dr. James E. Grunig

University of Maryland Dr. Walter K. Lindenmann

Ketchum

 

————————————————————————–

This manuscript was prepared by Forrest W. Anderson and Linda Hadley

 

First Published, May 1999

 

WHY SET MEASURABLE PR OBJECTIVES ?

 

The goal of virtually all public relations (PR) is to help an organization achieve its “business or performance objectives.” How does PR do this? It begins by setting measurable objectives.

 

Measurable objectives in public relations do two things:

 

1. They facilitate and support business objectives, thus demonstrating that PR activities support the business or performance goals and are thereby “strategic”

 

2. They enable PR practitioners to show they have achieved what they set out to achieve, and thereby demonstrate accountability

 

The reason to state measurable objectives is that if you do not, you are likely to suffer the following consequences:

 

Where the process of goal setting and evaluation seems to have become perfunctory or sporadic over time, there seems to have been the greatest downsizing in [corporate communications] staff and activity. (Barlow 1993, 8)

 

 

Only one practitioner – a public affairs advisor for an oil company – said that his department has no written goals and objectives. He described a situation of great instability in which the business units of his organization are driving the goals of public affairs, while corporate public affairs is being downsized drastically. (Hon 1998, 118)

 

SETTING MEASURABLE PUBLIC RELATIONS OBJECTIVES 

 

Link PR Objectives to Business and Organizational Objectives

 

Getting a clear understanding of an organizations business or performance goals is the PR practitioners first step in setting measurable objectives for a communications program, yet it is probably the most often overlooked. When management asks what it is getting for its PR investment, it is asking for evidence that communications activities have advanced business goals. If public relations practitioners do not have a clear understanding of what these business goals are, public relations can succeed only by chance.

 

Business goals might include:

 

1. Increasing share price

2. Increasing sales

3. Increasing market share

4. Increasing productivity

5. Reducing employee turnover

 

How do we obtain this information? In the ideal world, senior PR staff has been at the table with the rest of senior management helping to set the organizations objectives. So senior PR staff knows. However, in some organizations, PR has not yet achieved this level of influence. If this is the case, other avenues for determining business goals are to engage senior managers in discussions of the organizations goals and the factors managers think will impact achieving these goals. Ask to see business plans and marketing plans. Talk with those involved in other communications disciplines about what their programs are designed to accomplish. Do your own research into industry issues and trends and your target audiences. Make this kind of situation analysis a routine element of program planning.

 

Of course, understanding the organization’s business goals is easiest when the public relations practitioners who develop the communications plan take part in setting the organization’s overall objectives as well.

 

To help ensure that PR objectives are linked to business objectives, ask the following questions:

 

1. What is management trying to achieve and what will help or hinder its success, from a communications perspective?

2. How are stakeholders likely to respond to management decisions?

3. What response would management like from target stakeholders?

4. How can PR programs help achieve these goals?

5. What is the most effective role for PR in relation to other communications disciplines? What can PR do more effectively than advertising, promotions, management consultants, etc.?

 

Answers to these questions will help identify business goals and guide PR efforts in the most productive directions.

 

 

Tieing Objectives to Measures of Program Success

 

The foundation for effective program evaluation is setting objectives. Program evaluation is the process of measuring progress toward objectives. If the objectives are unclear, the evaluation will be weak. Further, the creation of objectives is critical to managing expectations for the program, especially where specific targets for outcomes are set (e.g., increase awareness by 20 percent).

 

 

Creating Measurable PR Objectives

 

In the case of objectives, wishing (or simply calling something an objective) won&Otilde;t make it so. An objective must

 

1. Specify a desired outcome (increase awareness, improve relationships, build preference, adopt an attitude, generate sales leads, etc.)

2. Directly specify one or several target audiences

3. Be measurable, both conceptually and practically

4. Refer to “ends,” not “means.” If your objective outlines a means by which to do something, (often prefaced by the words “leverage” or “use”), you have a strategy, not an objective.

5. Include a time frame in which the objective is to be achieved, for example, by July 1.

 

In general, process goals, such as “get publicity,” “launch a product” or “create a brochure,” make poor objectives. They do not relate to broader organizational goals and are not measurable in any specific, concrete, or truly meaningful manner. (“I did it”/”I didn&Otilde;t do it.” does not count as measurable.) A useful way to replace these “process” objectives is to ask yourself, “What is the purpose of (insert objective).” The answer to this question is likely to move you closer to a clear, actionable objective.

 

Examples:

 

Publicizing A New Line of Women&Otilde;s Clothing

 

Let’s suppose the purpose of “get publicity” is to help sell a new line of women’s clothing. While PR cannot ensure sales, a sound publicity program can generate the awareness and possibly build the motivation necessary for sales to occur. So, “get publicity” could change into “increase awareness of our new line of women’s clothing within the next six months among women in the top 10 ADIs, between the ages of 40 and 64, with household incomes of $50,000 and up.”

 

Note: By spelling out the proposed publicity campaign in this very precise manner, all five of the requirements we had listed above are covered, and the PR effort now becomes something that can be specifically measurable.

 

Informing Motorists About Changes Pertaining To A New Toll Road

 

When a privately financed and developed toll-road first opened in a given location, it turned out that traffic was far below that which had been anticipated by the developers. The business objective of the agency that was responsible for managing the toll road clearly was to increase traffic as quickly as possible. Research showed that potential users of the toll road — residents of the nearby communities — did not like the look of the existing toll structures and also were concerned about noise and air pollution. The toll road authority immediately took steps to improve the look of the road’s toll structures and also erected barriers as a means of limiting and controlling noise and air pollution. The toll road authority set for itself an objective of seeking to increase traffic to 30,000 cars per week day within a six month time frame. The communications program that was developed and put into place, was directly linked to that objective — that is, within a six month period of time, the aim was to educate and inform a large enough proportion of residents of neighboring communities about the changes that had taken place, that would eventually lead to an increased number of motorists considering the possible use of the new toll way, as an alternate means of travel.

 

Note: By linking the public education program to the business plan, by adhering to the exact same time frame of six months, and by targeting community residents, a set of measurable communications objectives was put into effect.

 

Restoring the Reputation of A Distributor Of Computer Products

 

A distributor of computer products and services had achieved an enviable reputation among those in the financial community and in the business press, chiefly through the successful marketing of its products to four very specific audience segments.

 

In an effort to expand its market share, the company made a dramatic foray into a sales channel in which it was not at all well known. The venture failed, and this unexpected turn of events had an extremely negative impact on the manufacturer’s overall reputation on Wall Street. Even though the company was continuing to experience success in market areas in which it had dominated in the past, the unsuccessful venture left financial analysts and those in the media with the impression that perhaps the firm was no longer as successful an organization as it had been perceived to be in the past.

 

The organization’s management regrouped after the failed venture and began to not only meet, but also exceed, its sales goals among the other four target audience segments to which it had been selling its products and services in the past.

 

What management needed from the communications program was to increase the number of financial analysts with positive attitudes toward the company. Specific media placement and financial community targets were set and a one-year time schedule was implemented.

 

Note: The PR objectives that were set were very specific, very measurable, and were clearly tied to the organization’s business objectives

 

Determining The Value Of A Corporate Event Sponsorship Program

 

For years, a manufacturer and distributor of cellular phones had actively been involved in sponsoring and promoting a local golf tournament, which received national exposure one particular weekend each year. Although the company knew that linking its name to the tourney was generating a good deal of goodwill, the firm&Otilde;s business officers challenged the PR people to link the publicity effort to the sale of cellular phones to golf enthusiasts.

 

In this case, a long-term PR effort with only limited “business” objectives, suddenly was given a new mission: link the PR to possible sales. To do so, the PR professionals commissioned research “around” the golf tournament — conducting research with a sample of golf enthusiasts who were familiar with and likely to watch the tourney, either in person or on television, prior to the holding of the event to determine their interest in and possible purchase of cellular phone products, followed by a follow-up poll immediately following the event, to determine what impact, if any, the company’s sponsorship might have had in possibly generating sales interest. The before-and-after impact of the company’s publicity and promotional efforts relating to the golf tourney also were measured.

 

Note: As in the previous examples, the target audience was clearly defined in advance and the data that were collected were quite specific, and directly relevant to the organization’s business objectives

 

Should A New Product Be Promoted With Ads, Publicity or Both?

 

A distributor of meat products was planning to distribute a brand new product during a given period of time, but the marketing staff was not certain if it would be more effective to promote and publicize the product only with paid advertising, only with “free” publicity, or with a combination of both.

 

In an effort to resolve the dilemma, the company’s advertising and public relations departments both were asked to develop materials to be used in the promotional effort. In setting their objectives for their efforts, both departments clearly recognized that they ultimately would be judged not just on how much “exposure” they achieved through their communications dissemination efforts, but also by whether or not what they did actually “moved” product.

 

To precisely document and measure the effectiveness of their efforts, the departments identified four somewhat similar communities, then introduced the new product in the first community using advertising techniques only – introduced the product in the second community using publicity techniques only – introduced it in the third community using a combination of both – and introduced it in a fourth community with no advertising or PR support at all — in an effort to set up a “control” group.

 

Before and after research was designed and carried out in all four communities, to precisely measure consumer knowledge of and attitudes toward the company and its various meat products prior to the new product launch, and two weeks after the launch.

 

Note: This particular effort gave the companys marketing managers precisely what they needed: hard, measurable data pertaining to which approach worked best, which the company could then use for its marketing and communications efforts overall.

 

Developing A View Book For Use In Student Recruitment

 

The public relations officer of an academic institution was asked to prepare a booklet that could be used by the college to more effectively market and promote the institution to a certain segment of its prospective students.

 

Loads of materials about the college already existed — including a catalogue, various brochures that described different curricular offerings, and fact sheets that offered background information about different degree and non-degree programs. The new booklet was deemed necessary to enable the school to reach one special segment of the population with which the college had had only limited success in the past: representatives of a certain racial and ethnic minority group.

 

In planning for the development of the new promotional booklet, the PR department focused on such issues as the book’s eventual distribution to the audience that was being targeted – the desired receptivity to and interest in the contents of the book on the part of that segment of the public – and on the ultimate value that the book might generate for the school, by resulting in increased inquiries, possible applications (and eventual enrollments) by those in the target audience population.

 

Note: By specifically defining all of the functions that the new book was intended to fulfill, by focusing not only on its contents, but also on its possible means of distribution, the likelihood of it being received, understood and effectively used by those in the target audience group, and the ultimate purpose of the booklet as a means of motivating those in a particular sector to possibly consider applying to the school, the college public relations officer was able to set — in advance — very specific measurable objectives that the book’s creation was intended to meet.

 

Be Realistic

 

Be realistic when you develop PR program objectives. A common problem for PR program goal-setters is the temptation to over-promise or to fix on objectives like “drive consumer sales” or “build awareness of the product” without much attention to whether there is anything in the program that could achieve such an objective.

 

Proper attention to program evaluation can help ensure that objectives are realistic. Consider, for example, a $50,000 recipe service campaign. If the objective were to build national awareness of the food product featured in the recipe campaign, the most likely means to measure success would be a national survey to track consumer awareness of the product and the campaign. (Build awareness; measure change in awareness.) This kind of evaluation is unlikely to show measurable increases in national awareness simply because we are designating some 200 million people as our target audience. It might be better to promise something that can be achieved with $50,000, such as building the brand’s visibility among key food reporters and editors, a much more limited — and realistic — target audience.

 

Other ways to be realistic include checking industry benchmarks, comparing notes with colleagues who have done similar projects and reviewing secondary literature. One place to look for comparative benchmarks is in the award application archives of PRSA and CIPRA.