Measuring PR in metrics your leaders will understand

Public relations pros tend to be right-brain types, eager to apply their creativity to a campaign, says the chief executive of Ketchum Global Research & Analytics.

So they should befriend the left-brain, analytical types who can help target the approach and prove results, Rockland says in the talk, “From Barcelona to Integration: Powerful Measurement Principles for Superior PR Programs.” The speech can be viewed free courtesy of Nasdaq Media Intelligence and Ragan Communications.

“See if you have a market research group somewhere in your organization, and make them your best friend,” Rockland says.

He describes the integrated marketing world that has evolved with the writing of Barcelona Principles—a global, overarching framework for how one should approach communications measurement. In the past 15 years, PR measurement has gone from clipping articles to using data to improve organizational performance and drive sales, says Rockland, who led a group of scores of professionals who drafted the Barcelona Principles.