Measuring your event public relations – is it even possible?

When you were growing up, did you know someone who was constantly misunderstood? Someone whose flashy smile and golden locks meant they were automatically filed into the flaky basket? Someone who you discovered was creative, dedicated and insightful when you got to know them?

You’ve just met public relations; the poor cousin to marketing, grossly misconstrued and considered by some as un-measurable.

Let’s start the introduction all over again

Public relations, or PR, is the strategic and proactive practice of identifying, building and nurturing strong and reciprocal relationships with the stakeholders (or publics) of your event or business. This can include media, however, it most commonly includes your sponsors, exhibitors, delegates, industry associations, competitors and relevant government agencies as well.

When we set out to build relationships with any or all of these groups, we always have formed objectives to work towards such as raising awareness of an event’s brand; launching a new product or service; driving attendance; communicating a key message e.g. the show is now in a new location; promoting a feature e.g. an international keynote presentation, or all of the above.

PR’s role is to ensure that your audiences have heard about you and have the right impression before you start to market or sell to them.

But how do you measure it?

The way PR is measured is undergoing a major revolution across all industries. The reliance on the Advertising Value Equivalent model (AVE = advertising equivalent x 3 = PR value) is fading as the industry moves towards if the objectives have been reached through a thorough critique of reach, depth, brand, message, reputation and quality.

This renaissance is being fuelled through the increased need for transparency and ways to demonstrate ROI; however PR people love it as it gives us the chance to really link PR activities to business success and growth. The other impact is that the need for deeper analysis is quickly transforming the way event PR campaigns need to be designed, delivered and reported.

Here are some ways we measure PR:

Strong brand recognition

While securing media mentions of events remains one of the main channels to reach your target audience, it’s also vital to ensure that all messages are correctly and consistently communicated to establish a strong brand recall.

Analysing how brands are referenced within media coverage and that of your partners (i.e. space and prominence given, words used, how spokespeople are quoted and how logos and images are used) reveals valuable information about how your brand is being perceived. This analysis will also reveal what your media thinks their audiences are interested in, giving you greater insight into your markets.

Reputation management

Once you have a strong brand presence you have to maintain it and keep that hard-earned position. This is done by working closely with and aligning your brand and messages with key stakeholders such as great clients, sponsors etc. Where your brand is mentioned in association with another, their reputation wears off on yours.

Also looking at the type of publications and media angles that have been secured as well as the range of industries and mediums (broadcast, print or online) will soon show you if your PR is having the right impact.

Relationship development

Establishing and enhancing relationships with individuals media contacts, influencers and industry leaders is another great way to ensure your event is successfully communicated. Securing their attendance and participation in today’s busy world can be difficult and therefore a real achievement.

Inspecting your list of journalists, bloggers, followers on social media or other influential and high-profile supporters and logging the length and depth of their participation with your event will help ascertain the quality of their relationship with you.

People do business with brands because of their reputation, which is derived from how they communicate with those around them. It is one of the most important aspects of a company or event’s worth and yet often a strategy to manage it is overlooked.

It is entirely possible to conduct a detailed evaluation of event PR outcomes, and also provide insights to demonstrate the true value of the work. This new movement in evaluation is an industry game-changer and is not for the faint hearted. It works best with a carefully planned and executed strategic communications plan that is developed in conjunction with real business or event goals and objectives.

Zadro specialises in developing PR campaigns. Find out more: www.zadroagency.com.au