KDPaine's PR Measurement Blog

Conversion optimization and the lack of customer-centricity > Smart Insights Digital Marketing

For many companies, driving traffic to their websites is still the ultimate goal.It’s the way they measure the strength of their brand, and the the effectiveness of their campaigns.

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J-P De Clerck makes some excellent points here. PR people should be paying attention

If this is value, I'm the Queen of England, not Measurement

It's one thing to send me mindless pitches about measurement tools like a magnum spectrometer 
(do they think I'll put in my comparison table right next to Radian 6?) or to suggest that I want to talk to you about your great new book on how to measure your weight loss  but to pitch me on a success story based on AVEs is clear proof that you are either from another planet  or have never read anything I've ever written. 

Honesty, this is what I got just now:

State Farm Hit it “Out of the Park” at the 2011 MLB Home Run Derby, Earning $45,000,000 in Broadcast Exposure

...  According to Front Row Analytics, for the fourth year in a row State Farm Insurance Company increased its broadcast media value during the competition, earning over $45,000,000 in exposure time....

Another big winner was Miller Lite, whose Chase Field signs in center field and above the “Diamond Club” brought in 13 minutes and 54 seconds and over $4,000,000 worth of broadcast exposure.

To be honest, I've never watched the All Star Derby and probably never will. I've watched my fair share of sporting events on TV and never once has a sign inspired me to switch insurance companies or make Miller
my beverage of choice. Had State Farm or Miller actually PAID $45 million or even $4 million for an ad, they might have sent a message to me that made me at least consider a different brand. Actually, to be honest, the last time I drank Miller was the summer of 1970, so maybe not. But they might have reminded me how much I was craving a Molson 67. Or that I am in the market for a new life insurance policy and that State Farm sells them.

I watched a fair amount of women's soccer over the weekend, but I couldn't possibly have told you who's name was on the signs behind that famous goal.

 

So lets get honest, folks. If the CFO at State Farm or Miller are measuring the ROI of their signage at the field by counting minutes and equating them with the broadcast fees, I'm the queen of England.  They know they got their money's worth in sky boxes, and VIP treatment, and I'm sure counted success by renewals and new accounts.  And last I checked, I'm the queen of a much smaller world.