Definition of a Menace:
Any vendor or agency claiming to have a “universal measure” of anything having to do with social media.
The latest examples of this type of villain are Starcom MediaVest Group and ShareThis, who earlier this week announced that they've used the magic of algorithms to blend two proprietary indices into a “universal measure of social activity on the web.”
When Research and Standards Collide
There were two papers at IPRRC 2013—one by Marianne Eisenmann and Julie O'Neal, and one by Sean Williams—that have significant impact on the Conclave's pursuit of public relations and social media measurement standards.
This webinar from Carma International presents Dr. Jim Macnamara, Professor and Deputy Dean at University of Technology, Sydney. He identifies and explores several key concepts of public relations measurement, including engagement, relevant influence, and impact/value. It's really a broad review of what public relations does and how it can be evaluated. It also includes an overview of current standards efforts, and a model of how PR efforts link to business outcomes. --WTP
The Digital Analytics Association, in conjunction with SMMStandards, has proposed definitions for the terms "item," "mention," "reach," and "impressions." You can view and post your comments on these definitions at the #SMMStandards site. Here's a quick summary:
-- ITEM: An ITEM of content is a post, micro-post, article, or other instance appearing for the first time in a digital media.
Comments: This definition of ITEM replaces “clip” “post” and other unclear terminology. ITEMs of content refer to the content vehicle in its entirety, which means that a single ITEM can contain multiple MENTIONs and derivatives. Derivatives of ITEMs such as comments, likes, etc., should not be counted as additional ITEMs.
When, last week, the first section of the new bridge was floated into place, I was overcome with a feeling of wonder and awe. The new bridge is actually becoming a reality! Progress can happen! People and things can and do change!
I feel very much the same way about standards for measurement of public relations.
Continue reading "The State of Measurement Standards January 2013: It’s a Bridge, it’s a Bridge! " »
Martin Luther King, Jr. said it first, and then Beth Kanter adapted it for networked nonprofit training workshops. Now here is Katie Paine's version that you can use to assess your progress toward adoption of public relations measurement and social media measurement standards:
Continue reading "Crawl, Walk, Run, or Fly, but Keep Moving Toward Measurement Standards" »
At long last progress is being made on developing standards for the measurement of social media and public relations. Here's your checklist
for coming into compliance.
The Paine of Measurement
by Katie Delahaye Paine
As I write this, I
look out at Shankhassick Farm, locked in
winter’s snowy clutches, all frozen, grey, and still. But in my greenhouse the
plants know that the days are getting longer, and they are putting out tiny signs of
growth and change.
That’s how I view the current state of the development of standards for public relations and social media measurement. After virtually no movement for decades, the industry is finally waking up, taking steps to establish much-needed standard definitions. It is my hope and belief that these standards will usher in a new era of productivity and progress. It's springtime in the land of measurement.
Continue reading "The Blossoming of Standards: Measurement Spring Is On Its Way" »
by Katie Delahaye Paine
Back in 1999, the IPR Measurement Commission began an initiative to improve the measurement criteria for PR industry awards.
Continue reading "Barcelona Principles Report Card: How Do 12 PR Awards Programs Measure Up?" »
Early in October the Conclave met to work on social media measurement standards. Now they need public comment on their transparency table for content sourcing, and their definitions of engagement, and conversation. Here's your chance to chime in.
Standards for Content, Engagement Released for Input
Durham, NH – October, 2012 – A cross-disciplinary coalition of marketing and communications associations has announced several initial standards for social media measurement, based on progress made earlier this month at the second annual #SMMStandards Conclave.
Last Wednesday I was a part of the annual Conclave, at which a score of very smart social media measurement experts deliberated, debated, and decided on definitions of some of the fundamental terms of social media measurement. It was measurement geek heaven.
Mentions. Reach. Engagement. Influence. You might think that you know what these terms mean. And certainly the social media experts must know, right? Wrong.
Continue reading "Report from The Conclave 2012: Social Media Measurement Standards In The Making" »
About a year ago, at the AMEC Lisbon Summit on Measurement, Ruth Pestana and Mike Daniels presented the Valid Metrics Framework. This practical system for measuring public relations grew out of the Barcelona Principles and a desire to supplant the simplistic and inaccurate Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE) with more sophisticated and valid techniques.
The Valid Metrics Framework walks you through the thought process of setting up a measurement system. By segmenting each primary area of a PR program, you can immediately see what metrics go where. Not quite a cookbook, and not quite actual standards, the Valid Metrics Framework has been adapted to include how and what to measure for different types of public relations campaigns. Read this post at the PRSA blog to learn more.
A couple weeks ago at the AMEC Dublin Summit Mike Daniels presented the Updated Valid Metrics Frameworks, which begins to extend the framework to social media.
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This paper, authored by Marianne Eisenmann, David Geddes, Ph.D., Katie Paine, Ruth Pestana, Frank Walton, Ph.D., and Mark Weiner, makes recommendations for calculating some of the most common data points in traditional media analysis, such as impressions, tone, and quality. Interested parties may comment on the evolving interim standards on the IPR website.
“We intend to follow International Standards Organization processes adapted as necessary for our field,” said David Geddes, managing director, Geddes Analytics, and chair of the IPR Measurement Commission. “We will promulgate proposed interim standards with broad industry input, which become approved interim standards after the customer panel review, and ultimately validated published standards.
From the introduction to the paper:
Organizations engage in traditional media relations for many reasons and their objectives for analyzing the media coverage may be similarly varied. Media coverage can serve as a proxy for public perception and is relatively inexpensive and accessible. Public relations professionals apply media analysis to help demonstrate the value of PR, provide insights to make better decisions, improve performance, understand issues and anticipate change.
The IPR Measurement Commission proposes the following standards for consideration. The overall recommendation seeks to ensure that measures used in analysis are well-formulated and implemented by (i) gaining agreement from the start among all relevant parties, (ii) offering transparency about the methodology used in the analysis and, (iii) remaining consistent throughout the analysis and any subsequent studies.
Go to the IPR website to read more and download the entire article.
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At the Dublin Summit last week, new industry standards were announced for traditional media analysis (Proposed Interim Standards for Metrics in Traditional Media Analysis) and for social media measurement (read more here). Here's how to bring these new measurement standards into your organization.
Step 1: Retire AVEs.
Are you currently using Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE)? If so, stop doing it and implement valid measurement alternatives.
Step 2: Hire to the new standards.
If you are considering hiring a social media measurement or monitoring firm, include the new Transparency Table in your RFP. If you are considering hiring a traditional media monitoring or analysis firm, consider only those that are in compliance with the Proposed Interim Standards for Metrics in Traditional Media Analysis. Inform any firm that is not in compliance of your reasons for rejecting them.
Step 3. Review the standards with your vendors.
If you are already using one or more measurement or monitoring firms, check in with them and review both sets of standards with them.
Step 4. Use the Transparency Table to determine just what you are measuring.
For your social media monitoring or measurement vendors, ask them to fill out the Transparency Table, then compare them. If they can not or will not complete the whole table, or their entries vary too much to be acceptable, indicate that before any contract is renewed they must be in compliance with the standards.
Step 5. Promote the standards.
Go to the next meeting of PRSA, IABC, or other industry group to learn and spread the word about the new standards.
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Recent big progress on measurement standards, why this progress is so important, and a dozen resources to read all about it.
It's been a good couple of weeks for everyone that has been screaming for standards in public relations measurement and social media measurement:
1. The IPR Measurement Commission approved interim standards for traditional media measurement (see the paper "Proposed Interim Standards for Metrics in Traditional Media Analysis"). Authored by Marianne Eisenmann and others (including the publisher of The Measurement Standard, Katie Paine), this paper includes recommendations for how to calculate some of the most commonly debated data points in traditional media analysis. It's just the first in a series of steps towards broad industry adoption of standard methodology, but it is a giant step forward from where we’ve been. Be sure to read the very interesting comments both pro and con on the IPR page.
2. Then, at AMEC's 4th European Summit on Measurement in Dublin, Tim Marklein and Katie Paine gave a presentation, "The March to Standards: #SMMStandards Progress and Roadmap" that summarizes the work done by the Coalition and the Conclave on developing social media measurement standards. See this article for a summary of that presentation.
3. The Dublin Summit also adopted a common sense glossary of social media measurement terms to sort out the confusing array of terminology being banded about within our industry.
4. Also at the Dublin Summit, Mike Daniels presented a proposed update to the Valid metrics Framework, (the original version was presented last year at AMEC's Lisbon conference) extending it to social media.
Why this is such a really big deal
At last, after years of planning and effort and promising baby steps, new industry-wide standards are being agreed upon for measuring the effectiveness of public relations and social media.
Two years ago at the Barcelona Summit (also known as AMEC's 2nd European Summit on Measurement) a broad collection of associations, clients, academics, and research providers produced the Barcelona Declaration of Research Principles. The Principles are very general and mostly basic fundamentals, but they got the ball rolling and made a solid foundation to work from. Moreover, this was the first time the often-contentious measurement industry got together and made significant progress toward developing public relations measurement and social media measurement standards. (See this article for more information.)
Since Barcelona, some two dozen companies and organizations have been working to make progress on standards, and it has been a long and winding road. (See this article for more information, and this article for a flow chart of the organizations involved.)
Additional resources on standards
A blog on recent progress:
Recent blog posts:
- David Geddes: "What Are Standards for Public Relations Research and Why Do We Need Them?"
- David Geddes: "Defining a Process for Public Relations Research Standards"
Articles:
Press release:
Papers on the IPR website:
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“Data will become the new soil in which our ideas will grow, and data whisperers will become the new messiahs.” 
