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Measuring the Effectiveness of Spokespeople

As a contributor to PRWeek's ToolBox section (subscription required), I'm often asked to answer PR related questions for the publication in 200 words or less.  I submit my answer which is then often edited down even more to fit in the allocated space.  Since the Q&A is not run in the form originally submitted I thought I'd share some of the more recent Q&A here.  Recently, I was asked if there is a way to tell if a company spokesperson is being effective.  (I did address this question in an article and posted on it here few months ago.)

It is important to any organization to continually gauge whether your spokesperson can communicate your key messages effectively for a business or trade reporter, just as the spokesperson is able to communicate with a potential investor, customer or prospect.

Does your spokesperson's message evolve as your audience changes? A critical part of the spokesperson's role is the ability to convey the company's vision with enthusiasm and credibility, in a convincing and dynamic manner to meet the needs of the audience.

For all companies looking to build or enhance their brand, it is important to have an effective spokesperson who can communicate the company message, values and goals. It is also critical to accurately measure your spokespersons effectiveness in delivering the company's messages. Tracking how well your messages are being communicated will help you determine how well your messages are resonating in editorial coverage and in the minds of consumers and corporate decision-makers.

Status, respect and effectiveness of the spokesperson are often tied to exposure to the media. To measure effectiveness, track the number of quotes attributed to key executives or spokespeople at a company. Are they consistently on message with the company's objectives? Do they have something to say that's been picked up by many publications?

Being concise and staying on message is a skill spokesperople need to learn.  As a measurement of this, track the number of quotes and messages and determine if the coverage was positive or negative if possible.  That way spokespeople can benchamark their effectiveness in communicating the company message through direct quotes.  There are additional benchmarks you can set up as well as tools you can use to gain a deeper and broader analysis of effectiveness.

Posted by Cymfony on August 29, 2005 at 09:36 AM | Email this post Permalink

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