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2008 Measurement Summit

The Institute for Public Relation’s annual Measurement Summit is a great venue to discuss both challenges and successes in PR research. However, each year conversation tends to dwell on the same topics i.e. examples of measurement initiatives without discussion of how to overcome the following challenges we all struggle with:

  • How can corporate communications folks validate PR research thus increasing their research budget?
  • How can agencies help their clients demonstrate the necessity and value of research throughout the campaign process?

Panel discussions focusing on these issues could stimulate ideas that would help us all.

Another frustration voiced at the summit is the deficiency in PR measurement expertise among practitioners with individuals noting the wealth of knowledge at the pre-conference workshops taught at the Summit. How about holding these workshops annually in markets such as Chicago and New York where considerable numbers of practitioners work? This year saw a smaller number of practitioners probably due to the economy but if IPR brought the workshops to them I bet attendance would be significant and research proficiencies could be disseminated.

Lastly, I was surprised there were no presentations at the summit focusing on social media. Although Jim Macnamara held a pre-conference workshop on measuring the impact of blogs, none of the Summit talks focused on the evolving universe of social media and how communications professionals are faring in this medium.

This in light of the results of the 2008 Cone Business in Social Media study indicating that 85% of Americans believe a company should interact with its consumers via social media.

Our counterparts in advertising are certainly diving into this medium. The lack of social media discussion at the Summit is concerning…

Posted by Natasha Stevens on October 20, 2008 at 12:20 PM | Email this post Permalink

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Comments

To be fair to the IPR, Jim Fetig of Georgia Tech was supposed to speak about his groundbreaking social media measurement program on Friday morning, but had to cancel at the last minute. That would definitely have stimulated lots of discussion.

Posted by: Katie Paine | Oct 21, 2008 5:37:25 AM

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