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Measurement Tools

Katie Delahaye Paine's Top Ten Measurement Mini-Tools
The must-have public relations research things that Katie (and probably you, too) can't live without.

Here at The Measurement Standard, we are always writing about the big measurement research tools, like media analysis, or factor analysis, or surveys. So the other day we asked Katie Delahaye Paine (CEO of KDPaine & Partners and publisher of this newsletter) to consider the many smaller yet vital components of her everyday work: What are the small-but-indispensable tools that she can't live without? Here's her list (and she'd love to hear what yours are, too):

1. A solid, well-researched list of key media
Knowing what media your target audience pays attention to is critical, particularly in today's media-overloaded world.

2. A set of reader instructions that has been thoroughly tested for validity
In order to get consistency in any research program, you need a consistent methodology. Reader instructions are the most fundamental part of getting any media analysis off to a good start. You just can't code for tonality without first properly defining "positive" and "negative."

3. Google
Whether it is verifying the title of a key spokesperson, looking up a missing circulation figure, or using Google Analytics, I couldn't do my job without it.

4. A fundamental understanding of what makes your audience or constituency buy or perform in the way you want them to
Unless you understand what makes your customers tick, your employees productive, your constituency vote, or your members give money, you can't design a relevant measurement program. You need to understand the impact that communications has on their actions and behaviors before you can figure out what to measure.

5. A benchmark
Unless you know where you've come from or how well the competition is doing, you have no idea if your results are improving or declining. So, whether it's a peer organization, the competition, or how you were doing a year ago, you need a benchmark to make measurement meaningful.

6. Trend data
I hate pie charts. Pie charts yield very little useful information unless you want to know how you are doing today at this very moment. Only with trend data can you determine whether a particular program, strategy or tactic was effective at a particular point in time.

7. A telephone and a stamp
Online surveys are great, but there are a great many instances when a phone or mail survey is the only accurate way to get the data you need.

8. Excel
I might be able to get along for awhile without all the sophisticated analysis tools that SQL and SAS and SPSS can provide, but I really couldn't live without my Excel pivot tables for analysis.

9. The verbatim comments, responses, articles, and postings.
The two most important parts of measurement are figuring out the "Why?" and the "So What?" Actually reading people's verbatim comments can tell you a great deal about why people responded the way they did. Analyzing their comments, blog postings, and the actual articles also tells you what contributes to a particular result.

10. A statistical analysis package that can do correlations
Without some form of statistical analysis, it's impossible do draw conclusions or determine if there is any connection at all between your activities.

You know you need to measure your results, but chances are there’s never been enough money in your budget for evaluation. Until now.
KDPaine & Partners’ new Do-It-Yourself Dashboard system combines a Web-based application with professional consulting to enable PR professionals to customize their own PR dashboards. Look here for more information.

1. You’ll learn how to use hard numbers to prove the results of your PR efforts. (Plus, it's free.)

2. You’ll learn which are the right vendors for your measurement projects. (Yes, it's free.)

3. You’ll learn how to design your program right from the start to be easily measureable. (Plus, yes, it's free.)

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