You know what they say – The gardener’s lawn is always the last to get cut. With that in mind, we’d like to take a moment for some long-overdue self promotion, and point out a recent edition of PR News featuring Attention! founder Curtis Hougland’s insights on the arrival of data-driven PR, and what this fundamental shift means to an industry long-lacking in effective measurement:
“Word of mouth, not editorial, is now the single most influential factor in purchasing decisions and brand advocacy. Unlike awareness, WOM requires an action and, as a result, is measured by participation or adoption. This starts to sound a lot like interactive marketing, but it’s PR – really.
What’s different today is consumer adoption. 69% of all Internet users participate in social media, with 45% publishing content (Deloitte & Touche, 2007). Not only is more media (both traditional and social) consumed online, but this communication is far more transparent due to technology. This transparency results in the publishing of scads of data; data, of course, is the backbone of measurement.”
Hougland goes on to lay out some basic steps for creating and tracking measurable PR, so to those of you not getting all your news in blog form, do check it out. And if your subscription lapsed recently (we won’t tell) or is already lining the birdcage, don’t worry – You can hear more of Hougland’s insights on media relations and measurement in 2008 at PR News Online’s upcoming webinar, “High-Return Tactics for Measuring & Maximizing Your Media Relations,” where he’ll be speaking alongside a panel of PR and New Media gurus.
For registration information, head over here: http://www.prnewsonline.com/webinars/2008_6_25.html
