flash back: press coverage measurement
Some days feel like deja vu. Just cause the 80’s have had a revival doesn’t mean measurement in PR should. I feel like I have the same conversations with clients today that I’ve had five years ago about best practices in measurement. I find it insane that there are companies that still consider press release pick-up as part of a coverage count. I also find it insane to weight original articles the same as pick-ups of original articles. An agency should be measured on original coverage. Period. An internal PR person should also be measured on original coverage. Period. We have no influence or control over syndications of articles so why should we get credit for it?
I think people still count them for two reasons - lack of knowledge or fear. Some companies have just done it the old way and never modified their practices, not realizing or maybe not caring. But most often, I hear fear from internal PR people - it means their numbers go down. If you’re any good at your job - and this goes for internal and agency people - this shouldn’t be a concern. You should be able to manage up to your bosses why counting syndications doesn’t show press value.
Now I don’t mean to be so black and white - I think it’s still worth counting pick-up of original coverage. You should know where coverage is being distributed, but you can’t count them together.
I almost didn’t blog about this because it’s like a ‘duh’ for any modern day PR person, but it came up TWICE this week and from different clients. Just crazy talk.
