Measuring Media Done Right -- Almost!

As a graduate student, I've had the opportunity to counsel a few organizations on the importance of measuring the media coverage they receive. At one motorsport team I advocated they move away from Advertising Value Equivalences and strive for a much larger picture. They used AVE in its traditional sense to attract new sponsorship and keep established sponsors too.

My recommendation was to analysis the media compared to the team's fan base behavior, and show how a favorable attitude of that motorsport team, by proxy, could be indicative of the attitude a fan may have toward a particular sponsor. Which, in turn, could mean dollars in the sponsor's pocket if a fan purchased merchandise or otherwise supported them. 

So, I'm always on the look out for good media measurement. And I found one. With Shift Communication's help,  GigaSpaces is on the right track.  Chief Marketing Officer Geva Perry emphasizes three points about the importance of PR in the social media age:

• Blogging/Social Media increases the need for a PR Agency.
• Strive to make your PR agency as much a part of the team as possible.
• Select the right agency, right for you that is.

And he also explains and shows us his company's press mentions for May and June, which exceed Gigaspaces' competition's. That's a good measure of frequency, but what is  especially telling is how GigaSpaces' customer behavior has changed, or is changing based on that media coverage. 

Don't get me wrong, GigaSpaces and Shift are on the right track, and the chart Geva posted is telling, but there's more to the story.

For the Institute for Public Relations, A. Jeffery, D. Michaelson and D. Stack (2006) cited The American College of Chest Physicians case study as example of measurable behavioral change caused by media attention  given to The College's report.

Citing over-the-counter cough medications offered ineffective congestion relief, caused  a 12 percent increase in visits to family doctors by patients complaining of respiratory illnesses. Cough medication sales plunged, while allergy medications sales soared -- more so than normal in both cases. *

* Jeffery A., Michaelson, D. & Stack, D. W. (2006) "Exploring the link between volume of media coverage and business outcomes." Gainsville, FL: Institute for Public Relations.