Effective management is another component in the measurement and evaluation process as failure in the former is exposed in the latter.
Communication units of organisations ought to follow similar disciplines to that of their counterparts in human resources (HR), finance and operations despite the fluidity and unpredictability involved in the discipline. Think about it, when a communication campaign is strategically planned and managed, the objectives, goals and tactics are more clearly defined and actionable, right?
All communication practitioners are aware that even the best laid plans can change, that is an occupational hazard we cannot escape. However, it is less likely that plans can be completely derailed when the strategies are sound, grounded in research and insight and is responsive to the environment for which they are planned.
As communication measurement moves away from the traditional fat clippings books to big data and insight, management styles and structures have evolved. Pascal Beucler, Senior VP and Chief Strategy Officer at MSLGroup sees PR’s coming of age as an opportunity to embrace change in the industry. Such changes will reflect in management structures as diverse teams led by one single global manager is the direction in which European firms are moving, this structure, it is believed, makes for better decision making.
That said, the nature of communication has changed and continues to do so at light speed, causing shifts in the traditional power sources and eliminating gatekeeping role the profession assumed in the past. Since effective management of communication campaigns are directly related to the measurement thereof, it is imperative that the managers are held accountable, this lends itself well to how they can capitalise on this added pressure to demonstrate value.
My next blog will pick up on another area related to measurement in PR and that’s the impact of big data and the end of “intuition-based” measurement.
Image Source: Pintrest.