A Review of the PR Analytics Conference

As a final year public relations student, I’m always on the lookout for opportunities to bolster my knowledge before I head out into the world of work. There are some fantastic opportunities for students to do just that, and one of these opportunities presented itself to me last week. PRmoment hosted the PR Analytics Conference at Ketchum Pleon’s London offices on the 22^nd March. The event was attended by a number of prominent industry speakers who offered insightful guidance on how to get the required impact from PR, particularly at a time when justification of expenditure on PR is increasingly demanded. One of the key out-takes for me is that it is clear that there can’t be a one-size-fits-all approach to public relations measurement. I appreciate that that is a view that people familiar with the measurement topic will find obvious, but I think those in the wider industry who are faced with measurement challenges on a day-to-day basis need to find ways of operating that work for them, rather than waiting for the CIPR or the PRCA to hand effective measurement to them on a plate. The signs from the conference are promising. Global organisations such as Phillips and Microsoft have some really interesting mechanisms in place, while agencies such as Ketchum have shown what can be done with the countless tools available. Another out-take from the conference is that a basic understanding of statistics is absolutely vital for anyone looking to pursue a career in PR over the next 10-15 years. As someone who has never had a mind for numerical data, that’s quite a challenging prospect for me as I seek to begin my career. However, through attending the conference, I was able to see how public relations professionals can break down vast amounts of data into easily interpretable information which can provide some really interesting insights. One thing I would say is that any University that teaches a PR course should in some way incorporate statistics into the modules that they teach. It can’t and shouldn’t be avoided for the next generation of PR graduates. There’s no doubt in my mind that analytics are going to play a key role in shaping the future of the PR industry. The companies who undertake analytics effectively at the moment are already able to demonstrate some fantastic results, and I fear that those who don’t grasp the impact that analytics can have will be left behind. The PR Analytics Conference was undoubtedly useful for me as a student, having worked for a year I picked up some incredibly useful advice which I know will benefit me as I re-enter the industry. It was a fantastic event and having been to one, I’ll be on the lookout for future conferences that I hope will be as much use to me in future as this has been to me now. Written by Christopher Hicks, PR student at Bournemouth University