Join the media measurement debate

PRISA (Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa - the Institute for Public Relations and Communication Management), held a debate on media measurement in May with members to start the conversation on this unresolved issue.

The organisation, which represents about 40% of the PR industry is committed to reaching industry-wide consensus on media measurement standards, hence the involvement of a media partner such as Bizcommunity.com to reach the rest of the industry.

Bizcommunity.com has 126 000 monthly readers across the communications mix, including media, marketing, advertising and PR, with 42 000 subscribers to its weekly and daily electronic newsletters (ezines).

Bizcommunity.com Editor Louise Marsland will chair a panel made up of invited high profile media, tracking, client and PR agency heads, including members and non-members of PRISA, industry stalwarts and newer-kids-on-the-block. The aim is to have the entire industry represented, as much as is possible and ensure quality conversations.

In the age of information, media measurement is often the last element to be taken into account, when in truth, it should be first. A vital aspect to all projects includes money spend and information reach. In the communication arena, measuring a publicity programme is so important and yet many companies don't even bother to measure their communication programmes.

Simon Dabbs, managing director of Newsclip Media Monitoring was a guest at the first debate and discussed the importance of evaluation, the process of measurement and the value of such analysis.

It was argued that only editorial space should be evaluated and not advertorial, advertising space or free editorial space. Practitioners need to be open and up-front about calculations and evaluations.

The industry norm is currently based on 3-times the advertising value due to the credibility factor. It was unanimously agreed, however, at the last forum that equal measures should be placed across all media, i.e. radio, TV, press, magazines, web, Internet or by agreement with client/MD.

Any PR practitioner in the industry interested in attending is welcome. The breakfast forum is R100 a head: 8am - 10.30am with breakfast and a prize draw. Venue: FCB Redline Auditorium, 15 Fredman Drive, Sandton. RSVPs to: who will send through a booking form. Seating is limited so book now and be part of an industry revolution!