Could it be that one of the reasons why communications research and measurement sometimes struggles to be regarded as important as other disciplines is that our language is wrong? Or if not wrong, not on the same wavelength as the client community we seek to engage?
Measurement. Evaluation. Hardly words that accurately reflect the importance of their meaning to communications professionals.
But if we change this to analytics you are also using a word which the C-Suite is already familiar with because it is the language of the Balanced Score Card. Most senior managers would also instantly understand what analytics” means because they are integrated into other marketing functions.
I would welcome views from others.
Barry -- very good points. The PR measurement world is migrating to incorporating more analytics as part of what we do every day. However, we need to evolve the language along the way at the same time. Probably the biggest challenge will be for people who don't do measurement, but work on client accounts, to develop analytics as part of their lexison as well. It is something we are very focused on at Ketchum.
Posted by: David Rockland | March 28, 2011 at 05:53 PM
Barry - you are absolutely correct. We often use the term analytics in our measurement proposals and to describe our services. You're moving the industry in the right direction.
Posted by: Angela Jeffrey | March 31, 2011 at 11:51 PM