We are now entrenched in the 21st century, where public relations (PR) is becoming the front and center of a brand’s voice and is a C-suite retained activity. And to really know just how effective your PR strategy and program are, you need to measure the coverage well.
APAC is vastly different
The Asia Pacific region is an economic powerhouse that is expected to make up 40% of the world’s GDP by 2040. This makes it a crucial yet very hard market for enterprises to get into. Good public relations (PR) is important for success, but it’s difficult to measure how well it works in a region with more than 23 countries and 14 major languages. It’s a job that needs a more nuanced approach, one that goes beyond old measurements to include a more comprehensive and strategic view. A one-size-fits-all message or measuring method won’t work for a successful PR campaign in Asia Pacific; it needs to be as varied as the area itself.
The Problems with Old Metrics
For a long time, PR practitioners used metrics that were straightforward but not very useful. Two of the most common were “Share of Voice” (SoV) and “Advertising Value Equivalence” (AVE). The issue with this is that they don’t show how valuable current PR really is.
Advertising Value Equivalence (AVE) is an old and rough way to try to connect media coverage to advertising expenses. Some practitioners could even multiply the cost of the advertising to make the case that mentions in third-party media are worth more than paid ads. But this method incorrectly links PR with advertising, which has a different goal. Advertising is when a business tells people how great it is, but PR is when a trusted third party does the talking.
“Share of Voice (SoV)” is another way to compare how often a company is mentioned in the media to how often its competitors are mentioned. The problem with this is that it only shows a small part of the picture. There isn’t enough media space for all of a company’s competitors, and there are more than simply a few direct competitors. There are other businesses, government entities, institutions, and wire providers all competing for the same small amount of space. Also, a lot of mentions doesn’t always equal success. If a rival gets 100 mentions in the media, but all of them are bad, those mentions are not as useful as five good ones.
The Barcelona Principles: The Path to Nuanced Measurement
To really figure out how well PR works, you need a more advanced method. The International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) has put up the Barcelona Principles, which are now in their third form, as a way to make measurements more reliable. This paradigm understands that public relations is a strategic job best done at the C-suite level, with the goal of safeguarding and growing the company’s brand.
The principles iterate that AVE is not a good way to measure communication value; setting clear goals is important for PR; measure holistically by finding and measuring outputs, outcomes, and possible effects; use both quantitative data (like the number of mentions) and qualitative analysis (like sentiment) to figure out how well published communication works; measure coverage across all platforms, both online and offline, earned media, and social media; and keep measurement practices open and honest, with a focus on learning and “kaizen” (continuous improvement) all the time.
Businesses should go beyond just counting coverage clips. Instead, they can focus on creating mindshare, improving their reputation, and, in the end, improving the bottom line.
Useful Advice for Measuring PR in Asia Pacific
To use these ideas successfully in the Asia Pacific, you need to think about a few things:
Go Further Than the Internet
Some practitioners focus only on online media, since it is easily measurable through third-party yardsticks. However, traditional media such as print, TV, and radio are still significant and, in fact, have had some resurgence due to the global geopolitical and trade shifts. These traditional mainstream media are still important for top executives and professionals who are responsible for buying things and leading teams. You must monitor all channels, not just the easily accessible ones. Many media monitoring systems don’t cover everything, especially when it comes to broadcast media.
Use Local Languages
There are many different languages spoken in the Asia Pacific. If you want to get people’s attention in places like mainland China, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Thailand, you have to speak their language. This means that PR efforts and the way they are measured need to consider the fact that these languages need to be translated and that local spokespeople need to be able to speak and write in them.
Pick the Right Tools
A lot of the measuring process can be done automatically with modern technologies. CoverageBook, Prowly, and other platforms may keep track of online media coverage, such as social interactions, estimated views, and domain authority. Some platforms can also keep track of mentions in podcasts, as well as print and broadcast news. Brand24 is one that offers AI-powered sentiment analysis for bigger budgets. Depending on your budget and wants, there are platforms that can scale and suit you.
Get People to Trust You
People want to hear from others when things are unclear. People call this “social proof.” PR may provide social proof by giving out awards and certificates and working with real third-party influencers and channels. Testimonials and case studies from paying customers are the best kind of social proof since they show that other people have trusted your business and had success with it.
In short, to do well in the Asia-Pacific region, PR measurement needs to be as complex as the market itself. Businesses may establish and maintain their brands for the long term by moving away from old metrics and using a new framework that values both quantitative and qualitative data. They should also embrace the unique aspects of each market.
If you want to build your brand effectively with McGallen & Bolden, one of the most dynamic and experienced partners in Asia Pacific, talk to us today.
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