The Analytical Side of PR

Kelli Eason

Like many communications professionals, math is not exactly my strong suit. I might have even chosen to major in public relations because the coursework only required two math classes. I mean…maybe. 

I love my job because I love to write. What I didn’t know (and didn’t learn) in college was just how analytical the communications world can be. And what I never could have expected is just how much I would LOVE the numbers behind the words! 

My first exposure to analytics was during one of my internships. We kept detailed clippings reports of our clients’ media exposure, and measured the value of the clippings based on the ad rates associated with the outlets. Now, there is a great divide in the public relations community about whether this is really the most effective means of communicating the value of PR, but bear with me. There is so much more to the analytics of the industry! I’ll outline a few of the analytical tools I enjoy so much here. Did I forget anything?  Leave it in the comments. I’m always looking for more PR numbers! 

Website Analytics

If your website doesn’t have analytics, you’re missing out. The Google Analytics platform is free and just requires inputting some code into the back end of the site. (Don’t ask me exactly how that works…code is still a foreign language to me!) Google will track and report more information than you ever knew you needed, including:

• Number of visits and unique visitors
• Bounce rate (how many people land on your site but immediately leave)
• Time spent on the site
• Search terms used that led to a site visit (particularly useful to track search engine optimization!)
• A breakdown of visits, including direct traffic (typing in your URL), referral traffic (clicking your link from a third-party site) or search traffic (from search engines like Google)

Google will also allow you to compare different time periods and show the percentage changes in certain search terms or numbers. This is especially useful to track media mentions, website changes or other tactics. 

Social Media Analytics

If you’ve ever talked to me about social media, you know I’m not the biggest fan of Twitter. That’s primarily because since they launched six years ago, they’ve done very little to change or improve their platform. The big gaping hole for me is that they don’t offer analytics! Facebook and Pinterest both offer some insight into their platforms, and it’s a fantastic tool for business! 

Facebook, for example, will begin sharing lots of public information as soon as your page reaches a threshold of at least 30 fans. If you’re worried about your privacy when you like a page, don’t be. The information is all general in nature, such as a fan’s average age, gender and the “virality” of each post you make. (That’s a Facebook term for a percentage derived from how many people interacted with your content divided by how many people actually saw it.)

Social media analytics really provide unique insight into your true demographics because people really have to make an effort to find and interact with your business. They’re your champions, and they’re potential ambassadors. Pay attention to what they like, share, repin or comment on. 

What the Experts Say

There are lots of studies that provide information on the demographics of various platforms, how people use social media and the best methods for targeting your audiences. Here are a few fun facts:

• Mashable published an eye-tracking study in 2011 showing that content on top, profile pictures and who you know gets noticed. Check out the infographics here. 
• A lot of times, people don’t even finish the online articles they start reading! Slate recently published an article discussing the (not so surprising) phenomenon here. 
• Pinterest is the Web’s hottest new platform. Obsidian PR and Research Dynamics discovered that in our 2012 Mid-South social media survey. Click here to get more information on our findings. 
• Looking for more insight? Check out VisiStat. The company offers a more in-depth look at your website traffic than Google Analytics, including traffic as it’s happening. 

Still not sold on analytics? I’ll issue the same challenge most diets or beauty products offer: try it for a month or two, and then see if you can live without it. I know I can’t. Long live analytics!  

It’s not what you say, but how you say it.

Kelli Eason

If you’ve ever spent any significant amount of time around a PR person, journalist or anyone else who writes for the media, you may have heard of AP style. It stands for “Associated Press” style, and it’s meant to guide media writers through some of the more tricky writing rules, from hyphens to state abbreviations.

AP style also addresses how to say some things. One example I remember from college is that “firefighter” is the preferred term, not “fireman.” This is because someone fighting fires may be a woman.

www.apstylebook.com

A while back, the AP stylebook online emailed a few updates it was making in 2013. The updates were not exactly light reading – one related to illegal immigration, and another specified when to use homicide so as not to accuse a suspect of murder before he or she has been convicted. While no one gets excited about these topics, they’re often necessary in our world. That got me thinking about the importance of how you say something in everyday life and how it can shape perception of your brand or your personality.

The change to the “illegal immigration” entry was to drop the word “illegal” when describing a person. The rationale is that an action can be illegal, but a person is not illegal. This entry, along with the homicide entry, focuses almost exclusively on the how. How does the word “murder” sound when used in a story about a suspect who has not yet been convicted? (It makes him/her sound guilty.) How does the word “illegal” sound when describing a person? (Not good. The person committed an illegal act, but he or she is not inherently illegal.) 

The principle is not exclusive to this AP style change. We discuss it all the time at Obsidian. Sometimes companies have the unfortunate task of breaking bad news, and sometimes the nature of a brand’s competitive landscape calls for an adjustment in their language or presentation. You’ve probably heard of a “compliment sandwich.” Basically, it’s a faulty idea that if you start and end with a compliment, you can throw the bad news in the middle, and it’s possible no one will notice. Paula Abdul used to do it all the time on American Idol. She would start by telling the contestant how wonderful he or she looked, then follow up with a negative review of the performance. It never worked.

Be honest about things. Don’t try to hide the negative, just look for a better how. You might be surprised about how the reactions change.

Don't forget us

Kelli Eason

If you ask a business owner to describe his or her most valuable asset, you would probably get a variety of answers. As someone who works for business owners, I would hope a lot of them would say their employees are their best assets! Lucky for me, I’ve worked for some pretty good companies that do a lot to keep their employees happy.

I read a Forbes article recently that discussed the merits of a new book: “Make More Money By Making Your Employees Happy.” The author, Dr. Noelle Nelson, says “When employees feel that the company takes their interest to heart, then the employees will take company interests to heart.” As one such employee, I agree.

But appreciating employees doesn’t always have to constitute more money. Yes, bonuses are good things, but there are a lot of ways to make an employee feel valued that don’t cost much at all. And with employees being a brand’s best ambassador, it may be worth a shot to help make your business even more successful.

1.    Food
Consistently listed in Fortune’s list of the Top 100 Best Places to Work, Google was No. 1 in 2012. It’s one of the fastest growing companies in the United States, and I personally know a few fanatics who would give anything to work there.

People hear about the unusual perks like “nap pods,” but another thing that Google is well-known for is their food. Employees are never far from a snack pantry, and they can eat meals in an employee cafeteria for free.

That seems a little much for most smaller businesses, but as a former college student who went to many an organizational meeting for the free pizza, I can attest to the joy of a meal on the company every once in a while. It doesn’t have to be much. Sometimes bringing in doughnuts or coffee or just taking care of lunch during a big meeting is a welcome perk for employees. It also keeps the stress of a working lunch from getting to everyone!

2.    Flexible time and work/life balance
Work/life balance has become something of a buzz word in the last few years. In the days of smart phones, laptops and Wi-Fi on every corner, it sometimes seems like work never stops.

However, this can be beneficial to the company that has the ability to offer flexible time when life happens. All employees have dentist appointments, everyone gets sick and some people have children who can’t go to day care when they have a fever. In the days of Wi-Fi at home and laptop-based work cultures, leniency on where the work happens is a great way to keep your employees from getting overly stressed or behind on their duties, which will likely hinder their productivity later.

At Cisco, ranked No. 90 on Fortune’s list, estimates show that 90 percent of employees have the ability to telecommute when they need to. If telecommuting isn’t an option, personal time is another big (and easy) win. In 2011, new Apple CEO Tim Cook gave employees paid vacation through Thanksgiving to celebrate a record-setting year for the company. Obsidian does the same, and that whole smart phone and laptop-based Wi-Fi culture really helps ensure our productivity even when we aren’t in the office! Even SAS Institute, No. 3 on the Fortune list, offers unlimited sick days so employees don’t have to use their vacation time when they aren’t feeling well. And of course, a good recovery time makes for a more productive return to the office.

3.    Take employee suggestions
If you’ve ever watched “Undercover Boss” on CBS, you may have noticed that as companies grow, top management seems to lose contact with day-to-day operations. Even small companies are not immune to this, especially if the people responsible for making decisions aren’t participating in the daily grind.

CHG Healthcare Services, which came in at No. 9 on Fortune’s list of best companies to work for, jumped 18 spots from No. 27 in 2011 due in part to their dedication to routinely taking and acting on employee suggestions. Companies represented on “Undercover Boss” often do the same, but have you ever wondered what they are missing from the thousands of other employees who don’t have the opportunity to speak up during filming?

Even if employee suggestions aren’t viable, taking them into consideration is a great way to boost morale. When employees feel like they have some control over what happens at their company or feel “in the know” about the company’s state of affairs, they are more likely to react positively to changes that don’t seem to come from a closed-off boardroom. And if you actually enact an employee suggestion, sit back and reap the benefits, because word will get out and everyone will feel better about the decision.

4.    Keep your employees healthy
Wegmans Food Markets, which landed at No. 4 on Fortune’s list, makes employee health a priority. They go beyond providing insurance and offer things like smoking cessation programs, for which 2,000 Wegmans employees have enrolled since 2009. This is not only a great perk for employees, but for Wegmans, as they reap the benefits of a healthy workplace.

As with many of these programs, it doesn’t have to be huge. At Obsidian, we recently enacted something we like to call the Obsidian 2.5. With most of us sitting at a desk for many hours each week, our owner decided to make it a little easier for us to stay active. We now have the freedom to use 2.5 hours of administrative time each week to work out, whether that means taking a run in the park, going to a gym or using a workout video at home. It’s made it a lot easier to manage fitting trips to the gym into my schedule, and really keeps me more alert and feeling better at the office every day, all for the low low price of…free.

5.    Create a great culture
I love Zappos.com for a lot of reasons, but this is just one more positive thing about the company that came in at No. 11 on the Fortune list this year. The company has a very distinct culture, one that includes things like “laughter yoga” classes on-site and Zfrog awards, which lets employees pitch new business ideas.

Some of these things may seem off-the-wall and not quite a fit for another type of company, but it’s important to embrace whatever culture exists at your place of business. Prior to working at Obsidian, I enjoyed a few years in the marketing department of Raising Cane’s, a restaurant chain based in South Louisiana. My first day in the office included an hour of “culture immersion,” which included tips on how to really get into their culture of working hard and having fun. Music in the restaurant’s kitchens and painting windows for the holidays were just a few of the quirky things we enjoyed.

Got any tips or suggestions for how to make employees feel valued? Leave them in the comments!

Step One: Plan

Kelli Eason

I used to think life was all about spontaneity. I still do, on some level. It always seems like the great stories are the ones that result from that time you intended to have a lazy movie night with friends in college, but on a whim, drove to New Orleans and had a powdered sugar fight at Café du Monde at 1 a.m. Is that just me?

OK, spontaneity is not a bad thing. But I’ve come to appreciate a good plan too. Since I’ve been working in PR, my friends and family have become almost annoyed with my need to map things out, know what’s going on and to answer the “news advisory questions” of who, what, when and where. It’s such a common theme that my fiancé now won’t even tell me where we’re going on our honeymoon – and it’s slowly driving me crazy.

Sometimes spontaneity looks like this. 

At Obsidian, planning is a great thing. Preparation for anything is even better. When we begin a relationship with a new client, we spend a lot of time on the front end getting to know them so that we can properly plan.  Our planning is extensive, but it also leads to preparation. Here are the steps I usually take with new clients:

Communication analysis

The communication analysis is sometimes fondly known as the “information transfer” around here. It consists of two to three hours of getting to know the new client. This includes learning things about their business that may be helpful for reporters to know, any news items they have coming up or how their business works. It also includes learning what they’re happy to talk about or not and leads back to the preparation. For example, some companies are willing to talk about how legislation could affect their business, but others prefer to shy away from anything of the sort. Knowing this on the front end allows us to properly communicate with reporters and be more efficient with our retainer hours.

PR timeline

The PR timeline is a process. You start out really excited about a new client and all the information you’ve just gathered from the communication analysis. Then you lay out the spreadsheet, identifying ideas for every month in what is generally a yearlong relationship. After you lay out what seems like a million of them…it turns into “Hello, my name is brick wall. I’m here to hold up your process.” That’s when the rest of the team comes in for a brainstorm. I love brainstorms because it always seems to turn the brick wall into a floodgate for new and creative ideas. At the end, the timeline is fantastic and pretty useful when you’re thinking about several clients.

Brand and message development

After building a PR timeline, you generally feel like you know the client inside and out. That is very helpful for the next step: identifying key messages and the company’s brand. When we’re lucky, a new client comes in with a pretty solid marketing arsenal. They may have internal communications support, a functional website and decent brand recognition. Of course, if they don’t have those things, it can also be lucky – because that allows us to be even more creative in helping them develop it. Regardless, having the brand ready to share with the public is an integral part of the planning process. In some cases, this step – including the research often associated with it – needs to come before the timeline.

All the plans change

It’s inevitable. It usually doesn’t even take six months for a timeline to completely change. But that’s the beauty of a complete plan. If you’ve planned well, your messages are in order and your work is solid, you’re ready for anything. Oftentimes, the best opportunities to present your company as an expert or as a solution come with the unexpected. For example, a hospital, pharmacy or other health care business can’t plan for an outbreak of a certain virus. But they can be prepared to talk about treatment and prevention if it does happen.

It took me a few years to learn to use and love the plan. If I’d loved the plan back in college, I might not have taken a weeklong road trip to seven cities in four states that involved four people and a two-door sports car. (We switched cars with my friend’s dad two cities in…or we surely would have died of being cramped on a back road in Arkansas.) Now that I do love the plan, life seems much less stressful and yet, oddly spontaneous and always enjoyable. 

Coming Together – The Benefit and Importance of Professional Organizations

Kelli Eason

I graduated college in May of 2009. I worried, of course, about finding a job in the recession. I thought I had a pretty good shot at getting hired from a previous internship, but by the time I graduated and the market had sufficiently tanked, most of my previous supervisors were in no place to hire new communications staff. That’s where the Public Relations Society of America came in.

In college, I joined the Public Relations Student Society of America, which led to my involvement in its parent organization, PRSA. In the past five years, I have served in seven leadership positions, traveled to four national events, made too many close friends to count and, last but not least, been hired for two internships and two full-time jobs as a result of my involvement.

How did PRSA come to support my job hunt in the worst part of a recession? That’s easy – it’s all about who you know. In one of my last projects at LSU, I participated in a student campaign competition through PRSSA. During that project, I met a local PR spokesperson who hired me for my first post-graduate job just a few months later. When I was ready to move to Memphis, PRSA once again supported my search. After posting my resume to the PRSA Memphis website, I received an email from Courtney Liebenrood Ellett, who I now work with at Obsidian Public Relations.

So what if you’re not looking for a job? That’s great. PRSA or any other professional organization can still serve as a good resource. In the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to learn firsthand about Duncan-Williams’ popular Live at the Garden YouTube videos, how Anthony Siracusa transformed Memphis’ bicycling culture and the role communications plays in corporate culture from the CEO of First Horizon. The regular luncheons are a great way to get an inside look into the industry, as well as an opportunity to meet other PR pros in town.

Looking for more information on PRSA? Check out the Memphis Chapter’s website by clicking here and the Dallas Chapter by clicking here.

A little music = a lot of productivity...usually

Kelli Eason

If you’re like me, silence can be deafening. While I definitely appreciate silence for some activities – like sleeping – I almost always need some background noise for others. At Obsidian, we’re lucky to have a pretty open office. If someone asks a question, everyone else can answer without having to leave their desk or exhibit the ultimate form of laziness: emailing or calling a colleague who is no more than a few doors down. (I’ll admit it; I’m guilty of that on occasion.)

When everyone is absorbed in work, when I’m working by myself somewhere or when it’s imperative to get something done, music tends to be my favorite escape. The jury’s still out on whether there is actually a correlation between music and productivity – most studies say music with words is distracting, but instrumental music feeds productivity. That said, most of the Obsidian team enjoys a little musical accompaniment on occasion, and they shared what helps them turn out great work for our clients every day.

What is your favorite type of music to listen to in general?

Thomas – Rockabilly – Is that term still used? I like things like The Avett Brothers, Pearl Jam and Wilco.

Katie – I really don’t keep up with music all that much…or at least, I go through phases where I don’t. Generally, if I have a really long commute to work, then I care more about music. For example, all these Avett Brothers/Mumford & Sons/etc., I couldn’t pick their songs out of a lineup. I just listen to whatever is on FM radio. That said, my favorite song in the history of ever is probably “Oh Happy Day” as performed by the St. Francis High School Choir in Sister Act 2.

Lauren – I like all different kinds of music, but mainly oldies, singer/songwriter, Ryan Adams, Lucero and The Temptations.

Dana – I like pretty much all country, pop and alternative music.

Courtney – I love almost everything (besides blues and jazz). My favorite band is The Killers. Here’s a snapshot of what’s in my multiplayer CD in the car today:

• Justin Timberlake
• Black Eyed Peas
• Ludacris
• Damien Rice
• O’ Brother Where Art Thou? Soundtrack
• Miranda Lambert

Do you listen to music while working, and do you listen to different types of music depending on the kind of work you’re doing?

Kerri – For work-related listening, it depends on what I’m working on. Here are my favorite Pandora channels right now, and generally when I listen to them:

• Telepopmusik – No. 1 choice for task mode (when I have a lot of little things to get done – key note: no writing tasks
• Enya/Cirque du Soleil – No. 2/No. 3 choice for task mode (when more creativity may be involved) - once again, no writing tasks
• City and Color, Ambrosia, Coldplay, Sade, Sia – choices for “entertainment music” when I’m doing tasks that take a lot of time but don’t take much brain work.
• Anugama – No. 1 choice for writing/strategy developmentGeorge Winston – No. 2 choice for writing/strategy development

Kelli – What I’m listening to depends on how hard I need to concentrate! If I’m trying to really dig deep into something that’s difficult to wrap my brain around (like numbers or something scientific that I’m writing about), I need something calming and slow. If a song that is really fast-paced or that has a great beat comes on in the middle of those tasks, it’s over. When I’m rolling through things quickly and doing something fun, I like music that makes me want to dance a little, it helps me stay motivated under a big to-do list.

Kim – If I'm working, like on schoolwork or Obsidian work, I actually prefer silence! I've tried listening to music while working, but if it's something I really need to think about and concentrate on, the music becomes more of a distraction. I'll either start dancing in my seat to the tune, humming along to the song or start thinking about some distant memory that is somehow connected to the song playing. Now, if I'm doing chores, running errands, etc., music is definitely involved.

What’s on your favorite Pandora station?

Lauren – I have a lot of Pandora stations, but they include the Temptations, Al Green, Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, Supremes, Lionel Richie and Motown stations.

Courtney – Lately, it’s been on a station that plays cinematic scores and soundtracks from spooky and Halloween-type movies.

Kim – I can really only pick one? I think it's a three-way tie between my Halestorm channel, Carrie Underwood channel and Put Your Records On (Corinne Bailey Rae) channel.

Crissy – I actually prefer Spotify while I'm at work so I can hear entire albums or specific artists, but the Pandora station I've been attached to lately is Alanis Morissette – good things from the '90s come out of that station.

Kelli – I mostly listen to a “Quick Mix” that combines several stations I like. I add or remove based on what I’m doing, but it generally includes some mix of the Black Eyed Peas (for those big to-do list days), Bob Seger, Adele, Country, what I call “Rock Out” and a Christmas music station for that one month a year.

Is there any sort of music that hinders your productivity?

Dana – I can’t have anything with overbearing vocals. That does distract me.

Thomas – Music that I like that can also be distracting – old school rap. Music that distracts me because it’s bad and I don’t like it – country.

Katie – My least favorite band on earth is Alice in Chains. Their music literally makes me gag. And my husband loves them, so that works out well.

Crissy – I absolutely cannot listen to Broadway musical soundtracks at work! I want to sing, sing, sing, and that leads to zero productivity!

Kerri – I have the following channels on my Pandora but can’t listen to them because they are (to me) weekend music, and they make me want to hang out with friends and not work: Widespread Panic, Allman Brothers, Jack Johnson, Sting and James Taylor.

Getting to know the final two...

 

An animal advocate from Memphis and a Louisina-native who bleeds purple and gold, Katie Pemberton and Kelli Eason are our final "getting to know Obsidian" entries. Both are equally as passionate about PR as they are about their personal loves for animals and football. 

Katie Pemberton

Katie and her BFFs

Birthday: 9/8/81
Hometown: Millington, Tenn.
College: Lambuth University (now The University of Memphis at Lambuth)

All-time favorite restaurant:
Imagine Vegan Cafe

Favorite thing to do in Memphis:
Spend an hour or two with my dog on a beautiful spring or fall day at the “big girl” dog park, as we call it, at Shelby Farms

What is your favorite cause?
Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County, which rescues and rehabilitates injured and abused pets in our community, and Mercy for Animals, a national nonprofit dedicated to preventing cruelty to farmed animals and promoting compassionate food choices and policies.

Favorite Facebook page and Twitter account:
Facebook: Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County
Twitter: @azizansari

How old were you when you got your first cell phone?
I think it was when I graduated high school.

Favorite book:
The "Harry Potter" series, of course!

Favorite pastime:
Curling up with a good book or finding a new (or new to me) series on TV to waste entire weekends on.

First car:
1987 Toyota Celica

If you could go back in time and live during a different era, which would you choose?
I am fascinated by “the olden days,” but I definitely don’t buy that they were the “good old days.” It seems to me that in the “good old days,” a lot of people got hung without trials, sold as property, set on fire for being “witches,” women were their fathers’ and/or husbands’ property, and it wasn’t OK to stand out or be different. I’d like to visit lots of times from the 1800s on up, but the thought of living in them is terrifying. I think we are living in the best time right now.

What was your first paying job?
I worked in a florist as an assistant. To this day, the smell of oriental lilies makes me ill.

If your life had a soundtrack what song would you pick for it?
Definitely “Oh Happy Day” as performed by the St. Francis High School Choir (from the CLASSIC “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit”)

What TV show are you embarrassed about watching?
"Toddlers & Tiaras"! I need it to remind me that I’m a really good person, relatively speaking.

What was the first concert you went to see?
Randy Travis

If you were an Olympic athlete, in what sport would you compete?
I am really sad that it’s too late in life for me to be a gymnast. I can vault and tumble only in spirit.

What is the most disgusting thing you have ever eaten?
Olives. They taste like death. And I hate sushi a lot.

If you could have a drink with someone from, history who would it be? 

Doris Day

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Kelli Eason

Kelli

Birthday: Jan. 6, 1987
Hometown: Lake Charles, La.
College: Louisiana State University

All-time favorite restaurant:
Darrell's — in my hometown of Lake Charles. They have the best po-boys, and I make an effort to go there whenever I'm home.

Favorite thing to do in Memphis:
Go to festivals…I love when something like Cooper-Young Beer Festival, Hot Wing Festival, Memphis in May, Italian Festival or another is going on.

What is your favorite cause?
Youth development (I've volunteered as a one-on-one mentor and as a youth cheerleading coach).

Favorite Facebook page and Twitter account:
Facebook: tie between Memphis (I Love Memphis) 

and LSU.  

Kelli and fiance, Blake

Twitter: tie between @mashable and @mentalfloss

How old were you when you got your 

first cell phone?
17

  

Favorite book:
"The Giver"

Favorite pastime:
Family Christmases — or any huge family gathering, really. We have weird traditions like Dirty Santa on my dad's side (which my uncle always throws a wrench into) and 

bonfires/skeet shooting with my mom's side. 

Kelli and family

First car:
2000 Saturn something. It was a five-speed manual and didn't have power locks or windows!

If you could go back in time and live during a different era, which would you choose? 1950s…provided I still get central A/C in my house. :)

What was your first paying job?
Babysitting, if we're getting technical, but my first real job was an aid at St. Luke-Simpson Preschool for the 2 to 5 year olds.

If your life had a soundtrack, what song would you pick for it?
Glee-style mashup of "Proud Mary" and "Louisiana Saturday Night" on a loop with "A Southern Thing" by Better Than Ezra (changing the male Kelly in the song to a female Kelli, of course).

What TV show are you embarrassed about watching?
"Teen Mom"

What was the first concert you went to see?
I honestly cannot remember. I do remember being really upset that my mom wouldn’t drive us to Houston or New Orleans to see 'NSYNC, though.

If you were an Olympic athlete, in what sport would you compete?
Ideally, gymnastics. Realistically…maybe I could get good enough at curling or racewalking to have a legitimate shot!

What is the most disgusting thing you have ever eaten?
Whipped cream, and it's not even close. That is the most disgusting food.

If you could have a drink with someone from history, who would it be?
Walt Disney and/or Milton Hershey

If you could live in any other country for two years, where would you go?
One of the places on my bucket list — Thailand, Singapore, Greece, Spain…Bora Bora.