Nolan on the road: Measurement important, not terribly exciting

At a presentation today with the perhaps overly mythical title "Measurement: Our Holy Grail," Peter Verrengia of Fleishman-Hillard gave a detailed look at the agency's proprietary measurement system, which falls under the rubric of Fleishman unit Communications Consulting Worldwide.

By using detailed statistical analysis of factors ranging from employment figures to stock price movements to media tracking, Verrengia said that Fleishman has now figured out how to isolate the precise numerical effect of a single piece of communication on a company's stock price. He glazed over the exact formula, which was probably useful in lessening the glazing over of the audience's eyes by the end of the presentation.

Measurement is incredibly important to PR agencies, and, assuming the veracity of Verrengia's statements, Fleishman may now have one of the most precise measurement systems ever. But like many important things, it is a subject that is simply not fun to listen to.

"Never say again that the work we do cannot be measured," he said.

I swore to follow the advice, as I laid down for my nap.