Shandwick International has joined with market researcher MORI
International to launch a worldwide PR planning and evaluation system
for its clients.
Shandwick group companies will offer the system to existing clients and
include it in all pitch proposals. Known as the Step Programme, it aims
to help to plan and test the effectiveness of PR campaigns using
qualitative research, as well as media analysis.
MORI-owned evaluation company Test Research will operate the system in
the UK. The programme is divided into five stages, from which clients
can select the level of evaluation required. In the full version, the
techniques employed compare favourably with the more rigorous methods of
advertising research. Elements of the programme include qualitative
research; testing the likely impact of a campaign prior to its launch;
assessing the effectiveness of a client’s current PR efforts; testing
whether the message has reached its target audience; and testing whether
the campaign has changed attitudes through qualitative research.
The agency has already tested Step with clients, including P&O.
Shandwick will offer Step from the UK to begin with, but will be able to
evaluate campaigns for UK clients in up to 30 countries.
’There’s still a big education job to be done with clients,’ said
Shandwick UK managing director ColinTrusler.
’PR evaluation is becoming more sophisticated than just media evaluation
and Shandwick are pushing it that bit further by including planning and
linking media evaluation to how views and behaviour shift,’ said Test
Research managing director Tim Burns.
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