Presentation by Kellie Sheehan, VP of Bliss PR on the value of surveys in PR. Presented in a webinar to the Central Ohio PRSA Chapter in August 2010

1. From Data to Drama:
Maximizing the Value of
Surveys for PR
PRSA
August 11, 2010
Kellie Sheehan

2. Our World is Changing
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3. 3
The Media Isn’t Dying:
It’s Transforming
• Who’s Producing the News?
– Roughly 1/3 of the newsroom jobs in American newspapers in 2001 are now gone
– Of the top 200 news sites, 67% are tied to a legacy media outlet that produces at some
original reporting; the remaining are online only (i.e., Google News, Yahoo News)
– Citizen journalism at the local level is expanding rapidly. Will a more collaborative model with
traditional journalism emerge?
– Influx of companies, think tanks, activists & other parties producing and readily sharing their
own information and news online
• Where are People Looking for News?
– Only 35% of Americans have a news destination they would call a favorite
– Consumers hunting news by topic and event; grazing multiple outlets
– Unique visitors to 4,600 news & information sites analyzed grew by 9.25% in 2009; monthly
unique visitors to newspapers rose 14%
• Good Journalism Still Critical:
– Analysis of 1 million+ blogs & social media sites finds 80% of links are to U.S. legacy media
– 71% of Americans feel most news sources are biased in their coverage
– 70% feel overwhelmed rather than informed by amount of news and information they see
Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism: State of the Media Report , March 2010

4. Then:
• Something happens
• Write a press release
• Get an exclusive
• Pitch it everywhere else
• Total up the clips
• Send around the report
• Repeat
Now:
• Who has the content?
• Who else cares?
• Is it on strategy?
• How to package it?
• What influencers to get
involved?
• How to know where it
went?
• Did we move the
needle?
PR is Transforming Too
4

5. Content Marketing
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6. 6
Surveys Can Help Differentiate

7. To Survey or Not to Survey:
What Are Your Intentions?
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8. 8

9. 9
A Brief Data Disclosure
• Data goes where clients fear to tread
• Different data sources
– Public records
– Syndicated research
– Proprietary research
– Do-it-Yourself
– Partnerships
– Qualitative vs. Quantitative

10. Surveys:
Partnership, Do It Yourself
10

11. Surveys:
Analyzing Public Records
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12. 12
Maximize Marketing Mileage:
Survey Pre-Launch & PR’s Role

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Maximize Marketing Mileage:
Survey Pre-Launch & PR’s Role
• Take a Front Seat – be part of the process from the
beginning
• Comparison Shop – competitive analysis, know your
niche
• Take it Off-Road – testing
• Check the Horsepower – strength of the data/sample
size, data cuts
• Drive Slow & Steady – ensure it has legs
• Have a Map – hypotheses, goals, external triggers

14. 14
Maximize Marketing Mileage:
Additional Tips
• Begin with the End
• Think about the Best Approach
• Design Questions Carefully
• Limit Answer Choices
• Confidentiality
• Incentive for Participating
• Messaging and Packaging Results are Key

15. 15
Maximize Marketing Mileage:
Creating Thought Leadership
A Three Step Process
Point of
View
Pitch Platforms

16. 16
Thought Leadership
Point of View
Point of
View
Pitch Platforms

17. 17
Thought Leadership
The Pitch
Point of
View
Pitch Platforms

18. 18
Use the 4Ps for
maximum impact
•Predictive
•Prescriptive
•Provocative
•Prudent
Thought Leadership
HOW?
The Pitch
PITCH

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Thought Leadership
The Pitch
Point of
View
Pitch PlatformsPitch

20. 20
Vehicles & Outposts
For POV & Pitch
•Media interviews
•Byliners /op-eds
•Books, e-books
•White Papers
•Speeches, Symposia
•Panel discussions
•Blogs
•Microsites, debate zones
•Video
•Social media outposts
•Podcasts, webcasts, ANRs
•User-generated content
(moderated, annotated)
•Newsletters
•RSS
•Email campaigns
Thought Leadership
WHAT?
Platforms
PLATFORMS

21. Channels for PR Content
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23. Idea Mapping
IDEA
Blog Post
Podcast,
Video
Webinar/
Slideshare
White Paper,
Book
Trade
Press
Email to
Clients
Web
Download
Blog
Commentary
Twitter
Influencer
Outreach
On-Hold
Message
Facebook SMNR
SEO/Landing
Page
Linkedin
Q&A
Email to
Prospects
Jay Baer, Convince & Convert 23

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Final Thoughts:
Media Receptivity
• Telephone Surveys tend to be viewed as
more “scientifically sound” than online
• Homogeneous surveys tend to be more
powerful
• Hard data holds more weight, but sprinkle
with context and insights
• Media outlets tend to have their own
“minimums” for survey size, but there are
always exceptions
Some insights from Carl Hendrickson, Market Measurement

25. 25
Questions
Kellie Sheehan
BlissPR
kellie@blisspr.com
314-993-2117 ph
Twitter: @kshe
http://blog.blisspr.com