As a means of furthering the dialogue around PR measurement, Ruder Finn/Chicago will be conducting a half-day workshop at Northwestern University this fall. Among the speakers at the event will be Rip Tilden, chief operating officer of InterDigital Communications Corporation. Having risen to the COO position through the communications ranks, Tilden possesses a unique perspective on making communications results reporting more relevant to senior executives. "I have a great deal of respect for the work that Ruder Finn is doing to build a sophisticated and integrated PR measurement model for businesses worldwide. As a client, I am familiar with Ruder Finn's reputation for developing communications programs focused on results that truly make an impact on business," said Tilden. "Businesses today are competing intensively to build sustainable relationships with customers and other audiences key to their success. As professional communicators begin to link effectively the impact of communications programs with business growth, they will be more successful at designing programs that influence audience behavior."
Ruder Finn Measurement Model Aims to Bridge Gap Between Communications Results and Tangible Business Impact < back
New Measurement Model Designed to Integrate Sales, Marketing and Public Relations; Aims to Make Communications Results Reporting More Relevant to The C-level
CHICAGO, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Ruder Finn, Inc., a leading global communications, counseling and services agency, today announced the Ruder Finn Measurement and Integration Model(TM) (RF/MIM(TM)). Developed in conjunction with Dr. Frank Mulhern, chair of the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) program at Northwestern University, RF/MIM represents a step forward in the agency's drive to make communications results reporting more relevant to management. RF/MIM offers a flexible and cost-effective method for companies seeking to measure the effectiveness and impact of public relations initiatives and provides a framework to integrate and measure the efforts of an organization's sales, marketing and PR functions. "With the economic climate as challenging as it has been, the age-old dilemma of bridging the gap between communications results and tangible business impact increases," said Richard Funess, president, Ruder Finn/Americas. "Working closely with Dr. Mulhern at Northwestern, one of the premier thought leaders in the area of integrated marketing communications, we examined existing tools and approaches and developed a new model that organizes them in a manner that we believe will help our clients arrive at more meaningful measures of program efficacy and deliver new points of value throughout their organizations." RF/MIM is built on the fundamental principle that different metrics are appropriate for different types of communications programs. Research has shown that a majority of PR programs are intended to achieve one or more of the following objectives:
The RF/MIM model maps different metric tools (media impressions, ad equivalency, coverage analysis, perception audit, sales lead tracking) to those objectives in a way that more effectively illustrates organizational impact. The model also drives an organization toward integration with other areas of marketing as well as sales. (A graphical depiction of the model can be found at: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030908/NYM145 ) "With the introduction of this new measurement model, Ruder Finn is stepping to the forefront of a growing issue in strategic marketing - integration between all elements of the marketing mix," said Mulhern. "There's a general misperception as to what 'integration' really means in the context of integrated marketing communications that undermines the success of the practice as a strategic function within a business. The IMC program seeks to educate the industry on the true meaning of integration, and this initiative with RF can help in that effort." As a means of furthering the dialogue around PR measurement, Ruder Finn/Chicago will be conducting a half-day workshop at Northwestern University this fall. Among the speakers at the event will be Rip Tilden, chief operating officer of InterDigital Communications Corporation. Having risen to the COO position through the communications ranks, Tilden possesses a unique perspective on making communications results reporting more relevant to senior executives. "I have a great deal of respect for the work that Ruder Finn is doing to build a sophisticated and integrated PR measurement model for businesses worldwide. As a client, I am familiar with Ruder Finn's reputation for developing communications programs focused on results that truly make an impact on business," said Tilden. "Businesses today are competing intensively to build sustainable relationships with customers and other audiences key to their success. As professional communicators begin to link effectively the impact of communications programs with business growth, they will be more successful at designing programs that influence audience behavior." "Clients are seeking an agency that understands the need for showing a return on investment that speaks to C-Suite executives," said Lori Erikson, RF/Chicago's deputy managing director. "Much of the PR industry's measurement thinking to date has been focused on either elaborate research methodologies that are complex, cumbersome and expensive or measurement that lacks tangible results. The approach we're taking is more simplified, authentic and viable, and we believe it will prove extremely effective in serving clients' needs in the area of program measurement."
About Ruder Finn, Inc. Ruder Finn is a leading independent global communications, counseling and services agency with more than 55 years' experience. The Ruder Finn Group maintains offices in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Washington, London, Paris, Jerusalem, Asia Pacific: Sydney, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore. The Agency also works with leading independent affiliates in major markets throughout the U.S., Europe and Latin America. Ruder Finn was recently ranked No. 1 in New York in revenues and staff size by the Council of Public Relations Firms and the PR trade newsletter O'Dwyer's which serves the global and local communications needs of more than 250 corporations and nonprofit organizations.
CONTACT: Lori Erikson Ruder Finn 312-644-8600 eriksonl@ruderfinn.com
John Howlett Ruder Finn 312-644-8600 howlettj@ruderfinn.com
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