Evaluation shouldn’t be an after thought
As the chief developer at MediaMiser, some days I get overwhelmed when deciding what to do next when it comes to building our enterprise solution. There’s so much to do and so much information that I want our software to analyze.
That’s where planning and prioritization come in. For the most part, we have done a good job in this area. We give our customers what they need to get good value out of our solution and make informed decisions.
It’s no different when it comes to evaluating any marketing or communications campaign. When I was first introduced to communications, I was taught the R.A.C.E. acronym – research, action, communication, and evaluation.
Most public relations professionals have no problem with the first three parts of that acronym; however, most fail at evaluation – partly because it’s an afterthought. Some, however, don’t know where or how to start evaluating, so they quickly become overwhelmed at the prospect of doing so, and end up failing in their efforts.
Evaluation shouldn’t be an afterthought. Benchmarks and other evaluation tools should be planned out up front, before you start your campaign.
And remember, you don’t have to wait until the end of a campaign to start evaluating. All great tacticians should be able to adjust their plans in real-time, and good organized information is the key.
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Absolutely agree. In my view, EVALUATION is a form of and thus contributor to RESEARCH. It’s best looked on as long-term, on-going and cyclical. It’s about strategic forethought and not tactical after thought.