In today’s 24/7 news cycle, staying on top of what’s going on is a Sisyphean task for companies, non-profit organizations, and industry groups (not to mention private citizens). Issue tracking is a nonstarter for many busy professionals — especially in fast-paced industries like tech. What about tracking policy issues and concepts that aren’t summarized by a quick three-word Google search, like “online content responsibility?” The bigger the players involved and the more complex an issue, the more time-consuming and tricky it is just to keep up. The minute you’ve got a handle on the conversation, it transforms into something unrecognizable. Back to the drawing board.

Finding influencers who write about these issues can also feel like nailing Jell-O to a tree. Who’s writing about my complicated topics? Which of their articles is getting traction on social media? Who has a bone to pick with my industry? What authors write favorably about my topics and might be interested in my pitch? These questions are tough enough to answer when your topic is niche. What if your industry is “tech” and your topic is “who’s responsible for content posted on social media?” Tracking big policy areas like these (and the people with influence) takes time and resources and we know how scarce both of those are. That’s why analyzing industry/topic-related news to locate influencers is something few companies have the bandwidth to do well — despite the potential rewards.

Wading through the melee is possible, though — with a plan. Recently, PublicRelay and a leading tech industry advisory group picked five hot technology-related topics and set out to get an idea of what was being written about them and who was doing the writing:

• The effects of AI on job creation/destruction
• Who is responsible for content posted online?
• Use of the internet by terrorist/extremist groups
• Hacking/online security breaches
• Antitrust issues in the tech sector

Finding relevant articles to analyze is the first step. These topics are not simple, and cannot be summarized by a word or string of words. Human-assisted AI helps to quickly cull through the slew of media content published about the tech industry and isolate the most important coverage.

Next is the analysis of the coverage. This is where you answer questions like “who is writing negative articles about anti-trust law in the tech industry that are gaining traction on social media” or “are there new authors covering the effects of AI on job creation?”.

These answers not only help the association keep an accurate pulse on policy issues their members turn to them for but also inform their communications strategy. Insights around key media conversations that impact consumer and legislative stakeholder perceptions help them tailor an advocacy and influencer outreach strategy that gets results. These takeaways help bolster the association’s ongoing efforts to develop essential standards and ensure its members are heard on the Hill.

Read Next: “How Third-Party Influencers Can Shape Your Media Strategy“

No matter what terminology you prefer – driverless car, autonomous vehicle, autonomous driving, self-driving car or something else – the future of human and non-human driving is a hot topic. And we kicked off 2018 with two major consumer events that had the media abuzz about it. PublicRelay analyzed traditional and social media around autonomous vehicles at both events and here are some of the interesting nuggets that we uncovered.

Read Next: “6 Steps for Measuring PR at Your Next Event“

CES hands down “wins” for sheer volume of coverage at 7X the number of articles written on the subject. Autonomous drive was among the top five products discussed at CES 2018, along with gaming products, computers, and smart home technology. At the Detroit Auto Show it placed in the top four with vehicle infotainment systems and electric cars.

Social sharing of autonomous driving articles also put CES in the lead by 8X – Detroit Auto Show articles were shared 19,416 times across Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and CES articles were shared 151,662 times. The topic as a percentage of traditional coverage for each show was much closer – the topic appeared in 13% of total CES event coverage, and in 11% of Detroit Auto Show coverage. The chart below outlines the top topics by percentage for both events.

The most obvious reason is that CES is first on the calendar. But more probable is that CES’ focus on technology is a perfect platform for showing exactly HOW these vehicles are coming to market. The CES audience is extremely interested in technology and innovation that they can use today or in the future. How a car can drive itself certainly fits that bill.

The self-driving topic appeared in more than half [54%] of Nvidia’s traditional coverage at CES. They released a new platform for self-driving vehicles, and announced partnerships with VW and Uber. At a press conference, Nvidia’s CEO stated, “the complexity of future cars is incredible.”

While autonomous driving was covered at the Detroit Auto Show, the show focus is on what is available today for consumers. For instance, articles about self-driving features within traditional cars, rather than fully autonomous vehicles were popular.

A hot self-driving sub-topic in Detroit was government regulations and guidelines, with many articles citing quotes from U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and other legislators. Chao appeared in 16% of the Detroit Auto Show’s autonomous driving coverage.

Learn more about PublicRelay’s coverage of CES: Understanding the Success of CES.

The final article of our five-part series produced with partner PR News, examines the impact of data analytics on corporate communications.

“Having a good foundation of creativity, compassion, and ethics cannot be replaced, but neither can numbers…the numbers tell you where to begin, but your heart should be where you end.” Communications professionals are rapidly adopting a data analytics approach to their PR efforts by pairing it with their already strong creative capacity. Executives from Bloomberg, PNC, U.S. Green Building Council, and Southwest Airlines discuss their experiences in the new data-heavy communications landscape. Their stories highlight the importance of those looking to enter the communications field to learn how big data impacts the PR work of some of the world’s largest companies.

Click here to read the rest of the article >>

The fourth article of our five-part series produced with partner PR News, examines some of the challenges of reputation management.

Measuring brand and corporate reputation is integral to the overall measurement of communications efforts but often thought to be problematic. Part of the reason is because it’s nuanced and requires more human intelligence. This article, featuring communication executives from KPMG and Aflac, explores topics such how to accurately measure your reputation, how often you should do it and what should it cost you.

Click here to read the rest of the article >>

The world of data and measurement in PR is consistently a mixed bag. In a perfect world, organizations would have a useful bounty of accurate data and insights. Unfortunately, many times this aspirational goal is unrealistic. The major downside to data-driven analytics right now is that people simply don’t trust the data.

According to recent (2017) studies by MIT, Cal Berkeley, and Northwestern University, technology alone, including artificial intelligence (AI), is not even close to delivering the needed insights. It’s going to take some hefty shifts to gain the right information along with the industry’s trust. According to a recent survey by PRNews, over 60% of communications professionals are asked by their CEO and executive boards for data-driven analysis and metrics. Gone are the days of measurement simply to prove one’s worth – measurement is now necessary as organizations look to tie efficacy of campaigns and broader business goals.

While it’s great that executives and board members are seeing the value that strategic data and intelligence can bring to their business, more than 75% of communicators found the data to be unreliable. This number is staggering considering that both communicators and executives all desire media analysis to drive both reactive and proactive strategies.

So what do you do when the data just isn’t up to par? When practitioners are wasting time cleaning up data to figure out what insights can be derived? Here are some things that communicators can do now to take steps toward this ultimate data utopia.

Be Your Own Advocate

55% of communicators use media analysis to drive both reactive and proactive strategies…BUT only if they can trust it. It’s essential to prove to board members and business leaders that smart communications data is in fact available and deserves a seat at the table. Mapping results to business goals is the best way to advocate for a strong measurement function.

Historically, the data executives saw wasn’t smart, helpful or insightful. In fact it was rather surface level including things like mentions, reach and impressions. Today we have copious amounts of relevant, helpful and strategic data at our fingertips that should be used to inform business strategy. Communicators don’t need to use data to prove worth and ensure job security anymore; they can instead turn it into something useful and become a strategic partner to the business.

Implement Efficiency

Nearly 40% of communicators find it difficult to understand the media data they receive and are spending way too much time hunting for insights instead of developing strategic campaigns. In fact, 69% of communicators said they’d rather spend time building strategic messaging plans and 65% said they’d prefer to put more effort into pitching or focusing on influencer outreach rather than media analysis. Basic metrics aren’t helpful, and automated tools aren’t enough to add enough valuable context to business leaders. Operating efficiently is paramount.

It’s essential to know that you don’t need to go overboard on measurement, especially when you clearly understand your business goals. In both cases of B2C and B2B – it’s the context and not the counts that are going to move the needle.

Similarly, we often see sarcasm used on social media and even in traditional media which can be easily misinterpreted when looking at tone. This can be as challenging to detect as contextualizing a positive statement about you in an otherwise negatively-toned article. Analysts expertly trained at picking up these nuances are extremely efficient and accurate, giving you back time for more strategic endeavors.

Gain More Insight

Over 60% of communicators would like media intelligence to be more “insightful.” Now that is an aspirational concept that could mean different things for every business, but in reality it goes deeper than surface level measurement.

Say goodbye to content overload. In today’s media landscape, business leaders would much rather have fewer pieces of very insightful data, than a mass amount of media coverage without much context.

Now to obtain this data can provide insight into share of voice and how companies are doing against the competitors, digging into sentiment for brand and reputation drivers, and also looking at how your organization is perceived on social media. Communicators need to illustrate how corporate social responsibility efforts are progressing along with sentiment at conferences and trade shows. At the end of the day, this is the type of aspirational data that is going to put businesses ahead of the competition.

As it stands, there needs to be a fundamental shift in the way communicators generate trustworthy media intelligence. With CEOs and boards demanding data driven analytics to help make decisions, communicators need to take the next step with their analytics solutions. The industry needs to rise to the measurement challenge so the information they are delivering is insightful, reliable and exceeding expectations.

TYSONS CORNER, VA, January 4, 2017 – PublicRelay today announced that the company is partnering with the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)™ for the third consecutive year to provide real-time communications intelligence and coverage analytics at CES 2018®, produced by CTA and running in Las Vegas from Jan. 9-12, 2018. PublicRelay will operate the Communications Media Hub Nerve Center at CES, monitoring news coverage, delivering daily trending data, and providing real-time media analysis about exhibitors, speakers, and trending topics throughout the show.

CES is the world’s largest and most influential global technology event, and PublicRelay is powering the event’s 360 degree communications program with premier media intelligence. Going far beyond the traditional media coverage metrics and lists, PublicRelay utilizes powerful technology paired with trained analysts to deliver rich, actionable insights and provide insightful narratives all day, every day. CTA leverages this data to understand precisely how the show and exhibitors resonate in the media, to know what is hot, and to maximize media visibility and impact at CES.

As the leading media intelligence company known for its ability to turn data into high-quality, real-time, actionable and interactive insight at scale, PublicRelay will:

• Offer interactive dashboards to visualize media reaction and insights on and off the event floor.
• Identify and track top exhibitors, speakers, and products that are driving media engagement and social buzz at the show.
• Provide insights into the messages that are most effective and powerful in the media – far beyond simple keyword analysis.
• Deliver rich analysis of key influencers, enabling CTA to engage with them quickly and effectively.

“PublicRelay’s technology delivers unmatched insights into the trends, issues, and influencers at CES, making our team more focused and effective every single day of the show. This means we can deliver increased impact and value to our exhibitor partners at CES,” said Jeff Joseph, CTA’s VP Communications & Strategic Partnerships.

“Now in our third year at CES, we are excited to partner with the CTA team and help them be more effective in leveraging media, proving again why the world looks to CES to see the future of technology,” said PublicRelay President and CEO, Eric Koefoot. “The fit is perfect: CTA is using our technology to showcase the latest tech ideas at the one place the world looks to see innovation at work.”

About CES:

CES® is the world’s gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 years-the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace. As the largest hands-on event of its kind, CES features all aspects of the industry. Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)^TM, it attracts the world’s business leaders and pioneering thinkers. Check out CES video highlights. Follow CES online at CES.tech and on social.

About Consumer Technology Association:

Consumer Technology Association (CTA)™ is the trade association representing the $321 billion U.S. consumer technology industry, which supports more than 15 million U.S. jobs. More than 2,200 companies – 80 percent are small businesses and startups; others are among the world’s best known brands – enjoy the benefits of CTA membership including policy advocacy, market research, technical education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CTA also owns and produces CES^® – the world’s gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. Profits from CES are reinvested into CTA’s industry services.

About PublicRelay:

PublicRelay is the most trusted media analytics solution for communications and marketing professionals at many of the world’s largest brands. PublicRelay’s clients confidently use its media analysis to plan and measure influencer engagement, reputation management, the competitive landscape, and message pull-through – and tie them back to business objectives. Known for its innovation, superior data quality, and actionable insights, PublicRelay delivers accurate answers to the most pressing strategic business questions surrounding media.

Read Next: “How Third-Party Influencers Can Shape Your Media Strategy”

Check out the latest article in our five-part series about measurement with PR News covering the Communications Leadership Roundtable in late November, a convocation of 12 senior communications professionals co-hosted by PublicRelay.

Discover how data is transforming the world of communications and helping PR gain an important seat at the table when business issues are being discussed. Learn about how top-tier leaders are using data to help defend their organization, plan for the future, tackle social media and more.

Read our latest feature in PR News 

It’s easy for PR pros to feel left behind in the Big Data era. While marketers have countless tools for targeting, personalizing, tracking, and measuring how their campaigns perform, public relations initiatives can seem harder to quantify. After all, how do you measure influence or public sentiment? And how can you connect those concepts to business outcomes?

Communications teams need a way to measure the impact of influencer engagement strategies, uncover new brand influencers, and be ready with data to prove the value of their influencer strategies.

Here’s the good news: using accurate data to guide your influencer outreach strategy isn’t just possible, it’s also the key to getting an edge on your competition. Using these five tips, you’ll be able to answer:

• How is our influencer engagement strategy performing?
• Do we have the right influencer relationships?
• Are they worth the investment?
• What should we do differently?

With data to prove your influencer engagement is delivering results, you’ll have more leverage when allocating budget and resources towards your PR program — and become a strategic asset to your company.

Take Your Influencer Outreach Pitches to the Next Level

Let’s face it: your brand’s ideal influencer likely keeps a busy schedule and a packed inbox, so if your pitches aren’t laser-targeted and personalized to perfection, you’re wasting time and a potentially lucrative relationship.

To make a great first impression, you need solid data about your influencer. Many author and outlet databases provide high-level details about an author’s beat and background, but that’s not enough information to engage the influencer, let alone ensure that they’re the right fit for your brand.

You need to take these insights to the next level. Analyze how someone has written about a topic, industry, or competitor. With a more complete picture of your target influencers, you can craft a pitch that catches the right influencer’s attention and piques their interest.

Pay Attention to the Interplay of Social and Traditional Media on Influencer Coverage

Say a powerful industry influencer mentions your brand in a large trade publication — that’s terrific, but what traction did this article get on social media? The sheer volume of articles written and the reach of the publication are not necessarily indicators of high social sharing probability.

With accurate media intelligence and social listening, you can measure influencer engagement on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn and determine whether they have enough reach to drive your brand’s message home. Before you even identify influencers, you can get a sense of who to look for by overlaying social sharing data on your traditional coverage data, revealing which platform each topic gets shared on most often.

A firm understanding of how social and traditional media build on one another in your particular industry points you in the right direction. Look at how frequently an influencer’s messages are shared on the platforms most important to your business, and you can efficiently and effectively create a messaging plan to engage these thought leaders.

Go Beyond Authors and Outlets — Identify Third-Party Influencers

Reporters and social media stars aren’t the only influencers you should reach out to. You should also identify third-party influencers like industry experts, regulatory groups, academic researchers, political organizations, and NGOs. These thought leaders may be less visible than the influencers you typically think of, but they hold tremendous sway over media coverage of their fields.

Using accurate analytics, you can track the impact of third-party influencers by several measures, including:

• How often they are quoted or cited in articles
• How powerful their social and traditional media channels are
• How frequently they publish

Once they’re on your side, you can access industry trends just beginning to bubble up — and be top of mind once those topics make impact.

Find Industry Whitespace, and Leverage Influencers to Make It Yours

The attention economy is a buyer’s market. To engage new audiences and boost your influence, you need to find topics your audience cares about before your competitors get hip to that conversation. A data-driven influencer engagement strategy is a powerful tool for carving out that niche.

One Fortune 500 telecommunications company used this tactic to craft messaging around a topic that was picking up steam: data privacy. They identified industry influencers shaping the narrative, as well as the sentiments underlying their coverage. The company cultivated powerful relationships with many of these influencers, who helped guide the organization’s messaging plan. These alliances gave the telecom firm confidence as it joined the data privacy conversation.

Proactively Measure Your Impact

Measurement is more than a look backwards — it’s a constant, multifaceted evaluation. Start by establishing your baseline across brand values, then prove that your program is working with robust data that you can tie to KPIs.

Constantly combine data about sentiment and tone toward your brand, your executives and spokespeople, your products and services, your industry and competitors. Determine how that tone maps to your reputation drivers, corporate values, and goals. Evaluate whether the frequency of coverage about your brand and the topics it cares about is increasing or decreasing.

Finally, ask yourself the following questions:

• Are influencers helping to grow my brand’s audience, reach, and engagement?
• Is my influencer strategy helping with message penetration among key publics?

Get Results From Brand Influencer Engagement

Become an indispensable strategic partner to your business with the media insights you need to engage new audiences, boost your reputation, and reach powerful brand influencers. PublicRelay provides the expert data analysis you need to identify influencers, cultivate relationships, and prove the value of your efforts with measurable results.

Follow PublicRelay on Twitter for more news, advice, and insights on influencer engagement, and contact us today to learn more about how PublicRelay can turbo-charge your PR strategy.