Thoughts on My First Week as MarCom Director

Photo by Allure West Studios

Posted by Jonathan Morein

They say that when you start a new position, you should take plenty of notes.

Well, on this, my first week at Furia Rubel Communications in Bucks County, I’ve taken pages. Books even. So, for my first blog post, I thought I’d boil down my thoughts and share what I’ve learned so far. First, I have to say, this is going to be a great job! I’m amazed by my colleagues. They are organized and detailed and will challenge me to perform at my very best.

Second, I felt I knew the company, its philosophy and its team before I even got started. For a boutique integrated marketing agency, Furia Rubel has a powerhouse presence. Their posts about marketing have influenced my thinking for years. This speaks well for a company that practices what it preaches when it comes to the power of thought leadership.

Third, Furia Rubel is extremely well organized in its thinking and its programs. I’m amazed at the sophistication of our strategic planning processes. My first assignment is to prepare an assessment for a strategic marketing plan for a new client. I’ve conducted brand assessments many times before – or at least I thought I had. This one is like nothing I had ever seen. Comprehensive is an understatement, with dozens of questions on everything from their business model to their work style.

Why so much detail? I think it’s because Furia Rubel leaves nothing to chance. We’re building a blueprint for communications success. From great plans spring successful marketing and public relations campaigns. I’ve read through hundreds of strategic plans and these are the most detailed and well-integrated that I’ve seen in a long time.

Furia Rubel defines its process as “Communications Made Simple.” Achieving simplicity is hard work. It’s like being the proverbial duck gliding across the water. The smaller the ripples on the surface, the more furiously it’s paddling below.

Looking forward to paddling with you in the months ahead.

All the Best,
Jonathan Morein

By the way, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanmorein or on Twitter @ www.twitter.com/JonMor to share your thoughts.

Creating A Measurement Dashboard

Posted by Leah Ludwig

I recently participated in a PRSA webinar on “Creating Your Own Measurement Dashboard.” Angela Sinickas of Sinickas Communications was the speaker and she discussed some very interesting topics regarding the dynamic world of PR and marketing measurement. She refers to her vehicle of internal and external communications measurement as a “measurement dashboard.”

Angela provided some insightful take-aways that I thought I would share. Her measurement dashboard method revolves around measuring four key factors:
- Communications activities (channels and messages)
- Audience perceptions (knowledge and attitudes)
- Changes in audience behavior
- Financial impact on goals

First, she advised webinar participants to gather all appropriate metrics on what it is we are trying to measure. This could be previously conducted surveys, sales numbers, Web statistics, etc. One may be planning to rollout a new marketing or PR campaign; this is the perfect time to put a measurement tool like Angela’s in place. Gathering the appropriate metrics helps to establish a baseline, or starting point, for the measurement of the targeted campaign, or whatever it is we are trying to measure.

At this point in the measurement process, communicators need to decide how to grade, categorize and classify the metrics information that is being compiled for measurement purposes.

Second, Angela encouraged us to set realistic goals to achieve – valued according to the same metrics that were gathered for our baseline measurement. Think about what is reasonable to you and your manager, general company expectations, etc., to determine and assign this number.

The next step is identifying how often you will record these measurements – quarterly, annually, etc. This may depend entirely on the length of the campaign that you are measuring.

The final step is providing feedback or progress reports to management on the status of the campaign indicating whether you are on track, exceeding goals or missing your target regarding the four key measurement factors – communications activities, audience perception, changes in audience behavior and financial impact on goals.

Angela’s dashboard measurement method has sparked some very stimulating conversation in the Furia Rubel office and I hope this post provokes some thought about your company’s measurement methods.

No Need to Measure Social Media ROI

Here’s a question that all PR practitioners and their clients are asking and no one has yet to find the solution – how do you measure social media return on investment?

Nick O’Neill of Social Times recently wrote an article titled, “How to Measure Your Social Media ROI: Don’t.” In the article, he tackles the topic and gives his feedback on why PR practitioners and their clients shouldn’t force the issue of measuring social media ROI. He highlights the following three points.

 Traditional Digital Marketing is Measurable – O’Neill said, “If you want to start selling something, turning to social media is not the first channel to turn to.” In his article, O’Neill acknowledged that, “large companies have no option but to embrace social media to engage their audience.” One of his suggestions to drive people to a particular social media site is to launch a Facebook advertising campaign (ultimately the ROI for this type of campaign would be measured by using traditional conversion metrics even though the communications model is different). When all is said and done, all traditional digital marketing models have standard metrics.

 The Value of Social Media is Priceless – “With social media, the model is completely skewed. Can you say that a $500 investment will result in 1,000 visitors to your site? Also what percentage of those will convert in comparison to traditional sources? It’s difficult to track that information and while it is possible, the complete value of social media cannot be measured,” said O’Neill.

As a PR practitioner, demonstrating the value of social media is always a challenge, especially if you are proposing the integrated communications tactic to individuals without social media know-how. As O’Neill said in his article, “The value however is not tangible and just like any other intangible asset; social media strategy can not be given an assessed value.”

 Make a Minimal Investment and Determine the Results – “The reality is that social media marketing is not expensive,” said O’Neill. “Even if you are a small business and don’t have a large budget to invest in social media, making a minor investment is well worth it.”

I completely agree with O’Neill – you will never know if social media can work for you and your company if you don’t give it a try. Starting small and dipping your toes in the waters of the social media sphere is the perfect way to take your first step in understanding how to harness social media and put it to work for you. And like O’Neill said, “The result is a community of brand advocates and a more effective way to reach those that are being critical of your company.” Like utilizing public relations services, social media engagement is an investment in your company’s long-term growth.

Social Media is More Measurable than Traditional Media

Posted by Amanda Walsh

Jacob Morgan poses a thoughtful question, "What's more measurable social media or traditional media, and why?" on his blog post, "Why Social Media is More Measurable than Traditional Media".

Morgan offers a number of ways that social media can be measured as part of an advertising or public relations campaign. He points out that typically traditional media is measured by "media impressions," or number of eyeballs that saw the ad or public relations piece. Surveys and questions are often also used as a follow-up to a campaign to gather statistics and gauge success.

I agree with Jacob that social media has many more ways of measurement and believe it is more effective in today's society to reach certain audiences.

I have modified Jacob's list the ways social media can be measured and calculated, the following are a few examples:

* The number of Web site hits and traffic measurement on your site with tracking sites or programs.

* Number of comments left on the Web site, blog, Facebook or Twitter account.

* Tracking of brand image perception through consumer feedback and interaction. This can be a great monitor of trends in consumer perceptions. Jacob notes that if consumers were bashing your brand a month ago but are now very happy with it. That can be seen as a success in change of brand perception.

* Number of times others have shared information about your brand or company. For example, "retweets" on Twitter are a great way to see the chain of word-of-mouth spread of information.

* Number of subscribers on your RSS feed, followers on Twitter, or friends on Facebook or other social media sites.

* Number of link backs to your page or to information about your company or brand. The more link backs you have the better it is for your site because of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Click the link to learn more about SEO from SEOchat.com.

The major difference between the measurements of each type of media has to do with their effect on the Return On Investment (ROI) for the business. Now more than ever consumers have ways to ignore messages with traditional media. Social media does require invested time but many Web sites are free and offer peer-driven, word-of-mouth interactions and rapid ways to disseminate your message. However, social media's success is often hard to predict at the outset. Morgan points out that best way to effectively measure social media is to look at many variables and overall social media impact. It is important to constantly evolve once your company is actively engaging.

SpinSpotter Spots Media Bias - New Web Ap

Posted by Gina Rubel – Check it out – what a fun PR application http://www.spinspotter.com/. It’s said to spot spin and bias in news coverage. The “spinoculars” help you spot spin but they’re only available right now for FireFox 3. The site says they’ll be adding the ap for IE 7 soon.

So here’s what the homepage says about the new Internet application:

Spin doesn't belong in the news. It's like putting motor oil in the mojito. We have tremendous respect for journalists, but who would argue that the media circus isn't out of control? A full 66% of Americans think the press is one-sided. Now there's a website and software tool that exposes news spin and bias, misuse of sources, and suspect factual support. At SpinSpotter, you'll experience the news in a profound new way. Yes, the truth is back in town.

My two cents:

Penny 1) This could be an interesting public relations tool to measure the message in media coverage – we’ll have to wait and see.

Penny 2) Don’t mess with the mojito!

comScore Acquires M:Metrics

For those of you who measure your marketing, It's important to know that comScore acquired M:Metrics today. Below is the full detail from today's press release....

_______________
comScore Acquires M:Metrics

Accelerates Expansion of comScore’s Mobile Solutions, Cross Media Measurement and Global Footprint

Reston, VA, May 28, 2008 -- comScore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today announced the acquisition of M:Metrics, Inc., the recognized leader in mobile measurement. The acquisition makes comScore the immediate leader in measuring the emerging and strategically important mobile Internet market and adds to comScore’s leading position in measuring PC-based Internet usage.

The transaction involves a cash payment of $44.3 million and the issuance of approximately 50,000 options to purchase shares of comScore common stock to certain M:Metrics unvested option holders.

M:Metrics offers three primary measurement products:
· MobiLensTM, a syndicated monthly online survey that captures overall mobile phone usage, including device information, data usage, media consumption and demographic characteristics of a representative sample of more than 40,000 mobile device users. MobiLens is available in the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Spain, and Italy.

· MeterDirectTM, the industry’s first on-device meter that passively measures the mobile Internet behavior and media consumption of more than 4,000 existing Smartphone panelists. The M:Metrics metering technology is compatible with more than 280 device models. MeterDirect is currently available in the U.S. and U.K.

· M:AdTM, the first competitive tracking service for mobile advertising that continuously monitors clickable display advertising from a broad representative set of mobile Web destinations to reveal leading advertisers across a variety of market segments. M:Ad is currently available in the U.S. and U.K.

Going forward, comScore will increase the size of the metered panel and will offer measurement of combined Internet usage across both PC and mobile-based online access platforms. The combination of the two companies is expected to result in substantial operating synergies, cost savings and enhanced revenue growth by building a larger customer base, combining two highly productive sales forces, and leveraging comScore’s global panel and scalable technology infrastructure.

“With the substantial growth of 3G devices and Internet friendly handsets, we believe we are now at an inflection point in Internet usage on mobile devices,” said Dr. Magid Abraham, comScore’s president and chief executive officer. “Our acquisition of M:Metrics makes comScore an immediate market leader in this space and positions comScore to deliver significant shareholder value as wireless carriers, telecom equipment providers, media companies, advertising agencies, online publishers, and marketers extend their reach into the mobile Internet world.”

“M:Metrics brings compelling products and an established, customer base of over 180 clients. Adding comScore’s capabilities and scale to this mix will significantly enhance the company’s future growth and performance,” continued Dr. Abraham. “We see compelling opportunities to increase the market penetration of M:Metrics’ products within comScore’s customer base of over 950 clients and to cross-sell comScore’s portfolio of products into the wireless industry, including the major carriers and device manufacturers. In addition, we plan to leverage comScore’s panel, technology infrastructure and sales force to expand the metered mobile panel and develop new offerings that can significantly increase the growth and profitability of M:Metrics’ business.”

In connection with the acquisition, the co-founders of M:Metrics, Will Hodgman, president and chief executive officer, and Seamus McAteer, chief product architect, will join comScore’s management team.

“comScore is the ideal partner for M:Metrics and clearly the right company to leverage and build upon M:Metrics’ leadership in mobile measurement. The combined company will provide our customers with a compelling portfolio of cross media online measurement and analytics.” said Will Hodgman, president and CEO of M:Metrics. “We are excited about joining comScore and leveraging its vast capabilities, blue chip customer base, and innovative technologies. By combining forces, I am confident we will be the pre-eminent Internet and mobile marketing intelligence provider in the world.”

The acquisition agreement was signed, and the acquisition was closed, today, May 28, 2008, having been approved by the comScore Board of Directors and M:Metrics stockholders. The transaction will be accounted for under purchase accounting rules.

comScore is expecting the M:Metrics business to be profitable on an Adjusted EBITDA basis by the end of the fourth quarter of 2008, and to be a significant positive contributor to Adjusted EBITDA in 2009. M:Metrics’ revenues are currently forecast to be approximately $11 million to $12 million for the full year 2008, and will contribute $6.5 to $7 million to comScore’s reported revenues for 2008 post-closing. The acquisition also enables comScore to lower its future tax payments by realizing a cash benefit of up to $7 million through the utilization of up to $20 million in M:Metrics net operating loss carry forward (NOLs).

Pro forma financials resulting from the M:Metrics acquisition will be reported in an amended 8-K that comScore expects to file in late July, when comScore also plans to announce its earnings for the second quarter of 2008.

M:Metrics, Inc. was represented by The Jordan, Edmiston Group, Inc., a New York City based investment bank that specializes in the media and information industries.

Conference Call comScore will host a conference call and simultaneous audio-only webcast on Thursday, May 29, at 8:30 a.m. (Eastern Time). The conference call can be accessed in two ways:
* By telephone at 719-325-4869, pass code 2461159
* Via a webcast at http://ir.comscore.com/events.cfm.

A replay of the webcast will be archived and available for playback beginning at noon that day, accessible from the same link.

About comScore comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world. This capability is based on a massive, global cross-section of more than 2 million consumers who have given comScore permission to confidentially capture their browsing and transaction behavior, including online and offline purchasing. comScore panelists also participate in survey research that captures and integrates their attitudes and intentions. Through its proprietary technology, comScore measures what matters across a broad spectrum of behavior and attitudes. comScore analysts apply this deep knowledge of customers and competitors to help clients design powerful marketing strategies and tactics that deliver superior ROI. comScore services are used by over 950 clients, including global leaders such as AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo!, BBC, Carat, Cyworld, Deutsche Bank, France Telecom, Best Buy, The Newspaper Association of America, Financial Times, ESPN, Fox Sports, Nestlé, Starcom, Universal McCann, the United States Postal Service, Verizon, ViaMichelin, Merck and Expedia. For more information, please visit http://www.comscore.com/.

About M:Metrics
Founded in 2004, M:Metrics is the mobile media authority. As the only research firm to measure the audience for mobile media using on-device metering and the world’s largest monthly survey of mobile users, M:Metrics provides the most accurate metrics on actual mobile content consumption by applying trusted media measurement methodologies to the mobile market. M:Metrics’ monthly syndicated data service gives clients the critical insights and intelligence required to inform smart business strategies and the competitive benchmarks needed to evaluate the performance of competitors and partners. M:Metrics services are used by more than 180 clients, including global leaders in the mobile, advertising, technology and consumer goods industries such as Verizon, Vodafone, Microsoft, RIM, FOX, CBS, BBC, BMW, Samsung, Palm, Qualcomm, Ericsson, O&M, and JWT. Prior to being acquired by comScore, M:Metrics was a private, venture-funded corporation headquartered in Seattle, with offices in San Francisco and London.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This release includes a reference to (but does not use) a non-GAAP financial measure called "Adjusted EBITDA", which comScore defines as net income plus the (benefit) provision for income taxes, depreciation, amortization of intangible assets resulting from acquisitions, stock-based compensation, revaluation of preferred stock warrant liabilities, less interest income (expense), net. comScore believes that Adjusted EBITDA is an important indicator of the company’s operational strength and the performance of its business because it provides a link between profitability and operating cash flow. Adjusted EBITDA is also widely used by investors and analysts as a supplemental measure to evaluate the overall operating performance of companies in comScore’s industry. comScore’s management also uses Adjusted EBITDA extensively as a measure of operating performance because it does not include the impact of items not directly resulting from the company’s core operations. Moreover, comScore’s management uses the measure for planning purposes, to allocate resources and to evaluate the effectiveness of the company’s business strategies and management’s performance.
Whenever comScore uses Adjusted EBITDA, it provides a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to the most closely applicable GAAP financial measure. Investors are encouraged to review the related GAAP financial measures and the reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

Cautionary Statement
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including, without limitation, statements made with respect to: annualized 2008 revenue from the M:Metrics acquisition; the amount and availability of net operating losses to reduce future tax payments; anticipated synergies and other benefits resulting from the acquisition merger with M:Metrics and the timing thereof; and the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations, including planned integration activities and the timing thereof; the positive contribution of the acquisition to comScore’s Adjusted EBITDA; comScore’s ability to grow its existing customer base and develop new products; the expected strength of comScore’s business and client demand for comScore’s products; the future quality of client relationships and resulting renewal rates; expectations of customer growth; expectations of international sales growth; assumptions regarding interest rates and effective tax rates; and forecasts of future financial performance, including related growth rates and components thereof, and assumptions related thereto.

The forward looking statements included in the Press Release relate to future events or our future financial conditions or performance, Words such as “forecast,” “expected,” “should,” "will," "are," "provide," "continue," "remain," "anticipates" or the negative thereof or variations thereon and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements inherently involve certain risks and uncertainties, although they are based on our current plans or assessments that are believed to be reasonable as of the date of this press release. Factors that may cause actual results, goals, targets or objectives to differ materially from those contemplated, projected, forecast, estimated, anticipated, planned or budgeted in such forward-looking statements include, among others, the following possibilities, in no particular order: the business of M:Metrics not being integrated successfully, or such integration taking longer or being more difficult, time-consuming or costly to accomplish than expected; the failure to realize revenue synergies and cost-savings from comScore's acquisition of M:Metrics or delay in realization thereof; difficulties and delays in the further development and marketing of M:Metrics products and technologies; final determinations under GAAP of acquisition related costs, equity-based compensation expense, purchase price allocations and the impact of the loss of deferred revenues on a going-forward basis; limitations under applicable tax laws on the sources of income with respect to which the NOLs are available for offset, the amounts of the NOLs available for use in any given year, the useable life of the NOLs, and any other limitation on the use of the NOLs; the early stage of the market for digital marketing intelligence and the rate of development of such market; comScore’s ability to manage its growth; the rate of development of the Internet advertising and eCommerce markets; comScore’s ability to effectively expand sales and marketing; comScore’s reliance on subscription-based revenues; comScore’s ability to retain existing large customers and obtain new large customers, including with respect to M:Metrics; continued growth of the Internet as a medium for commerce, content, advertising and communications; inability to sell additional products and attract new customers; dependence on growth of international operations; product obsolescence with technological developments; volatility of quarterly results and analyst expectations; comScore’s history of losses and the risk of future losses; and comScore’s limited operating history.

For a detailed discussion of these and other risk factors, please refer to comScore’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2007 and from time to time other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which are available on the SEC’s Web site (http://www.sec.gov/).

Stockholders of comScore are cautioned not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date such statements are made. comScore does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances or new information after the date of this press release, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Contact:Andrew LipsmanSenior AnalystcomScore, Inc. 312-775-6510press@comscore.com