“Integrated communications measurement” does not mean reducing all your measurement reports to mice-sized type so they fit on one page. We’re talking about measuring your communications program as a whole—assessing the impact of all the individual components together. This will probably require drill-downs into individual function results, but the point is that the measurement process is conceived, planned, and undertaken as a whole.
Why integrate your communications measurement? The advantages of this approach are clear, as revealed in the recent Conference Board report “Unlocking the Value of Integrated Corporate Communications and Marketing.” (For a summary of that report, see the article “Integrating Communications and Marketing: The Path to Digital Transformation.”)
1. It puts your stakeholders first.
When we’re in the trenches doing day-to-day communications projects, it’s easy to focus on the to-do list and the activities we undertake, which is when we lose track of the ultimate goals and the outcomes we’re trying to accomplish. We concentrate on pleasing our internal customers, co-workers, bosses, and clients that are in our face on a daily basis.
But what really matters are the key target audiences and stakeholders with whom we’re trying to communicate. When we integrate communications functions, we see a bigger picture. We are able to look at not just how much we are reaching the target audience, but how we are reaching them most effectively.
2. It puts everyone in corporate communications on the same page in terms of over-arching goals.
One dashboard with everything on it ensures that there is clarity and consistency about how the individual campaigns, initiatives, and projects are measured. Sure, there will be specific objectives and maybe even different messages for different projects. But ultimately having one integrated dashboard means that everyone is keeping a bigger picture goal in mind.
3. It provides consistency no matter who’s in charge.
Management in corporate communications can be fluid these days. But with consistent goals, objectives, and metrics, everyone can stay on track no matter what chaos ensues among the top ranks. When everyone is working towards improving the same metrics, they stay focused on outcomes, not internal politics.
4. It improves internal communications and teamwork.
Dashboards aren’t granite monuments that you put in place and ignore. They contain the stories, case studies, and the comms teams efforts for the month or quarter that’s being reported. As such, integrated dashboards provide a reason for the communications group to sit down and actually communicate about what worked and what didn’t. More importantly they provide an opportunity to collectively brainstorm about how to improve your processes.
5. It collapses silos.
One of the biggest problems in today’s multi-media comms environment is siloed thinking. Too often people don’t share goals or messages, and each person or department works towards individual goals. Later, everyone claims attribution for success without considering the influence of other disciplines.
Integrating all the efforts into a single dashboard requires sharing data (see our “how to” article) and, ultimately, learning how different disciplines contribute to the communications goals. ∞
