This article is part of The Measurement Advisor’s Special Issue on the Measurement Sherpa, an in-house data wrangler and measurement resource who organizes, queries, and gains insight from data. Our coverage follows the development of a Sherpa’s skill and experience, from newbie to pro, and is organized in three levels:
Sherpa Level One: Getting Out of Base Camp
- Introducing the Measurement Sherpa
- 10 Signs That You Need to Hire a Measurement Sherpa
- 5 Reasons Why You Really Want to Become a Measurement Sherpa
- The First 5 Steps to Take to Become a Measurement Sherpa
- Learning on the Job: Notes from a Sherpa-in-Training
Sherpa Level Two: Climbing the Mountain
- Must-have Equipment for a Measurement Sherpa
- Commonly Confused PR and Social Media Measurement Terms
- 6 Books That Should be in Every Measurement Sherpa’s Library
- Katie Paine’s Advice for Measurement Sherpas: Dos and Don’ts for Reporting Web and Social Media Analytics
Sherpa Level Three: Peak Operations
Lisa Binzel is Vice President at Edelman Berland, one of the world’s largest PR firms. She specializes in secondary research and measurement, which she uses to help Edelman clients determine the success of their programs and fight PR crises.
“I tend use the word “evangelist,” but Sherpa works too,” Binzel said. “To me a Sherpa is someone who gets people from one place to another as part of a journey. I think my job is to get people excited about measurement by speaking to the benefits and how it can help strengthen PR programs. I want people to want to do measurement, not look at it as another burden put on their plate.”
Binzel got into measurement early in her career after a stint as a senior account executive at a PR firm. She said that she sensed something was missing in how PR results were being presented. When she came across an article on measurement featuring the Department of Energy and our own Katie Delahaye Paine, she cold-called The Delahaye Group for a job and never looked back.
“It can be demanding work – but it’s also exciting,” Binzel said. “A client may call at night and say, ‘We have a problem…’ You must engage quickly to get them the data they need to understand how big a problem they have. It’s very rewarding to help a client get past the enormous spikes in negativity during a crisis.”
Binzel notes that while there has been growth in measurement, it has been slow. In her experience companies in young, up-and-coming industries like technology are leading the measurement charge.
“Companies in more mature industries have gotten by so long without measurement that many don’t feel they need it,” Binzel said. “That’s not true for all companies – but many. That is slowly starting to change.”
Binzel says that there is a definite need for more Sherpas in today’s world. She said that not enough companies realize the need for having someone who can help them understand the metrics and utilize their findings.
“I firmly believe that measurement does not have to be very sophisticated – but I do think it’s important that you measure something. I think everyone should make the leap and start somewhere,” she said. ∞
