Thought Leaders Interview: David Rockland
In the second part of our interview-series „Thought Leaders in PR Measurement“ David Rockland is talking about his professional insights and personal experiences. He especially shaped the practice of PR Measurement and influenced the work of the PR agency Ketchum. Additionally he led the development and implementation of the Barcelona Principles, which try to define industry standards for PR measurement.
Communicationcontrolling.de: Dr. Rockland, when did you start to deal with questions of PR measurement and evaluation, and why are you especially interested in this topic?
David Rockland: I guess it depends on how you define the term “start”. My doctoral dissertation was on the valuation of intangible environmental benefits, particularly fishery populations. You could say that valuing intangible results there is somewhat akin to what we are trying to do with PR measurement. Professionally, it really began when I was the global head of corporate communications for BHP Copper. I was responsible for all aspects of communications for a very large mining company that had been created through the acquisition of an American company by a large Australian conglomerate. With a very loose charter of “drive value to the business through communications”, it forced me to try and allocate resources in a way that most benefitted the business. The problem of course, as John Lennon said “life is what happens when you are busy making other plans,” and it was often easy to get distracted from trying to ascertain what were the right investments in communications due to a wide range of issues and crises that were taking place due to the merger, the collapsing price of copper, some very serious safety and environmental issues, and a price-fixing scandal. At Ketchum, we see it as a real differentiator for our clients to make sure we can counsel them on what are the right investments to make, what kind of return they are receiving, and to focus on continuous improvement in performance. Over the almost 13 years I have been at Ketchum, that practice has grown dramatically, which I feel is reflective of my interests along with my team, but also from interest among our clients.
This interview is part of the series „Thought Leaders in PR measurement” – we’ve talked to 12 people who shaped the international debate on communication measurement in various periods.
cc.de: Why do you think communication measurement is essential for organizations today?
Rockland: Probably the most important driving force behind the growth in measurement is the economic instability around the world. It is essential to be able to demonstrate performance and measure results if you are going to spend money on anything – communications, employee programs or a new facility.
cc.de: What have been the most important insights and turning points in your professional work on the topic?
Rockland: To me there have been several learnings along the way: First Measurement should not be about justifying one’s existence or budget. It should be about continuous improvement in the business. You also have to know how to communicate results in a manner that is important to your audience or organization. If the leadership of the company is talking about sales, and you are talking about article counts, you will never have a seat at the table. A very important thing for the measurement professional is to be able to talk and work with people who are not like them. Most in measurement are great at activities involving the left side of the brain – analytics, math, logic. Many in communications are strong on the creative side of the brain. You need to be able to bridge the communications and ways of thinking gaps. While I have had the opportunity to make a difference in this field, and have been recognized for doing so, my greatest satisfaction is where I see our staff grow and develop as leaders on their own.
cc.de: International research constantly shows large gaps between the importance and implementation of measurement practices. Many complain about this, but nothing seems to change. Do you think there are any ways out of this dilemma?
Rockland: Yes, measurement of communications needs to be in the language of business. It is the top issue. If we are not talking the language of the people who are paying the bills, we are really not doing our job well and we should not be complaining – it’s our own fault.
cc.de: Do you think it is possible to develop international standards for linking communication to organizational goals and for evaluating communication activities? What will be advantages and disadvantages, who might profit from such initiatives?
Rockland: Yes, it is not only possible, but in many cases it is something that is already complete. We know how to measure media, target audience outcomes and the effect of communications on business performance. In many respects, it is simply the documenting of those approaches in some form of standards type document or book that would be a good step forward. Those who will profit are those who have the skills and talents to be able to develop causal linkages between communications and business performance, and then to explain those linkages to communicators and business managers. People with strong statistics and communications skills will succeed, and those who are busy trying to justify their existence and budget with clip and impression counts, AVEs, or weak anecdotal and correlative relationships will not do as well.
cc.de: From your point of view, what is the most important future challenge for PR measurement and evaluation?
Rockland: Grow up and stop complaining that no one is paying attention to PR measurement and evaluation. Be clear on the solid techniques that already exist, and have the confidence to employ them. I think we often use the excuse that it is somehow the fault of the marketing director, advertising, or whoever that PR is not as relevant to the business. I disagree. The fault is our own in not clearly showing why good PR measurement and evaluation is a key part of business management.
cc.de: Thank you for that conversation!
About David Rockland
Dr. David Rockland leads Ketchum’s research, measurement, analytics and insights services. In addition, he is CEO for Ketchum Change, the firm’s change communications consulting enterprise. He also formed Ketchum Interactive, now known as Ketchum Digital. David Rockland is Chairman of the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication, where he led the development and implementation of the first-ever industry standards for PR measurement, the Barcelona Principles. In part for that effort, he was inducted into the PRNews Measurement Hall of Fame in April 2012. He regularly lectures at various conferences and other events around the world and writes a monthly column on measurement, “Ask Doc Rock”, for the Public Relations Society of America. He is an emeritus member of the IPR Commission on PR Measurement and Evaluation, and was its Chairman for 2007 and 2008. Prior to joining Ketchum, Rockland was Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Roper Starch Worldwide where he managed the company’s environmental and public relations practice areas. previously owned his own firm – The Rockland Group – specialized in environmental issues management and marketing, which he sold to Roper Starch in 1998. David Rockland holds a Ph.D. in Economics and has held teaching roles at Rutgers, NYU, and the University of Maryland. He and his wife, Sarah Dutton of CBS News, reside in New York City as well as on a farm on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
The German version of this interview is available here and published in the journal PR Report.
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