PR News Hall of Fame Roundtable
Want Good Metrics? Research First
At the March 1 PR News PR Measurement Conference in Washington, D.C., we’ll be honoring five of the most influential measurement practitioners in the business with their induction into the Measurement Hall of Fame. This first crop of inductees will serve as benchmarks for Hall of Famers in years to come—much like Bob Dylan, an early inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, did. ...
... Our Measurement Hall of Fame inductees, class of 2011: Frank Ovaitt, Tim Marklein, Donna Coletti, Kathy Collins and Dr. James Grunig.
PR News: What are your proudest accomplishments in measurement?
Frank Ovaitt: First, the five years I spent as president and CEO of the Institute for Public Relations, and 10 years as a trustee before that. Like no other organization in our field, IPR stands for research and measurement. I’m proud to have played a role in tripling our programming and resources. ...
... PR News: Who, or what, has had a big influence on your measurement work?
Ovaitt: I have known and worked for decades with Dr. Don Wright (professor of public relations at Boston University). Don is usually the first person I call with any type of research question. I also must recognize Jim (Grunig), whom I met very early in my career. He was consulting with AT&T to develop groundbreaking methods to prove the value of our communications in regulatory proceedings. What I learned from Jim about research caused me to rethink my approach to every public relations assignment. ...
... PR News: What’s the one piece of measurement advice you would give to our readers?
Ovaitt: I’m going to borrow from Doug Pinkham, who is president of the Public Affairs Council. Each fall, Doug delivers a guest lecture for my master’s level research course. He shows one slide that says in big letters: “Resist the pressure to quantify performance before you define your value to the success of the organization.” Good advice.
PR News Measurement Hall of Famers: Past and Future Leaders
... Frank Ovaitt, Executive VP, Makovsky + Company: Ovaitt’s expertise includes integrating research into public relations practice, employee communications and international PR. Mentors who have greatly influenced him? “Professors such as Richard Carter, Steven Chaffee and Jack McLeod who taught me communication research methods and design at the University of Wisconsin,” says Ovaitt. ...
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