Study of the most known Internet measuring tools. Paper on de PR Meeting BCN 2013

1. info@mariavecino.com
Representing PR: Images, identities and innovations.
Barcelona International PR Conference, 2-3 July 2013
AMEC Metrics & eTools
Barcelona, 2th July 2013

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INDEX
1. Objective and methodology.
2. Aspects to be analyzed.
3. Conclusions and recommendations.
2

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1. Objective and methodology
 Objective: The research aims to find out what are the most appropriate technology tools that exist today for
the Measurement and Evaluation in Strategic Public Relations via the Internet for Spanish speakers in particular;
analysing in thirty five tools how they reflect the standards and requirements of the "Coalition for research and
measurement standards in Public Relations", an initiative promoted by the Coalition for Public Relations
Research Standards made by: IPR (Institute for Public Relations), Council of Public Relations Firms, PRSA (Public
Relations Society of America), Global Aliance (Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication
Management) and AMEC.

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1. Objective and methodology
 Methodology: Between November 2012 and May 2013, we study all the information available to us on the
theme: Measurement and Evaluation Strategic Public Relations on the Internet, making an approach to
content analysis using existing bibliography, Internet data-mining and basic qualitative research techniques,
such as observation and tools as benchmark.
The methodology that we have carried out for this research project has been:
o Defining the objectives of the research and analysis variables.
o research: comprehensive documentation and analysis of the international literature in Spanish and
English on the state of the question;
o Comparison (benchmarking) of the current tools and metrics to measure and evaluate Internet
Communication;
o Data collection and data profiling.
o Conclusions of the analysis.

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Tools / Companies
 These companies or technological solutions are: Acceso, Alianzo, Asomo, Augure, Blogmeter, Brandchats,
Brandwatch, Collectiveintellect, Crimson hexagon, Google Trends, Google Analytics, iMente, Kantarmedia,
Klout, Linkfluence, mBLAST, Media Relations Rating Points, Meltwater, Netbase, Onalytica, Opoint, PeerIndex,
PeopleBrowsr, Radian6/ SalesForce, Socialmention, SocMetrics, Spiral16, Synthesio, Sysomos, Traackr, Ubervu,
Visible Technologies, Trendiction, Webtrends y Whostalkin.
www.alianzo.com
www.asomo.net
www.acceso.com
www.augure.es
/www.iMente.com
www.blogmeter.es
www.brandchats.com
www.brandwatch.com
www.collectiveintellect.com
www.crimsonhexagon.com
www.google.com/trends
www.google.com/analytics
www.kantarmedia.com
www.klout.com
http://us.linkfluence.net
www.mblast.com
www.mrpdata.com
www.meltwater.es
www.netbase.com
www.onalytica.com
www.opoint.com
www.peerindex.com
www.peoplebrowsr.com
www.radian6.com
(http://www.salesforcemarketing
cloud.com)
www.socialmention.com
www.socmetrics.com
www.spiral16.com
www.synthesio.com
www.sysomos.com
www.traackr.com
www.trendiction.com
www.trendrr.tv
www.ubervu.com
www.visibletechnologies.com
www.webtrends.com
www.whostalkin.com

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2. Aspects to be analyzed:
The variables for the analysis that we have chosen to carry out this research with the information from the websites
of these companies are:
1. Description. - Literal extracted information on how they define themselves.
2. Services. - Literal extracted information about the products and services they offer: metrics and / or results
they provide.
3. Type (Free / pay). - [Note: While we understand that most of the tools analyzed will be under cost, because is necessary in this tipe of
service to obtain the highest quality and therefore overcome the initial filter of qualified service we have done].
4. Technological system. - If it is a purely technological tool, or if is there a human component in the process of
collecting, filtering or generation of data and conclusions.
5. Depth analysis. - The scope of analysis may be all over the Internet vs one or more Social Media in
particular.

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2. Aspects to be analyzed:
6. Language / s in which the tools work in both online data-mining, and in the interfaces they have with users /
recipients of results.
7. Levels of Evaluation in Public Relations. -
• Output.- Presentation. Production Public Relations effort.
• Out-take.- Attention, understanding, acceptance, retention.
• Outcome.- Action. The effects on the attitudes, opinions and behaviours.
• Outflow.- Reputation, stable relationships and other intangible assets.
8. Orientation Public Relations.- Analysis of companies that specifically give service to Public Relations professionals.
9. Integration of the Coalition´s recommendation for research and measurement standards in Public Relations.

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3. Conclusions and recommendations
1. Description. - Literal extracted information on how they define themselves.
2. Services. - Literal extracted information about the products and services they offer: metrics and / or results they
provide.
Most of them focus in return in marketing terms, although many of them also use terms from our discipline like:
image, reputation, influence and influencers, etc. The enormous variety of nomenclatures for services it’s very
enlightening, and reflects the need to standardize the language for understanding the services actually these
tools.
3. Type (Free / pay). - [Note: While we understand that most of the tools studied will be under cost, because is necessary in this type of service to
obtain the highest quality and therefore overcome the initial filter of qualified service we have done].
The majority of the tools and / or companies examined are payment services to have been filtered in the
beginning for final selection by quality variables. Few exceptions such as Google Analytics –great free tool to
measure-, and Socialmention -which only works in Spanish for big brands with great volume of information on
the internet-.

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3. Conclusions and recommendations
4. Technological system. - If it is a purely technological tool, or if is there a human component in the process of
collecting, filtering or generation of data and conclusions.
Nearly all of the companies studied have automatic semantic search engines, and the most advanced and
complete have hybrid filtering services by the user / recipient, or the company (Ex. ASOMO.net infonautas).
5. Depth analysis. - The scope of analysis may be all over the Internet vs one or more Social Media in particular.
Approximately 80% of the tools and / or companies offer a limited analysis of public info in Social Media, while
the other examined all public content on the World Wide Web (www).
There are private social networks and private profiles, ex. Facebook, in which these tools cannot access and
therefore generate data.

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3. Conclusions and recommendations
6. Language / s in which the tools work in both online data-mining, and in the interfaces they have with users /
recipients of results.
The language in the online data mining is mainly English, as most of the companies are Anglo. The common
thing is that languages ​​and interfaces analysis are the countries of origin of the companies, and also the most
important English language in all not Anglo. In the case of the three Spanish companies analysed, ASOMO
goes beyond European languages offering other ​​like Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, etc.
7. Levels of Evaluation in Public Relations. –
Fundamentally Outputs, Out-takes and Outcomes, although some tools like Socialmention, Asomo, Acceso,
Augure, Meltwater, Blogmeter, Netbase, Opoint, Synthesio, Visible Technologies, say on their websites that can
provide data to measure reputation (level outflow).

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3. Conclusions and recommendations
8. Orientation Public Relations.- Analysis of companies that specifically give service to Public Relations professionals.
The Orientation to Public Relations is low, most of the tools and companies analysed are designed for marketing
departments and advertising, and do not offer a service tailored to the needs of Measurement & Evaluation in
Public Relations strategy.
Only nine of these tools and / or companies talk about providing PR services explicitly manage measurement
and analysis services to agencies and public relations professionals, offering personalized services. These are all
paid, and are also the most complete and professionalized: Asomo, linkfluence, collectiveintellect, imente,
Acceso, Augure, Kantarmedia, BrandWatch, Blogmetter, Linkfluence, Media Rating Points, Meltwater,
Onalytica, Trendrr.
9. Integration of the Coalition´s recommendation for research and measurement standards in Public Relations.
Despite the importance from the professional and academic view for the integration of the recommendations
of the Coalition for Standards in Research and PR measurement, none of the companies communicated or
integrate Matrix metrics of the Coalition, or collect the key opportunities Standards and Practices, although
three of them are sponsors of the annual meeting of the AMEC in 2013. (Access, Kantarmedia and
Trendiction).

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3. Conclusions and recommendations
"[...] Non-existing sources are accessible,
transparent and consistent enough to be reliable.
Experimentation and testing are key to success.".
PhD. K. Pane
 Clonclusions:
The large number of tools (there are many more of the thirty-five analysed), make difficult to choose the tools that
best meet our needs for information; but the ideal tool for professionals in Public Relations and integrated
communication, would be one with:
• mixed analysis (quantitative and qualitative, and quality automatic semantic analysis),
• which through a modular dashboard could show the most important milestones,
• whose algorithms and semantic dictionaries were optimized for Spanish (at the time of the study only
ASOMO.net, iMente / Augure and Accesos are the only ones that we have studied developed specifically
for Spanish and English with quality and professionalism enough,
• and tools that allow integration with other data and databases of the organization (such as web analytics
and statistical analysis, CRM, Sales, datamining for online surveys, etc..)
However, if we do not have the resources to hire these services/ companies with high standards of quality; we can
use free tools or a low investment, making a mix of them to get some minimum requirements of information
collection for strategic evaluation, and adapt them to our goals and resources.

13. Thank you!
María Vecino
info@mariavecino.com
@mariavecino