Media Evaluation and Event Sponsorship
By Per Soderpalm, Vice President, Delahaye
The global media evaluation industry is going through some great and encouraging changes, while Delahaye is at the heart of it all. These changes are led by new technologies, media upheaval, the increasing velocity of business today and higher levels of accountability placed upon PR and communication professionals.
In each issue of the Gauge, we will explore these global trends and discuss those strategies that drive the global media evaluation industry.
Several research-based disciplines are emerging around areas such as sponsorship and event marketing. With an increased interest in traditional marketing as well as social responsibilities and cause-related marketing, organizations are pouring millions of dollars into sponsorship programs to maintain visibility and increased awareness among stakeholders.
Evaluating sponsorship efforts has become exceedingly important, not only for the sponsor, but also for the organizer. As leaders in all sectors are challenged to develop and communicate program performance to meet business and community needs, they too will be asked to ‘prove it’.
In doing so, organizations are able to identify which activities, programs or events created the most value and will similarly be able to evaluate performance against industry peers.
At a tennis tournament in Portugal last summer, we provided analysis for several multinational organizations that participated as sponsors. In doing so, we were able to help them assess how visible they appeared in both print and broadcast media related to the tournament. The media analysis was also combined with on-site survey research where attendees were asked about the sponsors they recognized and remembered. The combined results were used by the sponsors to prove a return-on-investment and by the tournament organization to prove marketing value to future sponsors.
Easily integrated into a larger research program, media evaluation and surveys can help public relations professionals make better choices when planning and refocusing PR strategies on or off the court.
Per Soderpalm is a Vice President at Delahaye, where he is involved in the integration of Delahaye methods and technologies with the other measurement business within Observer Group. In 1995 he joined Observer managing a wide range of measurement programs focusing on government and not-for-profit organizations. In 2000 Soderpalm took the position of Vice President for Observer’s Measurement business worldwide, coordinating and developing the existing business and the newly acquired companies to one of the world’s largest measurement companies. Soderpalm held the position as Vice Chairman within the Association of Media Evaluation Companies (AMEC) in London before taking on the position as Vice President at Delahaye. Per holds a Masters Degree in Economics and Politics from Lund University and has degrees in Market Research and Communication from Stockholm University.